Aapistsissikitsaato's 10, )||||||||||||O||||

I visited my phenology site this morning, in dry, warm, overcast conditions, for almost two hours - it was really good to spend some time there. With all the rain, it becomes a question whether the events of Misamssootaa, the Long Rains, are being compressed with the events of Aapistsisskitsaato's, the flower moon, into one lunar cycle. One of the key signs of Misamssootaa for me is the emergence of the poplar seed fluff, which hasn't happened yet. We have had male aspen catkins shed pollen and fall, and female aspen and willow catkins seed out. I also have the sense that the summer solstice is supposed to happen during Misamssootaa, and next new moon falls on June 14, before the solstice, so I still have my doubts that they were getting compressed, though Ryan First Diver is calling this lunar cycle Misamssootaa down around Lethbridge.

Saskatoons are setting fruit already, chokecherry petals are falling, and mountain ash are in full bloom. Red willow petals are falling as well.

I saw thread-waisted wasps, and other small black wasps visiting the lily-of-the-valley patches, and one black and grey hoverfly.

I also saw dozens of tiny translucent green hanging caterpillars. The strands they were hanging from were quite rigid, not swaying, so they seemed to be connected into some kind of network of strands. I wonder if caterpillars are responsible for the strands I see early in the spring before spider's webs appear. They were hanging from trees with leaves that are pointed at the tip, and finely toothed along the margins, and many of their leaves were rolled up.

I heard juncos, red-eyed vireos, and northern yellow warblers

Orange thread-waisted wasp visiting an aspen, and then I saw a tent caterpillar and a seven-spot lady beetle on the aspen as well.

Looked for slime molds on the open dead wood I saw near the path, but saw mostly sow bugs, and no slime molds. I did see some veiny meadowrue and bedstraw has popped up along the path, but not blooming yet, and twining honeysuckle had flower buds which had not opened. I examined some of the beaked hazelnut to see if they were beginning to set fruit (yes), and saw a midge with yellow legs on the leaves in the meantime.

I visited the Hawthorn on my way back, and they are beginning to set fruit as well, and I saw another seven-spot lady beetle among them, and one on a chokecherry.

I saw many small ant hills have popped up in grassy areas. I don't recall if I expect this in Aapistsisskitsaato's, or Misamssootaa.