My family sends me texts asking me plant questions. What is this plant? Where can I find this plant? Should I cut back this plant? When can you go with me to buy plants? Etc. And I answer them all as best I can. Occasionally, I'll get a text asking me about something garden related, that isn't about plants. Like back in late August when my older sister found this bat sleeping during the day by the door they use to go in and out of the house with their dogs all day … [Read more...] about Bats
Animals
Toad-Da, Toad-ay’s Post
I happened to walk into my house via my garage last night and as I punched in the code on the opener, I looked down and there she was, sitting on top of a rabbit statue. "What is that?" I thought. A leaf? A chunk of dirt? Random litter? None of those. A toad! Anaxyrus americanus! A symbol of good luck, good fortune, good health, and prosperity! Good grief! Where does Toadianna (yes, I've named her) live during the day? How did she get here? What does she eat? Where is … [Read more...] about Toad-Da, Toad-ay’s Post
Wildlife Living the Wild Life, In My Garden
As I stepped off the front porch and onto the front walk, I heard the fluttering of wings and looked over at the large spruce just in time to see... A large bird—a hawk, an owl?—fly off and around the corner of the house. He or she had been sitting in the spruce, patiently waiting for dinner to arrive in the form of one of the little birds who come to my feeders. Then I saw all the feathers in the lawn and realized this wasn't this hawk-owl's first meal at my feeders. And now the … [Read more...] about Wildlife Living the Wild Life, In My Garden
A Whodunit Mystery in My Garden
It's that time of year when I usually discover the one Easter egg that no one found on Easter. But this year, I didn't discover it. Instead I saw the sparkle of the candy wrapper and thought it was just a piece of trash leftover from Easter... until I saw the open egg and the four quarters left on the ground nearby. This means someone(thing) else discovered it! Who? Let's examine the evidence so far! Whoever or whatever does not care a wit for money. They left the … [Read more...] about A Whodunit Mystery in My Garden
What Covers, Yet Reveals?
I thought I'd start out with a little riddle today. What covers, yet reveals? The answer is in the picture. It's snow. Snow covers the ground, yet reveals who's running around in my garden. The other morning we had just enough snow for a raccoon to reveal itself as it ran around in my front garden. Raccoons I have little use for raccoons. They eat my sweet corn and pawpaws right before I'm ready to pick them for myself. They leave gigantic piles of poo along the side of my house. And … [Read more...] about What Covers, Yet Reveals?