Monday, August 1, 2011

fueling the fauna & flora...


with rain.
yesterday afternoon dark clouds started rolling in.
we heard a light drizzle on the skylights and metal roof...
then all of a sudden, a loud crack of thunder and the sky opened up!
it hasn't stopped.

Never run in the rain with your socks on.
~Greenday

can you feel my guilt?   if i could send this rain to other parts of the country...
other parts of  the world...where they're in desperate need...you know i would!
 
 where i live in north central florida 
we have only hit the triple digit temp...as in
"FEELS LIKE 104".
hot & muggy. 
you step outside...immediately start to sweat...and there's no breeze 
to help the sweat cool you off.
but at least we're getting the rain!
soaking into the parched ground without delay.
all the little critters come out to wet their dry mouths.
the plants seem to grow overnight...and the mushrooms just keep popping up.
i've been seeing a lot more young lizards scampering around...
and nymph grasshoppers munching away on the hibiscus.
===

the cicada, in its final nymphal stage, sheds its skin...
and emerges as an adult.


  
a mushroom saving some rain water...

 a baby anole



you can see how little these skinks are...next to the acorn.
 
even though you can tell this is a baby skink...
the bright blue tail also means that it's a youngster.


a grasshopper nymph


i'm not really sure what type of lichen these are 
growing out the sides of the old stump.


 a tiny katydid nymph


 a 'gulf fritillary'


i THINK this is a 'fiery skipper'
 


uh.  a mushroom on a mushroom.   tier upon tier.   cauliflower lichen?!  :)

The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.
~John Muir


AND NOW...i was planning to save this for next time.
but i just can't wait.
that old instant gratification gnawing at me.
share.share.share. now.now.now.

we have nests of Red-shouldered Hawks all around the yard.
this very vocal forest dwelling  hawk...
can be seen and heard all day long.
the young ones dart back and forth in the sky...like they're playing tag.

saturday, we were lucky enough to spot this one out back.
but the back door was closed...as usual.
we carefully slid it open...and the hawk seemed not to care that we were there.



sunday...just before the rain came storming in...
i went out back to see if i could find any feathers.
 OOOoooooooh.   AAAAaaaaaaaaah.


that's it for now.  
have a delightful day and a week of wonder.

be safe.
 :] laura

Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.  
~John Muir 


17 comments:

  1. Absolutely love skinks! :)
    Love the mushroom cup, too...great capture!

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  2. You...are...killing....me with those hawks! I am officially jealous!
    We finally got rain too!
    Great post and photos! Hope you have a great week!

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  3. loving all these scenes! your hawk is in beautiful full plumage! love it when they're all 'oranged' out.

    don't feel guilty about getting your rain. just enjoy it enough for all of us! :)

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  4. Laura, TexWisGirl is right-enjoy! And Yay for your Cicada-I've been looking here for them...I can hear them, but have not found their sheddings that are usually left behind! All of your foliage looks so green too. And, really, a beautiful sky!

    About your katydid nymph-I've seen a similar creature here, but with a reddish-brown body. They like to get on the large blooms. Do you think it's the same thing? I tried to look it up, but with no luck. Now, since I've seen yours, maybe I can locate it.

    I have had to run in the rain with my socks on before-not pretty! Cool post Laura-it's 105 degrees in Texas right now. I hope your rain at least cools it down your way!

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  5. Before I forget - LOVE your little play on words in the opening line of your last post! Didn't hit me at first, then I had a good snicker... (you know, your picture of the walking sticks)

    Gorgeous hawk pictures - how fortunate you are to have them around & get pics of them!

    I love the fact that you love all those 6-legged critters, as I do. We "weirdos" need to stick together.

    We read with interest about the other parts of the country having such extreme heat, when our little corner of the US (NW WA) is having a cooler/wetter than normal "summer" (actually, we're still waiting for summer...) Go figure - couldn't be a hint of climate change, could it?

    Thanks again, Laura, for making my day with your wonderful words & photos. Stay well, my friend.

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  6. HEY LAURAAAAAAAAAAAAA :D I've got a terrible internet connection lately so I can't read your posts... just quickly dropping ...well a note under the rock :P to say THANKSS for the blog visits my side n I'm SURELY goin to catch up on your posts... as soon as my net stops acting likea snail! All the best!!! :)

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  7. I came over from Ladybug's Lair. You have a forest to wander in, but it reminds me of the endless hours I spent wandering the Minnesota prairie grassland when I was a kid--and I knew I wanted to wander about some more with you and subscribed. :)

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  8. I just love your blog and post. My favorite is the mushroom saving the water. And the critters are all so cute, love them all. Very exciting news about the hawk nest and the juvie. Lovely collection of photos.

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  9. Really cool. I love all the little critter babes. The hawks are awesome!

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  10. Lovely rain!
    Your skinks are much prettier than ours. They're lovely little creatures aren't they.
    Love the fungi.
    Wow, those hawk photos are top stuff! Brilliant. He's just gorgeous.

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  11. Thanks for your lovely walk in the forest. Love the trip. And you got av hawk to!!! Thanks for sharing!
    From Hilda

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  12. Great series of photos! So lucky to have hawks nesting in your yard.

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  13. I thought there was s hole in the sky in the first photo but you said the sky opened up. :)

    Love your kind of photos.

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  14. so many wonderful creatures!! and magical findings.

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  15. We have skinks! I never even knew what they were - I just called them lizards. And I had no idea the blue tail = youth. Very cool!

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  16. They are beautiful, everyone of them. Skink and the butterflies are superb.

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  17. A thoroughly enjoyable visual and verbal feast! The hawk is beautiful! What an honour to have them select your neck of the woods to nest in! I think all creatures instinctively know how deeply you appreciate each and every one and so they gravitate to you. How else could one explain the variety you have! As always, thank you for sharing your remarkable world with us!

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thanks for stopping by! it's always nice to hear from fellow wanderers!