Feels like record heat at CMO

Don't ever remember my thermometer reading 109° before. This heat is totally unacceptable! I stayed mostly in my air-conditioned cave today. Didn't get much done. A good chance to work on some computer issues that I think I have resolved. Long boring story so won't go into it.

This may be the first photo I've ever posted of a Carpenter Bee. They're native pollinators that don't fare well with the European honeybee competition. The native bees are better pollinators, given a chance. But people want honey, so it goes.

I feel like if the oasis hadn't gotten that little over half an inch of rain over two weeks ago that caught some water in my dirt tank, the oasis would be dead by now. Shows how precarious its survival is, but I'm going to enjoy it for as long as I can.

Here are a couple of butterflies from today. I don't see any improvement in my photos yet, but since my camera is better, it should happen eventually.

Arizona Powdered-Skipper

Chinati Checkerspot

Pine Canyon tomorrow, hot or not!  Reluctantly, I decided to not carry my Canon.