Grasshoppers!!!!!!!!!! and hot weather

I am furious! The grasshoppers are eating the petals off of my Mexican Sunflowers. At least this butterfly is able to find one that is altogether. He stayed here a long time, fanning his wings in and out, and doing what butterflies do. I never could see how they got any necter out of a flower.

We have had a lot of these black butterflies lately. The bottoms of their wings fade into a beautiful blue. Wonder what kind of caterpillar they make?

It is cooler today--98 compared to 101 yesterday. Dog days are here; the cicadas are in a constant chattering-buzz, and the boys are doing two-a-days up on the hill, and I am sure their little tongues are sticking to the roofs of their mouths, and the sweat is pouring off of them. I don't know if they are working out in pads yet. Just glad it's them and not me.