And don't forget your sun scream!

Sunny wonderful summer days.

I have wondered before as to why bugs like my son's head. I now have a theory that it may be because he smells like a bug. Which is not as bad as it sounds, because many of the finest flowers smell like bugs. Many flower varieties have evolved to smell like the insects they need to attract in order to pollinate. Jasmine evolved to smell like butterflies. And who doesn't love the heady, decadent scent of night jasmine? I think the kid smells briney and tangy, a summer mix of salt water and sun screen.

My little fledgeling found this hummingbird's nest while helping in the yard. The nestlings have long since fledged. As much as I am a design genius, I will never, never, never construct anything as marvelous as that which the natural world does. Look how this tiny nest is secured onto this tiny branch with just these bits of sticky stuff.

Speaking of sunscreen: Don't forget yours. And just so you know, research is showing that sunscreens containing Parsol 1789 may be the ones that block most of the UVA spectrum, more than other chemical UV blocking agents. And it's that UVA spectrum, which causes melanoma. I've only found Parsol 1789 in one expensive Neutrogena sunblock, but also in few really cheap brands, like Ocean Potion. They call it "anti-aging", but I think it's more "pro-aging", letting us all get older without melanoma getting in the way. I'm all for pro-aging. The risk for some types of skin cancer can be reduced 78%, if the skin is protected for the first 18 years of life. That's why we call sunscreen "sun scream" around here, because during the first several years of smearing the stuff on little noses, we heard quite a bit of screaming.