Things I've seen this week. Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and others) & Asclepias (milkweed).

Honeybee hive with lots of early fall activity. To learn more about the bees and wasps look here.

Warm fall day with little wind and lots of sun. The comings and goings of worker bees.

This was probably a bald-faced hornets nest. To learn more about bald-faced hornets look here. Although is could also be a Yellowjackets nest. To learn more look here.

Milkweed and Monarch Butterflies.  To learn more look here.

Milkweed seed dispersal. To learn more about seed dispersal look here.

Alongside the 5th. street corridor.

This "guy" sure took the idea of dispersal seriously.

Mayflower or trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens).

This is a new early spring flower to me.  I photographed it eariler today on the sandy shore of a small Bayfield County WI lake. The plant was in a zone higher than the probable historical high watermark. It was on the edge of a pine and scrub oak forest line. Growing in sandy soil.

More information here.

 Mrs. Shutterwi without hesitation IDed it as Mayflower or trailing arbutus, Epigaea repens.  She has memories of her mom searching it out on the Cape Cod shoreline in early spring.

If anyone can confirm the ID or has an alternative ID please leave a comment.

House plants. It's that time of the year.

When the weather changes and you need some color to photograph it's always nice to have the option to move indoors. This plant is now 28 years old and still offers great beauty each year at this time.

This plant is the youngster. Some call these Christmas cactus others call them Holiday cactus which is probably the best description. Here we are a few days from Thanksgiving and they are in bloom. In a month they will still be in bloom at Christmas.

Two great days on Lake Superior shore. Herbster Campground.

Campsite.
Hint: Click on the photos to see a larger version.

Brewing morning coffee. A great time of the day. Just after sunrise with the first cup of coffee.

Fall colors... not quite peak colors.

Beach flora.

Beach flora.

Beach flora.

Beach flora. Donna's photo.

Beach flora. Donna's photo.

Coho caught across from the campsite.

Coho caught across from the campsite.

Donna picking rocks on Herbster beach.

Sunrise beach.

Sunrise beach.

Driftwood on Herbster beach.

Setting sun. This alone makes the trip to Herbster well worth the trip.

Watch the sunset "into Lake Superior".

Duluth MN skyline photographed from Herbster WI. Thirty to thirty five mile across Lake Superior. Handheld photo with 400mm telephoto lens. A tripod would have made it a far better photo. You can see the tall (red) communication towers in this photo.

Town of Bayview Houghton Falls Nature Preserve. Dedication day.

Trail head and parking lot.

One of the many small falls along the trails.