End of summer?

We had a few cold days last week, but we didn't get a frost, so the garden was on pause but can now continue to bloom and produce.

Right now the teddy bear sunflowers, mist flower, goldenrod, orange cosmos, purple zinnias, and nasturtiums are what is blooming and what is attracting bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. 

I haven't seen a monarch or a swallowtail for several days now, but I do still see cabbage butterflies, and today I spotted this small, blue butterfly that I have never seen before and haven't identified yet. It was on my mist flower. I really like that perennial because it doesn't suffer from any blights or other diseases, it doesn't get buggy, and it starts blooming in late August when most things are winding down. It doesn't get as much love from bees as the goldenrod and annuals do, but it blooms all through October and in certain lights -- when the days are overcast-- the flowers almost seem to glow. When it is all that is left, the pollinators really appreciate it. It also spreads, so there is always more to share with others who want to dig some up in the spring.

I was surprised to see a few hummingbirds every day over the past week, even when we had record cold. I was convinced that they would have started migrating south, but they stuck around. I think they were out fueling up because the cold probably meant they needed to burn even more calories to stay warm. They visited the hummingbird feeder, but they also were at my nasturtiums a lot of the time. 

One final note: we've had more spiders this year than I remember seeing before. Two weeks ago I counted 5 large spiders in the backyard garden building webs that spanned up to three feet all in one day. The webs were only up for a couple of days, and right now there is only one back there, with a new web. We also have numerous, smaller spiders at the front of the house by the porch light. And then yesterday a different looking spider built a web in the front yard perennial garden. I was able to watch her at work for a while. I named her Carole. I was able to identify her using Google as a Marbled Orb Weaver. Her web is still there, but she's been AWOL since 8 this morning, so I don't know if this is standard procedure and she'll be back, or if she has abandoned the web. I'll have to keep and eye on it.