Ever seen purple kale?  Me too.  I planted it this year from seeds, just to see.  Isn't it gorgeous?  The stems are purple and the leaves are too.  It tastes the same as the curly kale that I always grow, but this is just so pretty.  

 

Bonus!!!  The cabbage white butterflies haven't found it yet.  Maybe they don't recognize it as yummy kale.

 

Hey, Julie.  Wouldn't this make cool kale chips?  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

My friend Sharon would scream if she saw this picture.  She thinks that cats should be kept inside.

 

Well, this cat LOVES being outside.  He roams around our yard, hunting for mice, moles, lizards, and birds.

 

As you can see, he thinks he's going to catch a bird.  He didn't, but he sure had fun trying.

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

 

 

Checking out my sage yesterday, and I spotted this!!!  It's a Yellowjacket nest.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's bigger than a softball, and smaller than a soccer ball.  Maybe 6 inches across, and it is ALIVE with Yellowjackets.  

 

Glad I saw it before I touched it.  They can be aggressive.  

 

Sorry, but it had to go, so I called my friend (my hero) and he took care of it, with that awful Wasp and Hornet Killer spray.  Again:  sorry!!!

 

I guess we won't be eating any sage from that area anymore this year.  YUK!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

At the beginning of our walk in Meeks Park, we saw Mrs. Mallard and nine little baby mallards.  They had this perfect feeding ground, in a big puddle, away from the busyness of the river.  

 

I can't help it, but I always think of Robert McCloskey's  Make Way for Ducklings.  We always laugh and name the eight little ducklings out loud:

Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack.  Hahaha!!!  JKLMNOPQ.  So is this ninth one's name Rack?  I think so.

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

 

 

We have been seeing the Scarlet Tanager for the last week.  Today I saw him in the yard, and got his picture.  I guess they are ground feeders.  

 

I hope Gizmo doesn't see him.  

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

 

 

Great picture Mark!!!  I can't believe how he posed for you, after having bit you.  Like you said, probably showing off.  Glad you're OK.

 

This is a Copperhead in Five Forks.  See the water box?  Yeah, well, I have it on good authority that you shouldn't stick your hand in there.  I also know that you should be really careful around leaf piles, and bushes, especially when you've been away for a while.

 

OK, now for a little ID.  I've never seen one, and hope I only see pictures, but you can identify a copperhead by the milk chocolate kisses along the body.  See them? And look at the size of that triangular head!!  

 

Be careful out there; gardening can be hazardous to your health.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

What were you doing this morning at 7:30?

 

Jon was up on the roof looking for the spot that a flying squirrel was getting into the overhead.  He saw it this morning, and went on a search and destroy mission.  Didn't want to destroy the squirrel, just wanted to block the entry point.  So he went up there armed with steel wool, and caulk.  

 

We've heard that lots of folks have dealt with flying squirrels, but amazingly we have not, until now.  I'll let you know if his fix works.

 

You have to admire him for doing it though.  I do.

 

HAPPY HOME MAINTENANCE!!!

 

When I went out to cut some sage for our turkey dinner, this is what I saw.  Remember I told you that there was a praying mantis egg case in the sage?  Well, apparently it hatched out today, because there are lots of baby praying mantids.

 

LOVE IT!!!  Thought you would too. 

 

HAPPY MAY!!!

 

I know this is a weird picture, but I don't know how to take a picture into water without getting the reflection.  So just try to look past the reflected trees, and look into the water.

 

My picture is of tadpoles in one of the holding ponds down by the creek.  We started seeing the eggs back in February, and we check on them every day to see how much they have grown.  

 

Judging by the number of tadpoles we should be overrun with frogs, but we're not.  We have just enough to sprinkle the air with their sweet sound.  

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

 

 

Just for perspective, this is Jon's hand.  When he pulled down the branch to get a better view, they jumped on his fingers.  

 

And all these babies will eat bugs in our garden.  YAY!!!

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!