The Beauty Of The Changing Seasons

[PeeJay]

I'm about to head out for my morning walk. Unfortunately, I must walk through urbania. There is good coffee and pastry at the half way point. Most of the places I've lived I've been able to hit miles of trails right out the door and I'd gladly trade the coffee stop for woods and mountains. Nice bug pictures! I'm missing Rain's bug pictures... We must fill the void in his absence. Found this baby gal on one of my chile plants the other day.

 

[PeeJay]

One more from the ghetto deck oasis.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Beautiful PeeJay! Yes, I miss Rainstacks critter pics too.

That praying mantis looks like a baby. So cute.

Did you ever notice that you think you are trying to chase a butterfly, only to find out that it is chasing you?

for those lovely pics.

I have some more coming up soon. I had to take another walk. LOL

 

[Lady Cannafan]

This is fun.

Through the years I have belonged to nature clubs and hiking clubs of different sorts. It always amazes me how people will walk down a trail or through the woods or field and only look at what is right in front of them as they watch their feet move.

I used to irritate people because I was always falling behind. I had to turn over every log, inspect every flower or critter that I came across or just plant myself down next to a tree and wait to see what moved.

There is so much beauty around us if we just look for it.

Here are some more pictures from my walk this morning.

These flowers start out rather small, but spread out into big handfuls of blooms:

Color everywhere!

 

[Lester Freeman]

I love you and your love for nature.

Now you are inspiring me

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Last set for the day. I have a meeting that's going to last awhile.


This is on an old log:

Here is the seed inside those "poppies" I mentioned earlier:

This is the area I call the "Coyote Chow Line". It was cleared a few years ago for another large pond. I changed my mind on it and will be letting it grow back in. I feed the Coyotes out there with scraps every now and then.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

I have one more caterpillar for the day. This one appears to be spinning a cocoon.

And what have we here? Why...it's a Whitetail deer track.

Wild blueberries are abundant on my homestead.

Here's Chippee. Her family is quite large this year. They are everywhere!

 

[Lester Freeman]

Oh my God!!

 

[PeeJay]

Yup, that mantis is very tiny. After I took that picture I moved the chile plant next to the two cannabis plants out on the deck thinking it would be fun if she moved into one of them. I don't know if you've see the silk flower camo job on the deck plants. Credit goes to Gardenfaerie for the brilliant idea..

Anyway, I hadn't seen her for a few days. Then while I was on garden patrol this morning there she was on the stake that holds up the pepper plant.

While I was taking her picture I noticed that there is some spider mite webbing on the chile... So, instead of introducing a mantis to one of the cannabis plants I was probably only successful at introducing spider mites to both cannabis plants.

The tomatoes love the hot dry conditions more than the pot does. This one is growing in the same brixy dirt I grow weed in.

Hyssop is starting to bloom. The butterflies love this one and so do the hummingbirds.

They also love this agastache that is getting set to flower. There is some sort of critter in there - not sure what it is..

Moss roses do well in my dry climate. The blooms only last a day, but once they get going and if they are dead headed regularly they go nuts.

 

[PeeJay]

Spectacular second round of pictures Canna. I love the fungi and lichens on the old stump. Your property is sucking you back in. How could you move away from that?

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Lester, I love you all too. Your thread has inspired me many times.

I am seriously trying to get a picture of that darned big turtle in my pond, but he is an elusive smarty when I get the camera close enough. LOL

I will get him eventually. I have a hunting blind I'm going to set up so I can hide and wait for him and the black birds, King Fishers and Mallards to come around for some close up pictures.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Great pics PeeJay!

I have those moss roses around here too, but they don't do well because they are in the sprinkler area and my hard water causes havoc on those, my tomatoes and my roses. Everything is going to have to be moved this year, so I can install a soaker hose instead of getting hit with that heavy iron water that keeps them stunted.

I am sorry to hear about the spider mites. YUK Do Praying Mantis eat those?

I have not seen the silk idea. I'll have to get over to her thread. She is always full of great information.

I envy your knowledge of naming the plants and flowers. I don't know the names of most of the foliage here, but I love to look at it. LOL

I will let nothing take me away from here. This is where I will spend my retirement years come Hell or high water! I spent too many hard working overly tired years to keep it, I will not give it up now.

Of course, if this winter is as bad as last I won't be thinking that.....which is half the reason for this thread. It will remind me of why I stay.

 

[PeeJay]

Yup, that mantis will grow fat and happy on the mites. If there is one there are probably more. The jumping spiders are numerous out on the deck, too, and they will chow down on pests.

A couple of large locust trees shade my little deck. I'm thankful for the shade. However, locust trees suck! First they made a huge mess when they bloomed and the blooms have little aesthetic value. The house next door is vacant and they have a significant leak in the water line to the swamp cooler. All the water pours down the downspout to the base of the locust trees. They're having a great year and are now heavy with seeds. So next there will be a seemingly endless mess of those little helicopters to sweep up every time there is a breeze.

I need Jay to get over here and clean up all the dead wood in those things, dammit. They are also very buggy trees, so that's where all the spiders and such are coming from. With luck there is a nice balanced ecosystem going and it will transfer to my tiny container garden and things will stay in balance. Tree ants have found their way down the cord which secures one corner of a shade screen to the tree. It has become a highway for the little buggers. Of course they have found the hummingbird feeder that hangs from the tree, too.

I've always loved watching everything that goes on in a garden and am having fun with this little area even though I wish I had more space.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Oh, I do hate those helicopter things. They make a huge mess, as you said.

I have a little trick to keep the ants away from the hummingbird feeder. Spray some Skin-So-Soft mosquito spray on the path they take to get up to the feeder. They hate that stuff. I usually do it three or four times during the summer.

 

[PeeJay]

Nice tip! I'm thinking I'll wrap the path down the hanger to the feeder with one of those sticky traps for flies so I can see how many stuck ants pile up on it... I haven't had a visit from the Avon Lady recently so I'm plumb out of the Skin So Soft...

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Good idea for the sticky trap....if your hair is short. LOL

I have long hair and I NEVER fail to get it stuck on those things, I couldn't imagine a windy day.

Your ants look like what we call "fire ants" here. Lovely colors for bothersome little critters.

Once every summer I have an army of what seems to be millions of fire ants that take a direct path across my lawn, then the back deck, then back onto the lawn and out toward the barn, always heading east. I am not sure why they do that, it's a nature's way thing I guess. Maybe this year I will follow them, but they have a bite that is not very pleasant. OUCH.

Have a great day.

 

[PeeJay]

In the back of the medicine cabinet I found some Armani Code Soothing Aftershave Balm. I got it for X-Mass five or six years ago, don't care for scents or wear them much, and the Code is not one I would choose to wear if I did. I find it a little repugnant. I smeared some on the hanger. The ants evidently find Armani Code repugnant as well. They freaked the hell out! I haven't seen an ant anywhere near the hanger since.

The hummers, on the other hand, don't seem to mind the scent of Armani Code at all. If anything there is more feeder activity than ever (probably because the ants are gone.) It could be the scent, though... I might have to try wearing some and see if it attracts chicks as well as hummingbirds.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

ROFL PeeJay!

Good job on the "scent". Now you can put something in the hummingbird feeder. Feed them Seymour. ;-)

Be careful what you wear for a chick magnet. Some of us are extremely allergic to the stuff. It will send myself into sniffles and coughing for hours after being around someone wearing that. ;-)

Have fun.

 

[Lester Freeman]

Fang and Methuselah just saying Hello!

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Thanks Lester!

Fang looks happy as ever, and Methuselah looks content.

How old do you figure Methuselah is?

Sassy says "Hi" too: