Monday, September 19, 2011

critters, 'shrooms, and a pile of poop!

 this past week it's been cooler in the mornings...in the 60's.
aaaaaah...perfect weather for wandering around 
and traipsing into the woods out back.
no mosquitoes, gnats or ticks.

the hibiscus is still blooming.
and the little grasshopper nymphs which i've posted pictures of before...
are munching away...and growing!
 baby Anoles are all over the place. they're pretty skittish...
so you have to be very stealthy when trying to get a picture.

here's a Six-lined Race Runner.
i always thought these were the Five Lined skinks.
silly me. i never counted the lines.
they just LOOKED like the adult Five-lined skinks...without the blue tails.

here's a Five-lined skink...the blue tail means it's still a juvenile.

anyway, i'm out back...following our path to the wooded area...
 and i see some weird mushrooms!
...and a colony of assorted fungi growing all over an old rotted stump.

the ground is still covered with so many previous years fallen leaves.
the ground is soft with peat...it feels spongy.
some of this years fall colors are already scattered about...

there are so many hidey-holes...and downed trees (mostly from past hurricanes)...
so many places for the nocturnal critters to call home.

i spotted a Long-tailed skipper...

and then a Giant Swallowtail...

i saw a chewed up bone...looks to be from a deer...

and a hollowed out...half of a body...Cicada.

a cocoon from the Polyphemus moth...

and what i believe to be Gray Fox scat (berries & fur visible)

here's a picture from back in january...of one of our Grey Fox visitors...
in the back yard.

this post is definitely long enough...i hope i didn't tire you out.
i could do this all day...and when the temp stays cool all day...
this is where i'll be on the weekend!

this NEXT weekend...sam and i (and milo) are going camping
at Suwannee River State Pk.  a much needed get away. 
they have really cool trails there...and we thought we might rent a canoe for the day
since this park is located where the Suwannee & Withlacoochee Rivers meet.

~I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, 
to front only the essential facts of life, 
and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, 
and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.~ 
~Henry David Thoreau, 1854

 OH yeah, when i came out of the woods...Milo...yard manager...was waiting for me!
"uh...did you pay the toll...no, i didn't think so. toll=treat. remember that"

back in february...we found a dead 'possum behind our shed.
we held a nice burial for it.  i wanted to dig it up later...for the bones!
do you remember that? i did a post on it.
well, i went to dig it up over the weekend...was going to include it here...
but this is long enough.
something to look forward to??!! 

have a safe journey & enjoy the ride.
laura
mushroom with morning dew

22 comments:

  1. A Magnificent Post Laura,
    Have a wonderful Camping time... I am so utterly weary... so will need to return to express all the oh my goshes I uttered and smiles too...

    Love what you do... and the anticipation of what is yet to appear.

    Loving Hugs and xxx from your Friend Magda in Australia.

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  2. I could take these strolls with you all day! I NEVER tire of your posts, Laura and all the things I learn from you. This really was marvellous, thank you! I hope you, Sam and Milo have a wonderful weekend camping and look forward to seeing all the treasures you will have to share once you return home.

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  3. What a nice walk you had, the beauty is astonishing. But, my favourites are the lizards and the Grey Fox. Beautiful.

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  4. you are so cute! giving us a tease of possom bones... :)

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  5. fabulous place to live - I'm loving your unquiet mind!

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  6. I am with ya on the whole no mosquitoes, gnats etc., thing! Great photos-gosh I love those blue tails, they are really striking aren't they!
    Of course, my favorite is of Milo-nice pose!
    Hope you have a great week!
    xx

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  7. That cicada body kinda looks like a motorcycle gas tank with flames painted on it!

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  8. Oh Laura, I've just done the slide-show thingy with your photos...
    Magnificence plus!

    Anole's little footprints on the leaf are so very cute... and seeing his/her eye with peeking under the leaf... awesome. Love the photo...
    and all the others too... perfect way to view perfection

    What a wonderful gift to Bloggers from the Blogger Team and Google!

    One doesn't even need to stop looking to click on to the next image... brilliant!

    I can see the motorcycle gas tank with painted flames on it concept on the Cicada's part body like Trucking Tumbleweed suggests

    Bye for now... hugs from Magda in Australia

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  9. What! I was sorry to see it end. All those different fungi are mesmerizing! Lovely fox! Enjoy every pic. I do so love going on forest walks with you. Can hardly wait for the camping photos!! Have a glorious time. Give Milo a neck scratch for me. :):)

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  10. Really love the mushroom pictures! You have a great eye -- always great to see your work.

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  11. So sad about the fallen trees, but they are quite a lovely new home for well deserved critters, and quite necessary...so their lives all live on...the red leaves are quite pretty....even if it is another sign that after our lovely too short autumn winter will soon flow in! We've had frost several nights in a row, and lost many flowers to it, and the temps have been low, but our mosquitoes won't give up...grrrr....picking grapes in the late afternoon I had quite a battle with them! I just came back from a short trip away....it is good to get away....enjoy yours as well!

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  12. Wonderful, wonderful!! Thanks so much.

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  13. love that Thoreau quote
    may it be true for you this camping weekend

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  14. thanks everybody...for swinging by here...and tromping through the mushrooms...gazing at the critters...and sending happy camping thoughts!
    milo loves those neck...and behind the ear scratches...and once she gets going...she'll usually roll over to get a good tummy rub too!

    and yeah...the cicada does have that airbrushed motorcycle gas tank look! too bad it didn't help him to get away from whatever prey ate him up!! :/

    thanks everybody!! i always enjoy your notes!

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  15. I had the best time, clumping along behind you on your walk Laura!
    Oh, those mushrooms, never cease to amaze... the colours too.
    I care so much for the skinks back here in our garden, it was delightful to see yours.
    Have a wonderfully relaxed weekend you and Sam, float away on your canoe and enjoy :D)

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  16. I had the best time, clumping along behind you on your walk Laura!
    Oh, those mushrooms, never cease to amaze... the colours too.
    I care so much for the skinks back here in our garden, it was delightful to see yours.
    Have a wonderfully relaxed weekend you and Sam, float away on your canoe and enjoy :D)

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  17. One of the things that makes your blog unique is your variety of mushrooms Laura! I mean, for those of us who really appreciate the artistic nature of them, this is the place to go! I know there are so many families of 'shrooms', but, have only seen a handful in my life. These are great!

    Haha-the Cicada half-body is cool, and the critter hiding places look pretty inviting.

    So glad to see Milo is still on watch. Have a fun camping trip!

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  18. What an adventure! Love the 'schrooms! Nature bloggers post the most interesting things and you are no exception! What fun!

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  19. toll=treat!!! That's Moon & Copper's motto...in fact, Moon has let out a few single "arfs" which means in the afternoon, "Mom, get out here & play with us!"...:)JP

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  20. Wow! I love that giant swallowtail!

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