#Sunny BITE or NAKED 2024

[speakofcompersion]

[belle--ofthebrawl]

For @forlorn-crows Mushy May 2023 day 23: Watching the other sleep

FOR @forlorn-crows MUSHY MAY 2024 DAY 2: MIDNIGHT SNACKS

Pairing: Mountain/Dew

Rating: T for mild sexual humor and dew complaining he doesn't have a libido.

Tags: Attempted Laundry, Attempted Robbery, Midnight Snacks, Mountain is silent but deadly, Fresh Mountain Air (derogatory). Arguably slice of life?

Summary: Yeah I don't even know what to tell you with this one. Dew and Mountain do laundry, get snacks and save the day...?

Word Count: 3252

They've been laying together in content silence for probably an hour. Mountain's the little spoon; Dew's shimmied his way up to throw an arm clumsily over Mountain's shoulders with a leg flung over the big guy's hip in a classic jetpack position. They're both naked save for boxers but the heat of skin on skin isn't really doing anything for them like it usually does. Dew's playing with Mountain's hair, Mountain's enjoying the sensation but. Just laying there without sleeping or fucking is making Dewdrop kind of twitchy. 

Don't get it wrong, Dew loves a good cuddlepile but that comes with the sensation of being sandwiched between a bunch of other ghouls, something always moving, someone always purring and while he loves to play with Mountain's hair quietly like this, just the two of them, he can't relax if everything is too still. Even the HVAC unit in the room isn't working so the air is tepid and stale.

He takes a deep breath in to ask Mountain if maybe he wants to go for a walk or whatever when Mountain shifts and asks, "You wanna grab some snacks from that place across the road?"

Dew grins against Mountain's neck and praises Satan for the earth ghoul's ever hungry stomach. The day (or night) Mountain doesn't get up for a midnight snack is the day (or night) Dew will finally believe in body snatchers. 

"There's a laundromat next to it, I think." Mountain continues. "Should probably wash whoever's clothes are in the suitcases."

"It might be shirts from Swiss." Dew says nonchalantly. "Some from Cumulus too, I think. Maybe." As if he didn't routinely pilfer everyone's clothes and was in fact using Aether's shirt as a pillowcase. Mountain makes a little "hrm" that tells Dewdrop he can't get away with anything.

"And your hoodie." Dew adds, rushed and quiet.

"You might as well keep it." Mountain says, shrugging off Dew's limbs so he sit up and stretch. Dew's eyes immediately go to the way his shirt rides up, exposing his happy trail covering the scant amount of pudge Mountain carries on his beanpole of a body but still. Nothing happens down south. He must be tired. "I like my clothes without burn marks.'

"That was one time and I said I was sorry." Dew snapped without any real bite, shrugging on the aforementioned hoodie while Mountain threw on jeans and a shirt. Dew shimmies into something that fits him, he's pretty sure it's Sunny's by the smell of mangos and when he sticks his hand in the pocket he fishes out a half eaten pack of dried strips. He places them respectfully on the nightstand; hell spawn he might be but other people's snacks were sacrosanct. Especially Sunny's.

"Grab your wallet." Mountain says, hefting three duffel bags with ease. "It'll be pay per load and hopefully they have a coin machine there."

"Wish I was pay per load." Dew mutters as he slips his cracked leather billfold into the hoodies pocket. They probably have enough to get a few rounds done, he thinks.

"So do I." Mountain says, going for the door. Dew tries to kick him but the bastard's long stilty legs take him quickly out of range and Dew has to take three steps for just one of his.

“That doesn't even make any sense, asshole.”

“Your asshole doesn't make any cents. That's why I said it.”

“I am not making a fart joke Mountain.”

“I wouldn't judge you if you did.” Mountain says with a shrug and they continue their walk in the same companionable silence of the bedroom. The night clerk gives them a quiet nod as she folds towels and Mountain salutes her as they head out with their bags. The night air hits them like a soft wall of water, the ambient temperature still warm and humid enough to feel sticky  seconds after exiting the air-conditioned space of the lobby. 

“Nuh-uh” Mountain says, putting his large hand over Dew’s skinny chest when they reach the road. “Look both ways.”

“Mountain, it's the middle of the night.” Dew says with a look of disbelief. He adjusts Mountain’s hand so the palm is fully over his pectoral but he still isn't horny. Goddamn. “This isn't a big city, no one is around.”

“Safety.” Mountain says serenely, glancing left, then right then left again before nodding and pulling away from Dew, who takes a moment to mourn the loss of his hand on his chest and his libido.  They cross the street unharmed to the laundromat, glowing with bright fluorescent lights. 

“We're on camera.” Dew notes, nodding at the faded printout on the door.

“So show’em your good side.” Mountain replies, shouldering the door open. Rows of machines greet them, neatly lined up over the linoleum that is calling out for a decent sweeping. They only look a little bit rusty and Mountain picks a washer out while Dew pulls his wallet out and thumbs out a few bills for a coin machine that promises to take up to twenty dollar bills. He feeds it two fives, ears twitching at the loud clatter of coins in the tray and scoops them up, heading for a similar machine with a detergent selection.

“It's seven dollars and fifty cents for one load on a deluxe machine.” Mountain informs him when he returns, looking frustrated. “I'm not separating the whites.”

“Worth it if it's done faster.” Says Dew with a shrug. He never separates his whites. He doesn't think Mountain even wears white. Aether, maybe. Swiss, for sure. Those paper thin t-shirts that hardly hid anything dry let alone soaked. 

“Gimme the money.” Mountain says, finger gunning him. “Put it in the slot, nice and slow.”

“Noooo,” Dew says with a hint of whine. “Please, I need it to buy cigarettes and porn mags.”

It's so stupid but they burst out into quiet snickers anyway, jostling each other back and forth until Dew’s loaded up the tray and pushed it in. Mountain hits the settings and they leave the duffle bags on the counter for later. Dew flips off the camera as they go; Mountain covers up his hand and mouths sorry and they squeeze through the door at the same time in a half-hearted scuffle.

“Hope they have donuts.” Dew says, kicking a chunk of broken-off asphalt across the cracked parking lot. Mountain does the same, sending a waves of gravel and black top crumbs scattering. “Could go for a jelly Bismarck.

“Belly jismarck.” Mountain says.

“I’ll give you belly jismarck.” Dew mutters, bumping the big guy with his shoulder, shoving his hands in his pockets.”

“Promises, promises.” Mountain replies with the hint of a smile. “My treat, yeah? For the laundry.”

“Guess we'll call it even.” Dew says, easily slipping in ahead of him through the wide open door. There's another printout sign, politely informing them the AC was broken and it was management’s top priority to get it fixed. Lower and in smaller print was a date from several weeks ago. 

Typical, honestly.

A few big fans are set strategically in corners and though some kind of motion sensor rings out bell when they enter, the clerk at the register doesn't even acknowledge them, watching something on her phone and chewing gum, playing with her colorful braids. Dew absently notes the shade as one Sunny had wanted to try. He thinks about asking if it's the same brand to see if she had any tips so he could help Sunshine, but decides it’s just better to not bother her. 

The only other customer is a man in a unzipped hoodie debating over soda brands. He turns around with a orange soda and shuffles over to the candy aisle, giving them a decent look at the rude and bigoted phrase printed on his shirt before he tugged the hoodie close, one that implied he wanted more than just his laundry colors separated. Easy enough to ignore but Dew decides he’ll step in if the guy decides to be a jerk to the cashier.

“Goin’ for the sunflower seeds.” Mountain says, peeling away to shuffle down one aisle. Dew goes a few more down, nabs a little bottle of painkillers because Rain was complaining about his fingers hurting for longer than they should and some chapstick for Aether and the girls because the paint always dried out their lips and they were forever needing more. First aid run done, he picks up some hot chips and a soda before joining Mountain, who apparently can't decide between regular salted seeds and ones that are enticingly pickle flavored.

“Fuck’s sake.” Dew tells him. “Get them both.”

“Okay.” Mountain says. “Hang on, I want cake and then we'll check out.”

Dew wanders over to a rack of magazines and cheap puzzle books, wondering if he really needs another sudoku paperback but Aether enjoys doing them together so there's another fucking thing he has to carry. He's so absorbed in thinking about grabbing a cheap mystery for Cirrus that he barely notices it until he does. Under the hum of appliances, Dew's ear catches a faint hissing sound, like air being let quietly out of a balloon. 

Mountain starts whistling like he always does when he's trying to get away with something and returns to Dew, snack cakes retrieved.

"Would you care for a Swiss roll?" Mountain says, sounding completely solemn with a straight face  but still subtly looking immensely pleased with himself. Dew squints at him, suspicious.  Then the man in the hoodie, who had been in the cake aisle the whole time, starts coughing and after a few moments, airflow from the fans causes the stench to reach them.

"Unholy fuck, Mountain!" Dew hisses, grabbing him by the elbow and dragging him away. "Really?" 

"I didn't like the implications of the slogan on his shirt." Mountain holds out the stale bakery treat in an open palm. "The Swiss roll?"

"And everyone thinks I'm the trouble maker." Dew grouses. 

"They never hear the quiet ones coming." Mountain says like it's some sort of wise statement.

"No shit." Dew says.

"I did not." Mountain replies. "Otherwise this would be an entirely different conversation."

Dew stares at the wall of snacks like it would give him an answer. All he hears is Mountain’s self satisfied chuckle.

He's damn lucky Dew likes him. 

When they get to paying, Dew lays his bounty out and examines the cigarette display behind the counter. All colorful and I exciting ways to give humans cancer. He doesn't know if it'll ever affect his vessel and honestly he doesn't know if he'll be around long enough to find out but that’s a depressing thought. 

That's when he spots it; a familiar white and blue box and he finds himself hit with an odd punch of nostalgia. Mist smoked that brand because it was easier to take a sharpie and scribble out the Y of the brand name, leaving just her name in fancy sea green font: MIST. Easiest way to keep the dicks she toured with from stealing her packs and Dew points to it. He gets it without needing to show ID and wonders if it means anything. Then decides he doesn't care. He opens the pack, shakes one out. Grabs a cheap lighter from the display and fiddles around with it as Mountain pays for their stuff.

"Lighters are one seventy five plus tax." The cashier says.

"I'm just testing it." Dewdrop replies. He lights his cigarette and puts the lighter back. The cashier looks at Mountain, who shrugs.

"He's just testing it."

The cashier's face took on the appearance of someone who suddenly decided they weren't paid enough to deal with this shit as Dew puts the lighter back and heads out to smoke while Mountain deliberates over stupid waiting line purchases like cheap plastic sunglasses that will break when he sits on them after forgetting he put them in his back pocket.

The guy with the hoodie is still hanging around with his purchases, hovering a few feet away from the door like he plans to sidle out with them, sans paying as he pulls at the hem of his sweatshirt.  A dual side eye from two glamoured demons makes him step back. Not that they really care about shoplifting but like hell they want company.

They only take five steps before stopping, admiring the night sky. Mountain's chewing his way through a pack of seeds he's pulled out of the bag already. Dew thinks back to the man and the way he reeked of nerves and rancid sweat. The way he kept hanging out like he was waiting for something. The way he kept plucking his hoodie.

"Guy had a gun." Dewdrop says, exhaling a long stream of smoke.

"Yep." Mountain replies.

"You have any sunflower seeds left?"

Mountain side-eyes him, expression carefully neutral.

"Yop."

Dew grins and tosses his cigarette down, grinding it out with the heel of his shoe.

“You feel like playing superhero, big guy?”

____

Dipshit is already threatening the poor girl when they enter the store again. The motion sensor goes off, alerting him to their presence and he swings around, pointing the gun at them.

“Hey.” Dew says, addressing the shaking cashier. He struggles to remember the name on her tag. Something related to cats? A singer? “Miss Kitt, I changed my mind. I think I’ll pay for that lighter after all.”

“Get on the ground!” Dipshit says. “Or I swear I’ll shoot!”

“You can.” He says to Mountain, who is already starting to kneel, bag of seeds clasped in his sweaty hand. “I still want to pay for my lighter.”

He isn't going to shoot. Dew knew the second he clocked the weapon the guy was banking on the threat more than any action he might take. So he approaches the counter, hands up as the muzzle remains trained on him.

“You can shoot me if I make any sudden movements.” Dew tells the would-be thief. He prays to Belial he’s as invincible as he feels on stage because now would be a bad time to find out otherwise. Ignorance is bliss and if he believes he's bullet-proof then, well, who's to say he isn't? He could be. His belief could make him strong enough. He's fire-retardant, at any rate. Should count for something.

He really really hopes Dipshit doesn't clock the way Dew’s own hands are trembling as they hand over a few measly dollars to Kitt. She takes them in a hand that's shaking just as hard and taps in the amount on the register. They all jump at the sound of the drawer sliding out for change and Dew could laugh if he wasn't just as scared as any other human would be, the barrel of a nine millimeter trained on him. 

He thinks it's a nine millimeter, at any rate. That's always the gun those detective novels have so it's all he has to go off of.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Mountain flicking seeds over the floor, aiming for Dipshit’s boots.

“Twenty five cents.” Kitt says, eyes rapidly flickering between the crazy person trying to rob her and the crazy person acting like the robbery isn't happening. Dew stares at her, tries to communicate it's going to be okay with his eyes alone but he's no quintessence ghoul. For all the good he’s doing, she could might only see even more violence in his unblinking eyes. Dew takes his quarter.

“Thanks.” He says, keeping his tone warm and even. “Hey, you wanna see a coin trick?”

Before anyone can react, he turns swiftly, flicking the quarter straight at Dipshit's skull, terminal velocity but not terminal impact. It nails him square between his eyebrows and he yells, free hand flying to his forehead and that's when Dew moves. He grabs the arm holding the gun and aims it up, yelling for Mountain who snaps his fingers and all Dew sees is thick green stems bursting up, growing rapidly, twining around anything they can reach for support. One sprouts up between their bodies, pushing Dew to safety and deftly wrapping Dipshit up in sturdy greenery, a comically large blossom blooming as it grew up and up.

Something clicks above his head and Dew realizes it's the trigger. He feels like dying of some strange emotion; the cylinder is empty, there was never a threat to begin with.

“Oops.” Mountain says as it pushes harder and harder on the ceiling tiles until the cheap boards give way and the plants can grow, breaking through the wiring, lights flickering before going out. More and more of them, choking out every artificial advertisement, knocking over shelves and stands. 

“Go!” Mountain yells, scrambling up and they go; two through the main door, Kitt through some employee entrance to the side. They run to the street, still, miraculously empty and turn around to watch mother nature's reclamation in awe.

“We're so fucked.” Dew mutters as they survey the gigantic ic greenery only grow larger and larger, mutant blooms bending on pillar-thick stems in search of sunlight.

“It was the adrenaline.” Mountain says defensively.  "Let's blame it on Poison Ivy." .

"The," Dew splutters, turning to him.  "The fucking DC supervillain? Mount, you know she's not real."

"Real to me."

"She's in love with that mannequin girl."

"Harley Quinn. I would never come between them, I just want to be near her."

"Fuckin' weirdo."

"Weirdo fuckin'." Mountain replies cryptically, reaching into his pocket for a fresh and unopened packet of seeds. The pickle flavored kind, Dew notes, some part of him wondering if the experience would have been any weirder if the flowers reeked of pickles.

You know you're supposed to spit the shells out, right?" He asks as Mountain eats a handful.

"Oh please, you love it when I swallow." 

"Don't come crying to me about your torn asshole then." Dew crosses his arms. Mountain leans in close, nudging him so hard he has to brace himself to keep from falling.

"Mmm, delicious wood chips, I love fiber."

“We should go.” Dew says, hardly caring if Mountain makes fun of his wide grin. This is the best he's felt without a cheering audience involved. They saved the day. He helped a human. For being a demon, this whole “selfless” thing actually felt pretty good.

Mountain rummages around in th bag again, pulling out his stupid novelty shades and placing them on his face. Electric blue, with a yellow squiggle pattern and orange triangles.

"Sunglasses at night?" Dew asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't switch a blade on the guy in the shades." Mountain says, unwrapping a Swiss roll and taking a big bite. His other hand offers up the twin to the chomped one. Dew scoffs and grabs it, taking a bite and doing a very good job at hiding the way he gags over the stale spongy cake and old sugar of the frosting, thank you very much.

They get back to the hotel, sliding the key card into the door as the first police car drives up. As quietly as they can, they tiptoe back to their room and slide into bed, snuggling up together under the sheets. One minute passes. Two. Dew feels his eyelids finally grow heavy with sleep and sighs, cuddling up close to Mountain in a way he'll vehemently deny in the morning when it hits him.

"Mountain?"

"Sup." 

"We forgot the fucking laundry."

[kansascityhappenings]

Natural events to take place in Missouri this August

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Step away from the office and go outside this August. This helps renew the mind and inspires creativity. Late summer provides a great deal of activity for wildlife, plants, and even space. This August you’ll need to be on the lookout for young skunks in the fields, turtles slowly crossing roads, and snakes hidden on trails.

The annual late-summer songs of the cicadas have already picked up at night in Kansas City. Expect to see squirrels in your neighborhood; they’ll gorge on food to puff up for winter. Deer will rub their antlers on trees to remove materials they no longer need and then they’ll lose their antlers in the colder months.

Also, certain plants fall prey to summer temperatures and pests and need extra attention. Berries will ripen and wild black cherries make for a sour ingredient for rum, jam, or syrup.

Read below to learn more about the schedules of animals, plants, and events in the sky coming up this month.

  Snapping turtle eggs | Wikipedia

Time of Year to See Baby Turtles

Snapping turtle eggs begin hatching this month. The common snapping turtle lives in habitats throughout Missouri. The turtles live anywhere near permanent water bodies such as farm ponds, marshes, swamps, sluices, and rivers. This reptile rarely causes damage to humans, but the snappers occasionally swallow up small ducks and goslings. They also enjoy chomping down insects, crayfish, snakes, and worms. Snapping turtles eating habits help keep aquatic animal populations in check.

Hatchlings emerge from their soft shells 55 to 125 days after the mama snapping turtle lays her eggs. Incubation lasts about 75 to 95 days, and hatchlings emerge between August and October. Sometimes they don’t emerge from their eggs until the following spring. Baby snapping turtles are only about an inch long when they crack through their shells.

The snapping turtle has a big pointed head, a long thick tail, and a small lower shell. These turtles have tan, brown, or somewhat black shells. They have strong jaws and long necks. If you need to move a large snapper – call a wildlife professional first. It’s not easy to handle these little dudes. Their bite can live behind a memorable scar or worse.

The alligator snapping turtle is a protected species. It only occurs in the state in small numbers. Hunters are not allowed to shoot or trap these turtles under Missouri law. The Missouri Department of Conservation urges hunters to identify common snapping turtles correctly before taking control action. The rare turtle’s upper shell has three prominent ridges, one along the center line and one on either side.

Drive slow if you see adult sized turtles or hatchlings this time of year. It takes several years for turtles to reach sexual maturity, making it challenging for snapping turtles to reproduce and survive.

The Annual Serenades of the Cicadas

At night when trying to go to sleep, you may have noticed the distinct, raspy calls of the cicadas. The bugs usually start their choir rehearsals during the hottest days of summer. Both female and male cicadas have membranous structures to detect sounds, but only males produce those distinctive calls. The winged insects have a variety of songs: for courtship, distress, calling songs, and songs to set up boundaries. Male cicadas can produce very loud calls that can damage human hearing.

You can find the insects in forests, wilderness, parks, and brush. For a fishing trip, cicadas make for excellent fishing bait.

The largest Missouri brood of cicadas is expected to come to Missouri in 2024. The last time this happened was in 2015. Cicadas have a life cycle average of two to five years.

Thirteen Lined ground squirrel | Wikipedia

Thirteen-Lined and Franklin’s Ground Squirrels Enter Gorge Fest Season

Time to fatten up for the colder months. Squirrels will appear in large numbers in neighborhoods and forests to scrounge for tasty treats. They forage for both plant and animals foods, including grains, cicadas, crickets, and grasshoppers. They eat until their body weight doubles with stored fat.

The Thirteen-Lined ground squirrel hangs out mostly in northwest Missouri; the species also lives throughout central United States. Franklin’s ground squirrels live in a smaller region. They also live in northwest Missouri. The animal lives north of our region and in northern Kansas.

Thirteen-Lined squirrels only appear above ground for about 3-4 months out of the year. Spring is mating season. The young are born in May. The young nest for about 5 to 6 weeks after birth, then they venture out of their home burrows to start their adult careers.

The squirrels will enter their nests in October. The rodent goes from the hyper-caffeinated creatures we see in the spring and summer months to a slower-than-sloth hibernator. During winter, squirrels breathe about every five minutes and have about 5 heartbeats every minute. They roll into stiff balls to assume their hibernation position.

  Eastern Copperhead Newborns Emerge

Watch your step outside. Eastern copperhead females give birth to their babies in August. Enjoy watching the slithery critters from a safe distance. Copperhead venom is mild compared to other venoms, but anyone who ends up with a snake bite needs to seek medical attention immediately. The odds of dying from a snake bite are low as long as people go to a doctor.

Missouri has two subspecies of eastern copperhead: the Osage copperhead, found in the northern two-thirds of the state; and the southern copperhead found in the southern third.

These snakes have a healthy diet of mice, lizards, frogs, small birds, and insects. Young copperheads use their yellow tail to attract small frogs, toads, and lizards into their mouths.

The snake is pretty common to the state, so it’s possible that if you’re out in the wild you’ll come face to face with a copperhead. All snakes native to Missouri have laws that protect them.

Copperheads bask on warm sunny days; they especially like morning sunlight. In the hottest months, they become nocturnal avoiding the sauna like conditions. In fall, they congregate at south-facing rocky ledges.

Kingsnakes are immune to copperhead venom and will eat them.

Skunks Ready to Party Like Its 1999

Smell something strange? In August, young striped skunks ready to show off their fur will head out into the open. At birth young skunks appear naked looking. They possess the beginning of the adult’s black and white markings. As it gets colder, skunks spend more time in dens. When it’s near freezing, skunks go into a drowsy mode, and they sleep randomly… but they do not truly hibernate like squirrels.

The cat-sized mammal prefers to live along forests, in brush field corners, along fencerows, and open grassy fields broken by wooded ravines and rocky outcrops. The skunk has several real estate options for dens including: stumps, caves, rock piles, cliff crevices, farming sheds, wood piles, and haystacks.

The disagreeable musk they wear protects them from intruders. They can aim their weaponized-tail and spray it at will. Prior to blasting off the stench, skunks warn intruders by stamping their feet and holding their tail high in the air.

Skunks travel all around Missouri. They are least likely to be found in the Bootheel where there isn’t enough high land for dens.

White Tailed Deer | Wikipedia

White-Tailed Deer Rub off their Velvet

Time to rub the velvet off the antlers. Male white-tailed deer will head into the woods to rub off the material.

Small buds form on the buck’s ears around April or May. As the antlers develop, a nourishing coat of blood vessels, skin, and short hair known as velvet covers and protects them. This material supplies nutrients and minerals to grow and strengthen bone.

The antlers reach full size in late August or September. The buck ritualistically rubs his antlers against trees to get the left over velvet off. This leaves the deer with clean, shiny bone antlers. The antlers loosen and come off during winter, which coincides with the end of mating season.

Rabbits and mice will gnaw on the fallen antlers to absorb the minerals contained in the bones. Age, nutrition, and genetics determine the size of the antlers. Check out the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield to see a large collection of antlers with detailed explanations on how the antlers formed along with rare finds. The resident Boone and Crockett Heads and Horns exhibit details the ways in which record-setting game animals came out of conservation and wildlife management systems.

Badger | Wikipedia

Badger, Badger, Badger

August is the season of love… for badgers. Badgers are not super common in Missouri, but they hang out throughout the state. They live primarily in the Central Dissected Till Plains in northern Missouri. They also have a thing for the Osage Plains in western Missouri. They also build homes near the Missouri River. They don’t like living in the Ozarks.

Badgers eat up mice, squirrels, lizards, snakes, birds, and turtles. An extensive poisoning campaign for burrowing rodents reduced the food supply for hungry badgers, which is one reason why their numbers have dwindled. Despite this, their conservation status is of least concern.

Badgers also enjoy munching on mushrooms. They eat different varieties of Funghi, as well as pig-nut tubers and insects — like dung and bark beetles.

They dig up series of dens across their home range. Badgers party at night and hit the snooze button in the daytime. During the winter, they occasionally leave their burrows unprotected to hunt for grub. They dig impressively fast to capture their prey. Badgers can move up to 15 miles per hour. They also are ferocious swimmers. They mate in late summer and give birth in early spring. The young stay with their mothers through the summer months.

Bats Take Flight for the First Time

Baby bats will soon take to the bat signal. They’ll learn to fly this month. You might spot them at dusk as they hunt for insects.

Eight of our 14 types of bats are Missouri Species of Conservation Concern, ranging from vulnerable in the state, to globally endangered, to extinction. Bats struggle to survive as they lose habitat territory, deal with cave disturbances, and die from pesticides. Another problem for bats: wind turbines. Wind powered energy unfortunately kills bats and birds. White-nose syndrome is also creating problems. The fungus likely came over to North America from Eurasia. The fungus infects the skin of cave-dwelling bats, disrupting hibernation and ending in death. The first fully developed case of white-nose syndrome was confirmed in Missouri in March 2012.

The bats usually mate in late summer or fall. During a cold winter in Missouri, some bat species may hibernate.

Bats are one of the few animals to regularly move in and out of caves. After eating insects outside their caves, they fly back and excrete organic nutrients into the cave ecosystem.

Shorebirds Migrate South

Shorebirds start traveling south in August. Many follow a path called a flyway. Some birds may travel a long distance each season. Shorebirds in Missouri include: American white pelicans, American woodcocks, lesser yellowlegs, and upland sandpipers.

The white pelicans fly with their heads back on their body, not with their necks extended. They hang out in western Missouri. The woodcocks live in open forests, they prefer young woodlands near water, moist pastures, and forested floodplains. Lesser yellowlegs have bright-colored feet. The females tend to leave their chicks early, leaving the male birds to defend the young before they’re ready for flight. The upland sandpipers spend their summers mostly in the United States and Canada. They pass through Missouri on their way to South America during the winter months.

Purple martins will group together this month to fly to their preferred South American resorts away from home.

Wild Cherries Ripen

The wild black cherry, or rum cherry, makes for an excellent additive to rum or crushes down into a delicious red jelly. The fruit is found in the woods along streams. It has leaves with rounded teeth, fruit in grape-like bunches, and turns dark when ripe. Nature lovers will find the cherries statewide. The cherries turn from white or greenish to red before reaching the dark purple or black hue. The cherries are about the size of a pea and are rather sour to eat raw.

A mature black cherry tree is easily identifiable in a forest. The tree has broken, dark grey to black bark. It looks like burnt cornflakes. During the first decade of the tree’s life the bark will appear thin, smooth, and banded, resembling a birch tree.

The seeds of black cherries, apricots, and apples contain cyanogenic glycosides. Those compounds under the right circumstances convert into cyanide.  The flesh of cherries also has these compounds, but it does not contain the enzymes needed to produce cyanide, so the flesh is safe to eat.

A fallen cherry tree with wilted leaves needs to be cleared up so animals don’t eat the leaves and get poisoned. Black cherry is a leading cause of livestock illness, and grazing animals access to it should be limited.

Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers

For gardeners and farmers, taking care of certain activities this month will ascertain you have the best flowers, fruit, and vegetables.

Here are some tips to follow for gardeners:

Protect ripening fruit from birds by covering plants with netting.

Spray ripening fruits and roses to prevent brown rot fungus.

Roses do not need anymore nitrogen fertilizer after August 15th.

Thornless blackberries, red raspberries, sumac fruits, hawthorn fruit, wild grapes, and elderberries ripen now.

Cultivate strawberries. If using weed prevention, apply it immediately after fertilizing.

Spray peaches to protect against peach tree borers.

Sow seeds of beans, beets, spinach, and turnips now for the fall garden.

Cure onions in a warm, dry place for 2 weeks before storing.

Set out broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower transplants for the fall garden.

Plant lettuce and radishes now.

Feed mums, asters, and other fall-blooming perennials for the last time.

Do not be alarmed if lilacs have powdery mildew. It causes no harm. Common rose fungicides will work on it.

Divide and replant madonnas, bearded irises, lilies, bleeding hearts, and bloodroots.

Prune to shape hedges for the last time this season.

Order bulbs for fall planting.

August Pests & Problems

Fescue lawns struggle to stay in shape this time of year. Dead spots result from disease and summer heat. Patches need to be reseeded to overcome this. The Missouri Botanical Garden website suggests reseeding between September 1 and mid-October. If this also involves killing existing grass, start killing these areas in mid-August with glyphosate. Read herbicide labels closely for instructions and caution.

Tomatoes Struggle in August

Tomatoes decide to go haywire in late summer. Blossom-end rot is exceptionally common. As well as septoria leaf spot, fusarium wilt, late blight, stink bug, and spider mite damage. Some tomatoes will crack from water fluctuations or get invaded with bacteria. Tomatoes also get harmed by too much sun exposure. And hornworms will feed on the fruit. Place cages around tomato plants to shield them from hungry animals. Read up on tomato strategies ahead of time to protect the crops.

Another tip for tomato care: raised beds that are 18 inches high or higher are difficult for rabbits and other smaller animals to enter. It is also a good idea to have 6 inches or more of wood planks below the soil level. This prevents small animals from burrowing underneath the raised beds.

Plants Need Extra Water and Attention

Scorch is a common problem in hot, dry weather. Make sure to regularly water plants during droughts. Stressed plants are more susceptible to attack by insects and disease. Many plants will wilt or turn yellow without enough water.

Star trails captured during the Perseids Meteor Shower, Aug. 12, 2014 (Credit: Paul Tashlykov)

Perseids Meteor Shower

Keep your eyes on the sky. The Perseids meteor shower is visible starting in mid-July each year, with the peak activity between August 9-14. During the peak, viewers could see as many as 60 meteors at once. The Perseids associate with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The meteors are called the Perseids because they show up in the constellation Perseus.

Some Catholics refer to the Perseids as the “tears of Saint Lawrence.” The saint was burned alive on a gridiron on August 10. The canonical date of the saint’s martyrdom is 258 AD. The story goes that the shooting stars are sparks of fire and that during the night of August 9-10 — its cooled embers appear in the ground under plants, which are known as the “coal of Saint Lawrence.”

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/08/01/natural-events-to-take-place-in-missouri-this-august/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/08/01/natural-events-to-take-place-in-missouri-this-august/