deer.coolest moth. life...bone art. memorial day.

a good portion of this post was made possible by sam's expert eye for wildlife spotting.

sam...he's the one with the beard.

thanks sam.

"DEER ALERT! OUT FRONT"  sam shouts in a whisper from the front porch.

OH. i know what that means...Grab the Camera ~ Come Quick!

otis (lower right) and the visiting deer (left) were watching each other until the deer departed...

heading toward the road...and the forest/field/mud pit across the way.

*  *  *

a few days before this deer sighting...

sam spotted a "big, bright orange something or other. moth? butterfly?"

grabbed camera. ran out front.

wow. cool.

a Royal Walnut Moth!!!

the Royal Walnut or Regal Moth is a very interesting moth...

besides being awesome looking!!

as an adult (like this one), they do not eat (having virtually no mouth parts). they only live for about a week. the male spends his time searching out females & mating, the female spends her life laying eggs. the caterpillars molt 4 times...finally burrowing in the dirt, where they pupae over winter.

so very cool.

*  *  *

life.

been a little crazy lately.

my youngest son (30 yo)...you might remember my mentioning him before.

more than a year ago...was court ordered to a residential rehab program.

he's transitioned out of there. he's working. he's living with us until he finishes with his drug court obligations.

things are a bit topsy-turvy on the home front right now.

i...we...are hoping for the best. hoping that he continues on the path he is now travelling.

hoping he makes good choices.

i've been down this road with him before. many times.

maybe this time will be his life-changer.

anyway, i could go on and on...but enough of my personal sh....

just wanted to explain why i disappeared for a few weeks.

i've been a little scatter-brained...and trying to immerse myself into creativity when i can.

doing some bone art.

i finished that hog skull i posted here a little while ago.

i've also done a few "bone doodles"

*  *  *

today.

memorial day.

every day...

honor the American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

for our freedom.

remember the fallen.

stay cool.  be safe.

lk

mayday mayday

mayday!

four May Days so far.

day 1...

another first time sighting of a bird!

or maybe they were here in the past and i just never noticed them. but i doubt it.

a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers.

they were perched on high branches near a dead tree covered with woodpecker holes.

taking turns flying to...and hovering...outside one of the holes.

catching bugs i presume.

day 2...

lantana, gardenia, roses, honeysuckle, jasmine, milkweed, flowering weeds...

to name a few...are blooming!

BUTTERFLIES!!

Gulf Fritillary

Zebra Swallowtail

Zebra Swallowtail

florida's state butterfly. the Zebra Longwing

and the final butterfly...the little Phaon Crescent, where they can usually be spotted...

on the flowering 'weed'. i always knew this weed as 'beggar's tick'.

i don't pull them, even though they can be kind of annoying after the flowers turn to seed...

sticky things that cling all over your shoes, laces, clothes!

but bees & butterflies love them!  so i keep 'em!

while out there in cyberspace i found this really cool website,

where the writer talks about these weeds in one of his posts.

'shepherd's needle' is a good green. lots of nutrients! can be boiled, sauteed, steamed.

cool.  check out Florida Survival Gardening if you get a chance.

Phaon Crescent

Phaon Crescent

day 3...

yesterday...

while wandering in the field across the road, and the  (almost dried up) mud pit.

OH, mud pit? you may wonder? well, when there's a big mushy muddy area...

you can surely find some mud bogging going on. especially down here. in the south.

but i think it happens all over now.

4x4 pick-up trucks (usually) that are modified with lifted suspension & HUMUNGOUS tires...

drive their trucks as far as they can through the MUD...before getting bogged down. i guess.

sound like fun? (nah. not to me it doesn't)

i've never been to watch. but we can hear them out there after dark.

anyway...sorry...i got sidetracked.

i spotted this bird...at the mud pit.

cool reflection.

i THINK it's a Solitary Sandpiper. 

next sighting...

brace yourself...for the creeps. 

can you tell what it is? 

here...i'll zoom in...

yep!  creeped out??!

a nest of baby spiders!!!!!

yikes!

OK.

lastly...i found some snake BONES in the field!!  yeah!

lately, i've been making all sorts of things out of snake vertebrae.

here's a sampling of earrings & necklace i've made.

i know...this BoNE stuff isn't for everyone.

some might be just as creeped out by the bones, as with the spiders. 

oh well. i am crazy for bones!

day 4...

this post was way longer than intended.

i'm trying to keep them shorter.

TRYING.

but a lot has happened so far in May.

have a good week.

be safe.

laura

*Publish*