I just went out to take a picture of the Lemongrass because I wanted to tell you about it, and there was a praying mantis right in the middle of it.  See?  The lemongrass is just across the driveway from the Rosemary and that egg case I wrote about the other day. So, I guess they have emerged, and grown.

 

I love how praying mantises camouflage themselves.  If they are against something brown, they are more brown than green.  Beautiful!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Remember when I showed you the mole in the wheelbarrow?

 

This is that same mole tunneling for his life under the watchful eyes of Gizmo.  The mole did get back to his home underground, but Gizmo knows where it lives, and checks that spot every day when he's making his rounds of our yard.  Sometimes he just parks himself on the spot, listening.  

 

Talk about an ambush predator!!!

 

HAPPY HUNTING!!!

 

 

 

It is a Praying Mantis egg case.  You can easily see it on this branch of Rosemary.  It is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  

 

I don't know if the mantids have emerged yet, but this egg case holds about 100 babies.  You can read all about Praying Mantises at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis?wprov=sfti1  and learn more than you can possibly remember.  

 

My favorite part of the article describes Praying Mantises as "ambush predators."  That paints a pretty picture!!

 

It reminds me of our cat, Gizmo.  He loves to ambush critters, including US!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

We were walking in the Park last Wednesday and saw this guy just off the trail.  I jumped a bit when I spotted him, but he was so calm I didn't panic.  He didn't move a muscle when we walked by.  Look how he is in the sunspot, probably just warming himself.  

 

It was about lunchtime;  maybe he was just waiting for his lunch to happen by, and he considered us a little too big to swallow alive.  Good!  

 

My reference book:  Snakes of the Southeast  says that Southern Black Racers have white chins.  You can see that in the picture.  The book also told us that they are non poisonous.  We hung around only long enough to take a couple pix.  That was enough for me.  Then back to our walk.

 

There are other snakes out and about these days, and some ARE poisonous, so be careful when you are out walking in the woods.

 

HAPPY HIKING!!!

 

I love seeing this sculpture up at Bill and Carol's.  It stands about 8 feet tall.  And this particular day it was backdropped by early morning fog.  

 

It makes me think of our home in Tidewater, VA, on the Lynnhaven River, where Herons and Egrets were daily sightings.  We see them here occasionally, but not nearly enough.  

 

Thanks Bill and Carol, for having this where I can see it on our daily walks.

 

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!

 

When we were working in the garden the other day, Jon noticed something moving below the soil surface.  He dug up this mole and threw it in the wheelbarrow. That's the big blueness you see in the picture.  He called me to come and look.  

 

By the time I got my camera and met him, the mole had already buried itself in the soil in the wheelbarrow.  So Jon dug it out and held it still enough for me to get a picture for YOU to see.  

 

Of course after we got our look-see, he called Gizmo to come check it out.  That is a whole 'nother story.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Yep.  We are going to the Annual Homeowners' Meeting today.  

 

But, be advised that we have a Sphinx guarding our home while we're away.  Just sayin...

 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

 

Have you seen all the new babies?  It must be fawning season because we've seen about six in the last few days.  Just what we DON'T need in the neighborhood, more deer.  But they are so cute.  

While we are ALL oohing and aahing over the new babies, many of us are shoring up our gardens and flowerbeds.  These deer will eat everything!!!  We have seen some very interesting barriers to keep the deer out:  fencing, wires, tomato cages, etc. etc. etc.  Not too attractive, but effective. 

 

I could never shoot one, but I must admit I do fuss about them daily.  Meanwhile, be careful on the roads;  the little ones don't know about cars yet.  

 

Mixed blessing, the deer.  We are so tired of them eating our plants and flowers, but we love seeing them.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

This is the "resting rock" up near the summit of Five Forks Drive.  We stop here to rest every day when we're walking the loop.  

 

Apparently there is a Daddy Longlegs Convention in town.  They are all congregated right below the spot where we sit!!!  

 

Thought you might like a look at our big, pretty, popular rock.

 

HAPPY HIKING!!!

 

Check out this Eastern Eyed Click Beetle.  Those aren't really eyes, that's its middle section.  It is also not really this big, but the close up picture is so cool, I thought you'd like to see it.  In fact, it is about 2 inches long.  Pretty big for a beetle.  

 

Seek told us that this beetle is native to our area, and Wikipedia says that the false eyespots are a defense mechanism to fool predators.  If the eyespots aren't enough protection, they also have a click feature that catapults them out of danger.  

 

Of course we had to pick it up and feel the click.  That was fun...for us.  Not sure how much the beetle loved it.  After that, it tucked in all 6 legs, and antennas and stood very still until we went away.   Cheap entertainment.   ;D

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!