Nautical Sea of Flowers

I like how this one came out looking like copper-work...

They are living up to the nickname we gave them as children.
"Army worms" (or Gypsy Moth Caterpillars) have destroyed most of the tree leaves the past few weeks. Shade trees are tough to find these days. Only those lucky to have been treated with insecticide have recognizable leaf shapes.

I used "Seven" powder on the tree trunk out front, but my room is still very hot today. I've been harvesting a bumper crop of strawberries out back, n can't keep up with them during my workweek. Alot are being tossed due to plentiful slugs. 

wish I'd figured out to head them off earlier. I remember reading about beer-pool traps, but have yet to sacrifice a beer... n my pest books are buried in the book piles here someplace... Guess it's another thing I need more time to look up online again. One hour per week is never enough internet time. I hate getting cut off. 

Work is gearing up for huge 4th of July vacation orders. There are so many new work folks that seasoned ones get befuddled as our routines get interjected by those not understanding our system of keeping order n progress ongoing without causing extra clean-up work.

I have been over-stressed, n as always questioning if I can continue the intense pace. While the rest of the world is having bbqs, having Independence Day vacation, n watching fireworks, I'll be working for OT bucks.

It always seems I'm the only one not on a long week-end. When you live in a tourist zone area, hay must be made as we work like horses while the crowds are here.

Onward to July...

I spot
 a cat in a corner,
green butterflies,
n turtles -

anything else?

A yard I walk past sometimes.

Grey is nice too

Grey is nice, but not in the hair you're thinking? I'm lucky to have blond-ish hair it's tough to see grey in-. yay! Plus now the sun is bleaching out the brassy tone too. I won't ever use hair coloring because of my allergies to the chemicals.

My spiny Aloe plant is flowering! I didn't ever see a Aloe blossom before. They are about .75 of an inch long with one open at a time. I guess using the plant light on occasion made it happen.  

At least I got to do these pics this week. Trying not to write another exhausted from work post so guess I'm going short on words lately...

Time short, Daylight long

Spotted in a ditch next to the salt-marsh recently

Shake-up or Shake-down?

My 6 days in a row are over TG n I can almost relax for a few hours. Having a strange week at work, n now we're all on guard with the Big Boss there all night trying to train folks better. Hope the inspection on my Day Off this week goes well.

 He's been on a bit of a rampage lately, n heads have rolled for folks who won't do as he says. He got so mad at the Prod. manager I've worked for since I got the job, now we need a new one. The couple of that one's underlings are trying to do that job, but the one who is out now had it better n faster than anyone.

Meanwhile we all have to be good n save Big Boss more money, but we're all burnt out.
The atmosphere there is bordering on what it must feel like to be in a prison camp. That's what I've been calling it under my breath to folks there as a joke. Plus remarking I should've committed some crime to deserve such treatment. Everyone has been taking numbers n getting in line for wanting to find a new job elsewhere ASAP.

Not so easy to hurry up n get work lately tho. Hope I can stick it out awhile until things smooth over. Hopefully it gets easier instead of worse. Summer has just started n I am so tired from that first few weeks already.

This week at least it's cooling down here n getting windy for my walk. I'm watching "After Earth" with Jaden n Will Smith, n "Escape" with Stallone n Schwarzenegger this week for some Sci-Fi fun. I found the third "Pirates of the Caribbean" for last week n still have the wonderful music of Hans Zimmer still running thru my brain. Especially the sword-fight tune is my fave.

Kinda feels like I've been dancing around some sharp blades lately too... 

Tough to imagine how I got all these images out of a cute kitten pic from the Day he opened his eyes. He's bigger n climbing everything now. My cam batts (re-chargeable) have been going dead quickly alot lately. Many missed shots, but will keep trying to get more of him.   

Hope you're having more fun than me...