Mosquito Food

Today kept with the trend of the week and zoomed right by. I am glad its my Friday, (I am off for the next two days) I am ready for some down time. I started the day with my normal drive through the park and then headed to Adams Tract to drop off the can of gas that I didn't have time for yesterday. My co-worker had beat me to the gate and the flags, that was nice.
When I got back to Troy, I spotted some turkeys just inside the park gate. There were at least two adult females and maybe a dozen chicks. Young turkeys are so ugly that they are cute. They stayed well hidden in the tall grass and brush so I didn't get a great photo of them. I also was being eaten alive by mosquitoes just standing there trying to take photos. I took care of the paperwork and my co-worker headed out on the mower to tackle a large area by the barn. I decided to do some leaf blowing when I finished the office work. The blower started right up, it seems to be over whatever its issue was last week. I dodged a few toads, and only sent one bug flying. I went ahead and cleared the parking lot too. I can't believe how many leaves are falling already. After all of the paved surfaces were clear, I took care of some wasp nests that were forming near the restrooms. I try not to disturb critters more than I have to, but these wasps are mean and the restrooms are a busy area. I do enjoy seeing their intricate structures though.
I headed back to the office because I was supposed to meet with our park biologist and a district biologist. When they arrived I walked around the park with them and helped visitors along the way. It really wasn't busy at the park today, but we did have steady visitation all day. The biologists delivered a secchi disk and showed me how to use it. It is a black and white disk on a string and it will help me measure the clarity of the water the next time the spring browns out from a flood. I will use this as another tool to help decide when it is safe to swim and dive. We also discussed a few other things about the park before they left.
I spotted a caterpillar at the restrooms that was a little out of place. It is a Yellow-necked Caterpillar. They are usually seen in groups devouring the leaves on trees, not all alone in front of the restroom door. When I looked up this caterpillar to learn a little more about it, I found out that it pupates underground all winter. The adult, a very bland, tan moth emerges from the ground in the spring time. The moth lays its eggs on a tasty tree and the caterpillars feed all summer after they hatch.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the office finishing an incident report, doing a report on a purchase that I made, and doing some research on the pressure tank system for the well at my house. When I headed home, I felt confident and informed about my pressure tank. I had determined that I do not have the type of tank with a bladder, making it even more simple. Throughout the next hours, my confidence dissipated and apparently my attractiveness to mosquitoes increased. After squeezing out the last few spritzes from the bug spray can and yet another trip to the hardware store, our water pressure has improved and is acceptable now, but I still don't think that things are working the way that they should. I may have to seek professional help.
I felt that the photos today were not that interesting or attractive so here is one more bonus photo of the Partridge Pea plant from yesterday.