Twelved Spotted Ladybird Beetle

I went out in search of dragons today, and as is so often the case, I was distracted by so many other things... including this native ladybug that I found in a marshy area near a lake. There is was, perched on the end of a thick leaf, just waiting to have it's picture taken. Who am I to argue with fate, eh?

I'm feeling ever so much better today - haven't even needed an Advil. I'll see the oral surgeon next Tuesday for a follow up, but I am sure he's going to be pleased. I'm still eating a pretty soft diet, but have added pasta ...with homemade pesto from my garden!

I took a few other shots today that I kind of liked so if you'd like to have a look, there are nine posted on Flickr, starting here with a tattered Monarch Butterfly. The Monarchs in N. America have fallen on very hard times and this is only the third one I've seen all summer.

Seven more sleeps until I join Hubs in FL for the weekend. Our mission next weekend is going to be to try to find a place to rent. Hubs has been looking at places for the last month but hasn't found anything that is 1) nice, and/or 2) still available. It seems like there are a lot of homes for rent that are in poor condition, and when something nice hits the market, it's gone before you can say "help!" Of course, we have some pretty specific criteria which also complicates things a bit.

I am not looking forward to this weekend ... hard being alone, especially after having such a good time when hubs was here last weekend. I know I have no room to whine, but I do miss him very much.

Happy Friday, good people...

Debbi