aye, aye captain...uh...emo

before i get to the captain emo thing...

here's a Red-bellied woodpecker in side yard.

* * *

where i used to wander out back,

in the woods,

finding treasure...

like bones, owl pellets, 100 yr old turpentine clay pots...

we now have 3-4 feet deep water!

wow!!

it's been like that ever since we moved back home in november.

anyway...we decided to take the canoe out there.

we loaded up...pushed off...and then heard emo back on shore YELLING!!

we turned around to see what was up.

emo wanted to go for a ride.

he jumped in the canoe!!

rather than being a back-seat driver, he opted to ride up front...

...the captain of the canoe...giving orders...

"LOOK OUT FOR THAT DOWNED TREE!"

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT MESS OF BRAMBLES!"

and...

"HEY!!  A TURTLE! WHOAAAA!! GET THE CAMERA MOM!!"

this turtle has to be the biggest turtle i've seen in a looong time! 

bigger than the ones on the rivers, or in the lakes.

anyway, it's tough canoeing back there. lots of downed trees & thickets of dead bushes & vines.

pretty cool. and weird. 

really, i prefer the hiking. i wonder if the water table will be getting back to normal any time soon?!

a couple of days later...BOTH emo & otis are patiently waiting to go canoeing!

luckily, we haven't spotted any alligators out there!

* * *

speaking of 'gators...makes me think of dinosaurs.

i saw this lizard (anole) on the side of the house, just peeking from under the eave.

stay cool. be safe.

laura

"the world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful."  ~e.e. cummings 

lizard love. scat. skull. and a couple of tree huggers!

it's still a little on the chilly side here in north central florida.

we've had some frosty mornings & the water in the bird bath freezes over night.

i love it!  but most of the little critters are still in hiding.

this past week i've been lucky enough to spot a few lizards (anoles) sun-bathing!! yay!

(FYI: the anoles with the patterned stripes down their backs are Non-natives.

from Cuba or the Bahamas)

* * *

lately we've been hearing what sounds like a pack of pups 

barking & kind of howling...just before dawn and around sunset.

the PROOF is in the SCAT.

out back, in the wooded area...COYOTE poop!

it's not the freshest scat around...but it's loaded with FUR & BONES!

i went online and listened to what the coyotes sound like when they 'talk'...

and it's exactly what we've been hearing!

SO, knowing this, we have had numerous talks with emo & otis.

stressing to them that they have to watch their backs!

our little 'tree-huggers' have been practicing climbing trees!!

* * *

this past week i started working on a HOG SKULL 

i found last year in the field across the road.

(acrylic paint & Sharpie paint pens)

 

* * *

i leave you now...with a parting moon shot.

(NO, not THAT kind!!)  :)

11 feb 2015

stay cool & be safe.

laura

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.”

~A.A. Milne

t-t-t-t-turtles!

the azaleas are blooming.

but the butterflies and bees are not braving the cooler weather yet.

it's still dropping to the 30's or low 40's (F) at night.

i have come to the conclusion that our florida critters are spoiled.

no snakes. no frogs. hardly any birds. no bugs.

they're all snugged away in their hidey-holes waiting for the warmer temps.

hmmmmm. maybe not spoiled...but smart?!!

the squirrels don't mind the cold!

one sunny afternoon this past week i did spot a brave lizard

hanging from a window sill...soaking up the sun.

(cool shadow too!)

last weekend we did a camping over-nighter at O'Leno State Park.

about an hour drive. just one night. to get away.

walked the trails along the Santa Fe river.

again...no deer. no 'gators. no rabbits. no hawks.

BUT THERE WERE TURTLES!!

LOTS!

(see the flying baby turtle?!!)

look close. the back end of the shell on turtle to the right is all shredded! :(   boat prop? gator?

well. that's it for now. 

i couldn't get a picture of the FULL moon last night. very cloudy.

still cloudy this morn.

the moon for all us "Leo's". 

yep, the MOON and JUPITER are in LEO right now!!

so, no full moon. but here's the last clear sky moon shot i could get, on jan. 27th.

stay cool & be safe.

laura

“The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.”

~Albert Einstein

a couple of critters and bOnes...

a leaf...dangling by a web strand :)

it's still been pretty chilly here in north florida.

tonight it's supposed to get down to 33° F.

right now it's a windy 51°! 

i can hear the wind whipping around outside.

dead branches falling.

a couple of days ago the sun was finally peeking through the dense clouds...

and i spotted some critters. yay!!

a couple of (anole) lizards on the side of the house.

i got pretty excited when i heard the distinct tapping away of a woodpecker.

he was at the very top of an old dead tree...and i couldn't get a very good shot.

but, hey!!  it was another critter coming out from hiding, braving the cooler temp's!

a Red-bellied woodpecker.

and here's a pretty cool little (garden) spider's web...iridescent with the sun hitting it just right!

sam & i still go for hikes across the street...into the wooded field.

and i still collect bones!!!

hog skull & jaw

assorted deer bones

NOW THIS is a first!!!

ALLIGATOR TAIL!

obviously someone must have poached a 'gator...cleaned it...and dumped what was left.

i would've liked to see the entire skeleton...but all there was, was the tail!

ok. that's it.

i'll sign off with a couple of pic's of our furry kids!

~ emo ~

~ otis ~

have a nice week!

stay cool & be safe.

laura

“Life is a journey. Time is a river. The door is ajar.”

~Jim Butcher, Dead Beat

aaah. cuddle weather!

looking back over my shoulder...

i'm waving goodbye to christmas

and looking forward to the new year.

2013 is going to be a very good year!

SIX, being my lucky number.

2+0+1+3= 6

(Venus is the ruler of #6. 

harmony. balance.solutions. enlightenment. compassion. forgiveness.)

AND it's the year of the snake!

i was born in the year of the snake,  

1953.  

(oops. did i really say that? are you doing the math? i'll save u the trouble. 59.)

anyway.  it's been good cuddle weather...

dipping down to freezing temps at night...

AND in the morning.

ICE on the A/C unit outside

one of the nice things about having #2 son under our roof,

is that he can help sam with the wood splitting.

the wood...keeping us nice and toasty at night.

speaking of travis (#2 son),

when we wandered the woods out back...

he spotted a Southern Ringneck snake,

which he picked up for closer examination before releasing.

the Southern Ringneck snake

look at the bright orange under belly!

a CUTE little snake, fully grown at 10-15 inches long.

i saw a BIG dragonfly which i actually thought was dead because it let me get real close.

but i think it was just cold. it flew away after i snapped this picture.

THEN i spotted the (daytime) moon...peeking from between a tree's skeletal branches. 

22 december 2012

there aren't too many critters out and about...but on warmer days, 

when the sun is bright...a few can be spotted braving the cold in order to soak up some warmth.

Fence lizard

Zebra Longwing

Anole...in the brown phase against the house

Anole...in the green phase, blending in with some of the still green plants

a big old grasshopper

and lastly...a few birds in the yard, that don't seem to mind the cold too much!!!!

a female Cardinal

a male Cardinal keeping an eye on the female

a Pileated Woodpecker

tough to get a picture of this guy as he just wouldn't stop hammering away!!

thanks to the digital camera...take 20 pic's, get 2 decent ones!! ha.

same Pileated Woodpecker

i'm putting a hold on my Friday Fringes for now.

between running travis back & forth to work, my own work, home stuff & chores...

the weekdays are a blur!  i barely have time for ME.

i need longer...or slower...weekends!  (don't we all!)

ok, off to an appointment...

take care.

be safe.

laura

25 december 2012