You Know How...

...when you learn something you suddenly start seeing it everywhere?  Yep; I was out in the garden this afternoon with the afternoon, and saw a dark shape flitting through the trees.

It's my friend from yesterday, the Red Spotted Purple Butterfly, again.

I also spotted this Dog Day Cicada moving between trees.

Our cycad, Cycas revoluta is adding a new round of leaves this year.  We bought this when Alex was in first grade, as a small potted plant, because it is touted as one of the kinds of plants that were around in the era of the dinosaurs. 

The plant grows slowly, but surely, and in the past 10 years or so, has only put up new sets of leaves every two or three years.

They don't like cold weather, so we have bring it in before frosts, although it will tolerate a light frost.

Someday, I'll make Alex take it....