invasion of the...

nope, not the body snatchers!

we're being invaded by

tent & tussock moth caterpillars.

butterflies.

lizards.

hummingbirds.

and assorted other creepy crawlies.

a NICE invasion!

(well, except for the mosquitoes & ticks.)

OH, don't worry - you won't have to watch your step today.

you can even go barefoot if you want. no pOOp!  :)

oOo

for the past couple of weeks, it's been the tent caterpillars. remember them?

well, they're still hanging around.

and now, we're also experiencing an invasion of the tussock moth caterpillar!

a pretty cool looking little guy...but they too...are EVERYWHERE!

i keep plucking them off my plants...

and walking them a little farther away from the gardens.

they feed and grow...feed and grow...spin their cocoons...

and start all over again!  but you have to be careful of their hairs...

they can be irritating to the skin!

the birds just can't keep up with all the caterpillars.

they're having trouble flying...i see them walking across the yard...

dragging their full tummies!

oOo

i mentioned before...that we were starting to see butterflies.

BUT since nothing except the azaleas were blooming...

most butterflies were just fluttering by.

NOT ANYMORE!

BLOOMING is well under way!

mock orange

japanese honeysuckle

blue eyed grass

and fetterbush...to name just a few...

"A weed is no more than a flower in disguise."

~James Russell Lowell

...and so...the flowers bring the nectar feeders!

zebra swallowtail!

spicebush swallowtail!  (above & below)

astyanax - the red spotted purple butterfly!  (above & below)

 

giant swallowtail!

eastern tiger swallowtail!

now...this next guy...drove me a little nuts trying to figure out WHO he was!

fiery skipper!

oOo

if you were here last year...then you know

how much i love to take pictures of dragonflies!

unfortunately, this one...the FIRST dragonfly of the season...

had his back to me...so we can't see his cute little face!

BUT don't worry...i went through last year's BUG pictures and found this one...

(kinda looks like a grumpy old man...)

 oOo

♥ lizards! i love lizards! ♥

there i go again...what's another word for 'love'?   i say that too much.

♥ i LOVE too many things. ♥

bones. feathers. rocks. turtles. music. wolves. beads.

books. taking pictures. writing. the woods. the moon. lavender. the rain.

camping. my job. quotes. jasmine. being creative. jeans. t-shirts. blahblahblah...

and, of course...it goes without saying...i love my sons, sam, milo, monty and ozzie.

sometimes i just feel like...i overuse that word.

i have a great affection for everything outdoors. so, what can i say?

♥ i LOVE lizards and bugs and bones. oh my! ♥

oOo

ok. lizards. the most common florida lizard...the Anole.

they can change color from green to shades of brown & grays,

depending on their mood, the temperature, humidity and health.

...and when they're getting ready to mate...

the males will display their dewlap to attract a female.

the dewlap's that piece of skin that hangs under the neck and turns shades of bright red.

this dewlap (funny word, eh?) is also used for territorial purposes...

toward other males.

not only will he display his dewlap, but he'll puff up his entire body...

stand up on his toes...bob his head up & down, and start doing push-ups!

we have one VERY territorial Anole living on our front porch. 

he thinks he OWNS the porch.

the other day i saw him attack another Anole.

his dewlap came out, he got all puffed up so he looked bigger...

he started to get this raised arch down his back...

his eyes turned black...and he started bobbing like crazy!

he looked like a mini dragon...minus the fire.

he waited for the other male to get close...and then he attacked!

mouth open...grabbing the other anole by his head!

yikes! i felt like the referee.

but it all happened so fast. no bell ringing. no blood was drawn. no knock-out.

whew!

the more submissive lizard turned and ran away as soon as the attacker let him go.

here's the 'alpha' lizard watching as the other male leaves the porch.

and here's the little guy that ran.

he looks a little DEFLATED! literally!

defeated and deflated.

wow! what a show!

(the air was so thick with testosterone...you could cut it with a knife)

oOo

one of my clients mentioned that she's been seeing the hummingbirds

feeding on her bottle brush tree. yay! they're back!

so we collected our feeders. cleaned them. made some 'sugar water'...

filled them...and hung them back outside.

the hummingbirds also feed on the wildflowers...but we like to hang

a couple of feeders by the front porch...close...so we can watch them!

so...you can see...there's LOTS OF SPRING going on around here!

hopefully, where you are too.

"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard."

~Standing Bear

i've taken some pretty cool pictures of MORE bugs, birds...found bones...

oh yeah, and another sign.  a misspelled sign.  next time.

no, no...don't tempt me. i could go on and on...

but if you made it this far...i've held your attention long enough...for one day.

go get some more coffee. or tea. have a drink. stretch. bathroom break.

thanks for wandering through.

have a safe journey & enjoy the ride.

:] laura

b a l a n c e