I've shown you one of these before.  Remember what it is?  

 

Praying Mantis egg case.  This one is in the Rosemary bush.  It's a little hard to tell how big it is from this picture, but if you touch your index finger to your thumb, that circle is about the size of this egg case.  It probably holds between 50 and 100 baby mantids.  

 

I love finding these in the winter, because I know we will have Praying Mantids in the spring.  I love seeing them, but even more I love that they eat bugs.  I saw a full grown Praying Mantis carrying off a full size Monarch caterpillar once.  OK, I didn't love that, but it is good that they eat other bugs.

 

HAPPY ALMOST SPRING!!!

 

As we came around the corner onto Mocassin Church Rd., we were amazed to see all these turkeys.  We guessed that when we first saw them, there were about ten males showing their stuff.

 

By the time I got out and got my camera ready some of the females had already moved up the hill to shelter.  But just look at them all!!!

 

Sorry about that power line in the picture, but I was so intent on capturing all the turkeys and the free standing chimney, I didn't even see it.  Just snapped the picture.   

 

We love seeing critters in the hills!!

 

HAPPY MARCH!!!

 

I looked out in the yard, and who did I see guarding the bird feeders?  Guess!!!  

 

It is our not-too-subtle cat, Gizmo.  I'm not sure what he's waiting for, or expecting to happen, but he spent the good part of an hour watching the birds come and go.

 

He's our buddy.  

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

As I started out for my walk on Sunday afternoon, I didn't get far before I saw this little lady crossing the road.  I was able to get her picture.  If you enlarge the photo just a little, you can see she is following her friend across the road.  Then a few steps later, I saw a third one.  Missed that shot.

 

I swear, they look like dinosaurs don't they?

 

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!

 

I am happy to say that I did NOT take this picture.  But one of our friends did, and he took it here in the neighborhood.  Yikes!!!

 

This is a copperhead, and I'm showing you this picture to help you know how to identify it from a distance.  See the Hershey kisses along the length?  That is typical coloration for copperheads.  They are quite aggressive, so you only have a second to identify it.  I've seen other descriptions, but the Hershey kisses really paints a memorable picture.  

 

There aren't hundreds in our neighborhood, but there are some;  so be careful when you walk in the woods, or down the trail.  Also, be aware when you're working in the yard or garden.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

This red-spotted purple butterfly hung around all day.  

 

I saw it on the potting bench in the morning, then on the deck rail at noon;  it just seemed to be happy here in my space. 

 

It makes me happy to know that I am providing happy spaces for butterflies.  Life is Good!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

As I was checking on my giant Cushaw squash the other day, I saw this Silver-spotted Skipper enjoying my Zinnias.  I watched as it sipped nectar from each of those tiny yellow flowers.  That's a good enough reason to plant zinnias in your garden, besides being pretty to look at.   

 

There are lots of good nectar plants to attract butterflies to your garden including:  Asters, Buddleia (butterfly bush), Phlox, Black-eyed Susies, Purple coneflowers, Bee balm, Marigolds, Coreopsis, Lantana, Cosmos.  And let the wildflowers grow too:  Joe-Pye weed, Queen Anne's Lace, Goldenrod, Thistle, and Oxeye daisies.  

 

Plant all kinds of flowers in your garden, and watch the butterflies come to visit.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

This is what the deer did to my beautiful Hostas.  

 

Last year, all we did was protect the flowers with a barrier.  That worked fine.  But this year they have eaten the flowers and the leaves.  

 

Not too pretty.  Oh well.  We have barricaded everything else.  Next year we will guard the Hostas too.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Every time we walk down the trail, we look for Tedd.  And he's always in the same spot.  I guess he likes it there.

 

Thought you'd like to see Tedd and Jon.  We tickle ourselves.

 

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!

 

 

 

We have a bucket at the top of the stairs to the basement (doesn't everybody?)   Into this bucket we put things that need to go to the basement, the next time somebody goes down there.  

 

Well, this morning I started to drop in a wet dish towel, and I saw this!!!  Surprise!!!  I nudged the bucket, and it moved!!!  JON!!!

 

We see them a lot, but they move so slowly that you have time to think about how to catch them and put them outside.  I don't like to kill critters, but I don't want them inside my house.  So I just report the incident to my hero, and he takes care of it.  Don't know if he squished it or just relocated it;  don't care.  Just so it's not in the bucket, or inside a wet dish towel.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!