out back...still under water

amaryllis bloom

been a busy week.

haven't had time to venture into cyberspace...

which is kind of a good thing.

you can get lost out there...lose track of time,

and come out feeling like you've been drugged.

this morning we're heading to O'Leno State Pk to do an overnighter,

so i wanted to hurry up and get this post done (which i've been planning all week).

i'm hoping to get some cool pic's at o'leno,

of deer, maybe rabbits, hawks...butterflies, turtles.

last weekend we took the canoe out back again. where we used to hike.

the water has gone down maybe 6 inches or so...but it's been canoe-worthy for the past 9 months.
weird.

trees, vines, bushes...under water.

last sunday we were able to canoe much farther than we were ever able to hike!

a lot of the brambly vines have died and with some maneuvering 

and pulling down of those thorny vines...we were able to get to an open area.

a pond.

we had heard the was a pond back there...somewhere.  we found it!

a White Ibis
(either in winter plumage or a youngster) 

another White Ibis

i love dead wood. like bones. 

supposedly this 'pond' which is now part of all the surrounding water which leads into our back yard,

is on the property of a horse farm...although we didn't see any horses.

not this time.  no 'gators either.  or turtles.

(unlike last time, emo slept through this venture. maybe next time he'll come for a ride.)

* * *

back on solid ground.

a few butterflies spotted this week...

a Spicebush Swallowtail

a Phaon Crescent

Phaon Crescent

a Red Admiral

and for the finale...

emo & otis

up a tree

as usual.

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this." 

~Terry Pratchett

(RIP Terry Pratchett)

life's a journey.  enjoy the ride.

laura

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

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

f u n g i

by  now you know

i'm alive & well.

it's been over a year since i posted...

(excluding my 'test' post a couple of days ago)

and since i visited any other blogs.

SO
here i am,

easing my way back into blogland.

thought i'd start off with one of my favorite things... 

FUNGI!

it's been a little on the cool side here in north florida.
(this past month it's gotten down to the low 20's at night!!
there have been times when the temp barely reached 40°F during the day!)

no lizards, bugs, snakes...they're all hiding, waiting for the warmer sunny days.

even the birds are scarce.


otis (1 ½ yrs old now) likes to follow me around

while searching for...well...anything!

we both decided it was a fungus kind of day!

stay cool & be safe
laura

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”

~Albert Einstein

...testing...

it's been a long time.
more than a year!
we moved more north in florida...but now we are back
to our humble, comfortable home.
aaaaaaah. home sweet home.
where i can wander out back...
in the woods...or across the street in the wooded field.

i'm going to work my way back into blogland.
yes, i finally got a 'smart' phone...which is why this is a test. i hope this works! fingers crossed...
then i can do either phone or comp.

so...i'll attach 2 pictures & see how it goes.
(fluffy otis up a tree & a big skull i found over the weekend)

in the meantime...
be safe. stay cool.
laura

sent from my...uh...phone  ~:)

ch...ch...ch...changes

so many changes.

sam & i have moved. about an hour or so drive of where we were...

to north west Lake City...right next to the tiny town of Wellborn.

there's a pond out back...Indian Pond.

and still lots of lizards, snakes...birds...AND bugs!

(well, we're still in florida...the bug capital)

why the move?

sam's boss wants him to help run the shop...he wanted him to be closer to work.

so he asked if we'd consider moving into this BIG house that the company owns.

BIG, is an understatement.

we could probably fit the trailer in here...3 times over!

emo & otis are adjusting...as are we.

otis??!!  oh yeah...a little orange striped tabby that showed up on our back porch

 about a month or so before we moved!

he is now part of the family.

more about him next time!

i'm hoping to get back in the swing of things.

settle into some kind of a routine.

but now i have the drive (to see clients)

and sam just has a fifteen minute drive to work.

that's ok...he did the drive for close to 2 years.

i'll leave you with some pictures...

old-ish...and new-ish.

(gotta get ready to run down to gainesville for appt's...

but i needed to get on here and send out an update!)

emo & otis playing

aaaaaaah...sharing!  (before the move)

the front of 'Indian Pond' house!

Indian Pond...out back...much clearing to do still!

a 'tail-gating' Red-spotted Purple

a juvenile Black Racer...by the shed out back

a Fence lizard on window screen

and...

the moon...on a cloudy night...from back in  july.

bear with me if you can.

i will not be a stranger...although i am in a starnge land.

and i am a bit strange myself.

things will fall into place...and i will start to wander blog-land again soon!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
~Albert Einstein

be safe.  stay cool.

laura