In Our Backyard Today...

Alexandra and I were in the backyard swimming and playing for over 4 hours today. I went on a walk around the yard with my camera, and here is what I found:

A beautiful yellow spiny-back orb weaver spider! This is the 3rd we've found in our yard - all in the past 12 months. We found a black one and a white one, and now this yellow one! This is the first time I've gotten a good photo as I now know how to use macro. This little spider is probably 1/4 inch long - very tiny and very cute! Doesn't he just look like a smily face? :-)

Next, we saw this beautiful common blue damselfly (or is it ringed?). Alexandra named her Pixie Dust and she stayed and played with us for several hours. This took a lot of patience to get this photo! If I would have bravely taken my camera in the pool, I think I could have gotten a closer shot. Anyway, I did read up on the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly: damselflies rest with their wings back, like this one, while dragonflies rest with all 4 wings spread out. Also, damselflies are usually smaller.
I had to take this photo really quick, but "Pixie Dust" landed on Alexandra's head!!! (right near her part)

Next, since it had dried off, I decided to try and photograph some of our mushrooms. These are my favorites. I borrowed a library book and might try to identify these later.

After dinner, we went outside again - Alexandra wanted to swim and I wanted to take more photos. There was a circumhorizonal arc in the sky! But, it was faint and didn't photograph well. I did post one earlier that I'd seen, though it is faint, too. This is the third one we've seen!

And, I think I've mentioned that we now have lots and lots of toads because of all of the rain. Well, most of them have been really small - about the size of a dime or penny. The one I found tonight was much bigger - photo is of Alexandra holding him.

This is my favorite backyard find: a happy little girl enjoying a summer afternoon.