Saturday Photo: Resting Rabbit...

Animals often seem to know when they're not likely to run into danger from humans.  This rabbit is a case in point.  We met him last Sunday when out for a walk near the wild space by the airport.  It is more or less protected, and certainly there are not likely to be anyone hunting for rabbits.

So this guy just ambled out, kept a wary eye on us (who had stopped to look at birds) and proceeded to scratch his belly on the sandy soil.  Trying to remove parasites?  Scratch mosquito bites?  Who knows?  Obviously as long as we were still he felt no fear.  But as soon as we moved he took off...
 

Saturday Photo: Monarchs...

If you look closely, the purple cone flower to the left is the launching pad for a Monarch butterfly.  I think it must have been freshly hatched, as it slowly flapped its wings in the morning sun, and made no move to fly.

This comes as the Monarch is being declared an endangered species, in large part because of wholesale destruction of its breeding fields in North America.    Glad to see that some people are still planting those species that Monarchs like. Very unhappy to see that sometimes the fields of milk weed and cone flowers get mowed by public agencies who don't seem to know what they'e doing.

Saturday Photo: Trees and the City

It's hot today, and the trees in this part of town offer a welcome respite.  The shadows are dense in the morning, and people are seeking them out.

Planting street trees and greening parks are  important parts of any plan to combat climate change.  Besides, they're beautiful.
 

Saturday Photo: Sun and Shade and Water

 These are the days of sun high in the sky, and shadows directly beneath the trees.  It has not been really hot here, but gardens with shade are much appreciated in the middle of the day. An island of cool in the busy city.