Hanging Around

This time of year is like the last gasp of summer, with abundant pollinators trying to fuel up for winter.  This small specimen is a potter wasp of some sort, possibly Genus Ancistrocerus, although I'd not stake my life on it.  In any event, it is one of the "friendly" wasps that can be approached pretty much without fear.  You can see the body of this one is coated in pollen, perfectly coordinated with it's yellow stripes.  Nothing I like better than a well accessorized wasp!

I didn't sleep well last night so after a lovely long chat with my parents, I took a nap.  Which basically wasted the whole day.  I hate losing a day, but I was so tired that I couldn't move.

Oregon finally got some much needed rain several days ago and as a result my parents were able to get out for a long walk yesterday with plans to do the same today.  It was hell for them to be cooped up in their condo, not able to go outside because of the smoke.  More rain in the forecast later this week, so hopefully that will put an end to the wildfires for this year.  

Thoroughly disgusted with our politicians at the moment.  I have never really felt completely at home with either party because my political views tend to be centrist.  However, when it comes to issues of social justice, I definitely align more to the left.  And, for me, the Republlican party has strayed quite some distance from what they used to stand for (or at least what I thought they stood for) and I find myself more and more at odds with their ideals.  But I guess my overarching disgust comes from the fact that both parties have become so completely  immersed in their own ideologies that there doesn't seem to be any middle ground at all.  What should be a healthy debate to reach workable solutions has become a process so mired in vitriol and partisanship that I wonder how the government manages to get anything done.  Okay, stepping off my soap box for now...

Covid cases are rising in many parts of the country and world, so please, please be careful, stay safe, don't forget to be kind and loving.

xo
Debbi