Discovering Tumblebugs

At this time of year, I found two tumblebugs pushing their sphere of dung up a hill. I watched them as they worked so hard together, stumbling and falling to push this sphere up a hill, like Sysiphus. Inside that sphere is an egg, a future generation wrapped up snuggly to be dropped down a hole and awaken in the dark earth. 

While perhaps an unattractive occupation, dung beetles like these tumblebugs perform vital ecosystem maintenance. They're little local garbage men, carefully picking up the refuse we leave about and burying it beneath the ground where it can fertilize the next generation of plants and the next generation of beetles. 

At this time of year, the lamb's ear has bloomed. small purple flowers are pressed against the fuzzy stalks to entice the bees with yet another wildflower bouquet. They come just in time, as the strawberries and bramble flowers fall to the ground to reveal the green beginnings of berries. 

Speaking of berries, the juneberries are starting to turn bright red. They still have aways to go before becoming ripe, but I wonder if they'll make it that far or if the animals will get there first. They never seem to mind the bitter sour taste of unripe berries. In fact, the white-tailed deer mind very little at all, not even the sharp thorns from the brambleberry bushes, which they've already begun studiously chewing down. 

Also at this time of year, the garlic scapes are almost ready for harvest. They're nearly forming a full curlicue and will probably be picked tomorrow, and sauteed with butter for a garlicky side dish.