stubborn 'possum, larvae & lubbers

for months we knew something was living under the trailer.

every night around 10:00 we could hear movement down there.

sometimes it sounded like something was trying to come up through the in-floor A/C vents.

we figured it must be a 'possum.

i hoped it was a 'possum...and not a monster boa constrictor...

or some other creature with beady eyes, long talons and big sharp teeth!

we finally decided to set up the (have-a-heart) live trap.

it took a few nights...but finally mr. 'possum's nose led him to some yummy smelling cat food!

poor opossum.

we hated to have to relocate him...

but we gave him plenty of time to move out on his own.

time to take action, before he tears into all the duct work down there.

bye-bye 'possum

(one of the most misunderstood & unappreciated critters)

sam took him up the road to a nice woodsy area...

where he moseyed away to find a new home.

*   *   *

i spotted some larvae this week. cool looking larvae.

finally ID'ing  them...i thought i'd share them here in case you happen to see the same.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail larva  (POOP goes the larva!)

the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail with 2 false eyespots to scare away predators

Eastern Tiger Swallotail

NEXT...

Pipevine Swallowtail larva

Pipevine Swallowtail

AND...

Red-spotted Purple larva

Red-spotted Purple butterfly

*   *   *

with all the rain we've been having lately...

the smart little Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers

are staying high & dry!!

young Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers

*   *   *

well, that was a look into a few little things from this past week.

anole with a bit of shedding stuck to his head

have a good one.

be safe.

laura

love...is in the air - - - spring has sprung.

just the other day,

i opened the front door...stepped onto the porch, camera in hand...

i spotted this anole proudly displaying his dewlap.

aaaaah. love. he spotted a female.

they ran towards each other...

for an afternoon quickie. very quick.

today is the (official) first day of spring. (here in the U.S. anyway)

it may not FEEL like spring in some places...

but here, in north florida, the temp has reached into the low 80's.

some flowers are blooming...and a few butterflies are out and about!

spring has sprung.

a bromeliad bloom

spicebush swallowtail on azalea bush

mini daffodils blooming

a red-spotted purple

a cinnamon fern getting ready to unfurl

dragonfly

flatwoods plum

that's it for now.  catch ya' later.

"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day." 

~W. Earl Hall

life's a journey. enjoy the ride.

laura

(hmmm. for some reason when i hit 'publish', this post didn't show in feed.
so i reverted it to draft.  will try to publish again. if it still doesn't make it
into the feed...hopefully it will be found...and not lost in space!)  :)

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

blue moon. RattlerHeronDragonButterHopperHawk.

once in a blue moon...you just might see a blue moon.

i thought i should probably save this for a 'friday's fringe' morph picture...

but i didn't want to wait that long.

here's the original. taken last night, 8.31.12  at  8:55pm

(i DID give a wink to Neil A.)

plumbago blooming in yard!!

last weekend was kind of crazy. and a little heart-thumping.

sam looked out the back door and saw milo in a stand-off with a snake.

we have lots of snakes around here, but this was the first time i'd seen a

Diamondback Rattler this close to home.

this big.  and in the yard.

milo and the rattler standing their ground.

un-moving.

without getting too close...sam got rid of the rattler and scared milo away.

she's such a brave...and hard headed...cat.

no matter how many times i tell her...

"stay away from the snakes with the big triangular heads!!" 

it go in one ear, and out the other!

it's nice to have that zoom option on your camera.

of course after seeing this big fat rattler...i'm a little more leery of wandering in the woods out back.

from now on i'll always wear my boots! and carry a big stick.

gardenia blooming in yard!  yummy scent!

last weekend, before the milo & snake thing...

sam and i rode the 4-wheeler across the street, into the field.

no special reason...just to feel the breeze and explore.

sometimes i find bones. not this trip though.

the 'mud pit' had water in it due to all the recent rain.

this is the first time i've seen a Little Blue Heron!!

(right?  you birders out there...is my ID correct?)

we were half expecting to see another Rattler over there, but we didn't.

there were so many dragonflies...some were BRIGHT red!!

unfortunately...they were just way too fast...by the time i zoomed in...poof! gone!

but i did get one of the dragonflies in another part of the field.

away from the water...where they don't dart around so fast.

on our way back home...a grasshopper doing stretches in the vines along the trail (see his back leg?)

back home...

a Red-Spotted Purple on the old hummer feeder.

another dragonfly...

and a Red-shouldered Hawk...hanging out in a tree.

if you're lucky enough to have monday off...for Labor Day...have a relaxing time!

and if you're working...well, i hope your work hours go quick...and your off hours, slow!

thanks for stopping by!

stay cool. be safe.

laura

native blooms & critters...

 

my 'ironweed' is blooming!  yay!

it's a florida native...and over the past few years, i've decided to treat my

gardens with a 'survival of the fittest' attitude.  

i used to cover everything in the winter 

when it dropped to freezing or below.  not anymore. 

when i'm looking for a plant or two to add to the yard,

i now tend to go for native...the ones that can survive the summer & winter

on their own...plants that will invite butterflies 

and provide food for caterpillars.

 

'red spotted purple'

  

blue-eyed grass

if it's a native...

then it's sure to attract all the little local critters!

 'long tailed skipper'

 'anole'

black-eyed susan

 if it's a weed...if it has little flowers...

if those flowers attract the butterflies...then it stays!

 

'gulf fritillary'

the native plants help to conserve water once established...

and they provide food & shelter for all the little critters.

 the magical dragonfly

 

'buckeye'

of course,  if you have the butterflies...then chances are...

there's a caterpillar or two hanging out somewhere nearby!

 

above: 'checkered skipper' caterpillar

below: a 'checkered skipper'

beauty berry

 

a  'fiery skipper'

'hackberry'

 

i hate to leave a question mark here...but i searched...and can't be sure!

maybe...an 'army worm' caterpillar?

 

 

'clouded skipper'

butterflyweed

'gulf fritillary'

 oOo

well, that's a wrap!

 

literally.

some thing has rolled itself up in a fern leaf...and it looks as though

it's about ready to unroll...and fly...

have a safe journey & enjoy the ride!

laura

preview...next time...

crystal rainbows

 

and a BIG THANK YOU to

 lorna @ Artymess

AND

 

cindy @ Bug Safari

oh, and maybe some spiders and mushrooms and owls,

OH MY!

gotta get to an early appointment...will play catch-up later!
:) lk