Wednesday, February 16, 2011

first bloom & critters- both breathing and not.



ONE of the nice things about the cooler weather (even here in north florida)...
is that i can walk around and NOT get unexpectedly smacked 
in the face by a spiderweb.
i don't know how they do it. these banana spiders are web-building machines...
spanning their webs from one tree to another...
invariably in my path! 
(this intricate web picture was taken last  year. 
i didn't run into it. at least not THAT day anyway.)


ANOTHER nice thing about the cooler weather...is that i don't sweat!
not that sweating bothers me. it's good to sweat. we rid our bodies of toxins.
but i am a real sweater! and not the fuzzy kind! it's just embarrassing.
in the summer  it can top out around 100 °...and if i'm outside for a mere 5 minutes...
i look like i just got out of the pool...fully dressed. but we don't have a pool! 

the cooler weather also brings the changing of the leaves...
from green to brilliant fire colors! i love it!
then after the leaves have fallen to the ground...
we rake them up into big piles
and have nightly bonfires! 


OK.  what i DON'T like about the cooler weather
is that some of the little critters...
the vast array of insects, lizards, snakes, frogs...disappear. 
they dig into the dirt. bury themselves...hide in dead trees...roots...
until it starts to warm up. i miss all these little guys.

of course we still have the squirrels, red shouldered hawks, owls, deer and foxes.
they hang around all year!   

the nocturnal creatures hang around all year too...
the raccoons, 'possoms, armadillos... 

I WISH i could get a good picture of one of these night time animals...
but my camera is not a really good one...with interchangeable lenses...
so i can't zoom in and do a good night time shot. 

BUT we did find a dead 'possum behind one of the sheds...
gave him a decent burial. 
and, yes, you guessed it...only to be dug up at some point...for the bones!
(he looks like he's sleeping. or playing 'possom as 'possoms do)

here's a poor little lizard (anole) 
who thought he had found the perfect spot to get away from the cold...
inside an old grill. i guess he squeezed his way in, 
and then couldn't get back out.
<<>>



SO,  the weather's starting to 
warm up a little during the day.into the 70's. 
the day after valentine's day...
i spotted a few lizards...creeping out of their hiding places 
to soak up some sun.
yeah! the first lizards of the year!
(anole on a tool box)

(anole between wood frame and screen )

(a fence lizard)

that same day i noticed buds on the azaleas...
and some new leaf growth starting on many of the plants!
and even a few flowers!! another first for the year!
(daffodil)

We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, 
and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.  
-Robert Louis Stevenson

i found another owl pellet...and took my first picture of an eastern bluebird...
(i've never seen that bird around here before.)
sam is crawling around under the house because we can smell something...dead. ugh!
i passed another MISSPELLED sign on my way to a client the other day.

BUT...i think i've rambled on enough for one day. 
more on all that next time...have to get ready for an appointment.
<<>>

oh boy oh boy. next holiday - St Patty's Day.
i love that one. almost as much as halloween!
wear green.
green beer. green eggs and ham.
corned beef and cabbage.
leprechauns.
lucky four leaf clovers...

take it easy. stay cool.

:] laura

here's a quote i came across...thought it was good...
nothing to do with nature...or the forest...  :))

There are three reasons for breast-feeding:  
the milk is always at the right temperature; 
it comes in attractive containers; 
and the cat can't get it.  
~Irena Chalmers 

ok,  i'm outa here...    :]



11 comments:

  1. You just insist on showing those darn spiders first, don't you? The rest of the pix I enjoyed...I just don't do spiders, Babe! Sweat yes, spiders NO!...:)JP

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  2. I'm with Home in The Hollow-can't do spiders! Other things don't bother me, but spiders-AAGGHHE! The fence lizard is cool-looks kind of flat. And of course, that beautiful owl. I wanted to tell you, I had shown my son your bone doodles for Valentine's Day. He read some of your post and noticed the Owl Pellet discussion. He told me that when he was in the eighth grade, they did owl pellets in science-took them all apart, found mice bones and had to reconstruct them. I had no idea! I hadn't heard of that until you wrote and showed pictures. I couldn't believe that at age 31 he's just now telling me this-he knew exactly what you were talking about! And I thought he didn't remember anything he learned in school! Thanks Laura-you brought out some intelligent memories in my otherwise "don't want to remember, cause I'll never need to use it later" son. Can't wait to see some more misspelled signs.

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  3. Yes, your garden is certainly stirring.
    Always lovely to see those flowers popping out isn't it.

    In a month's time we'll be in Autumn which is my favourite season. Its when I can put down cuttings of native species which I know will "take", ready to plant in Spring.

    Your lizards are gorgeous :D

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  4. JP/Home AND Susan...believe it or not...i don't like spiders either! i don't mind LOOKING at them...but i totally freak out when one crawls on me. my oldest son has inherited this fro me. he'll actually call someone else into the room, to 'take care of that spider'...
    actually i'm not THAT bad...

    as far as the owl pellets...i never did anything like that in school! i wish we had...the only thing we HAD TO dissect was a frog! i just learned about owl pellets recently when i was looking in a TRACKS and SCAT book...identifying animals...and they mentioned owl pellets! sooo cool!! :]

    and )other) Susan...from Australia!
    yes! i love the flowers! seeing the little buds...and then watching them open up...it's exciting when you can start to plant new things in the garden!!

    Thanks you 3!! as always! :] laura

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  5. For thousands of years native Americans have considered bluebirds sacred. It has many associations with the rising Sun and happiness. In Russian fairy tales it is a symbol of hope. I love these permanent residents of my state, Michigan.

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  6. ((sam and i escaped yesterday...thursday...gone fishing. lochloosa lake...fish camp on lake. you can look at 'label search' on right side bar...for lochloosa lake' to see pic's fro m last time we were here))

    CRAYZYS!! i will add this info to my next post...along with the picture of the bluebird! thanks ALOT! i appreciate it!! :]laura

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  7. I love the spiders, keep 'em coming! Of course that's easy to say from HERE!
    Florida forest walking, how well I remember those industrious spiders and that feeling of sheer panic when you walk into one of those webs! AND being wet the moment you step outside from the humidity.
    Hope you had fun fishing!~ stacey
    PS very cool fire pic!

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  8. Stacey/Tumbleweed! you know it!! those spiders will keep on creeping into my posts...when ever they can!! the florida humidity...is at least not as bad up north here, as it was when i lived down in plant city. down there the air was WETTER! >>we caught a few fish! but better than that...we got away! yeah! thanks...as always! :]laura

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  9. There is so much MAGIC in your posts, Laura. You have the great gift of being totally in tune with your surroundings, of being able to observe the tiniest details. I'm sure this is something you could develop as a business, as a way to garner an income...whilst sharing your passion and considerable skills/talents/deep love of nature with, for example, city-dwellers looking to add some meaning to their otherwise stessful lives???

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  10. Beautiful spider web, I agree on the breastfeeding and I feel so sorry for the pure lizard who was just looking for some warmth. But such is life.

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  11. I agree with Desiree. There is magic in your posts. Your love of the natural world shines.

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