march madness
There’s a lot of spring going on. Male Robins are vying for territory, male cardinals spend the mornings chasing females, migrant birds arrive daily, a zillions piles of mud are all over the house, and landscaping is in full destruction mode. Looking forward to trading the ax for the rake soon.
(Sunday) A Praying Mantis cocoon tucked in ornamental grass. Last spring my friend Kelly, brought me praying mantis cocoons for my birthday to supplement my dwindling population. It's a gift that keeps on giving. Each egg case holds 100-200 young.
White-tailed deer (Homework time Monday)
The nice siblings cuddling... the third is a dick head with a penchant for swift kicks.
Sun over the weekend and a mix of sun, thunder storms and tornado alerts yesterday. Exciting weather means extra Eric Fisher tweets. (Piano Lesson)
What?! Rainbows too? Seems like there could be a unicorn around the next corner. Spring is great. (Dinner time)
Tyrant the red squirrel, not quite sure how to handle sharing his entrance tunnels with the newly awake ground hog.Good luck rodents.
bees
Melissa not dusting 
Nature Lover’s delight. Particular fave – Tyrant – frisky little feller!
March 13, 2012 at 8:13 am
I think you’re a week or two ahead in the spring department. LOVE the Iris!!
March 13, 2012 at 8:34 am
Just finished my morning grits and logged on to see spring in Mich. I thought it didn’t start up thar til bout June.
Y’all take care now – ya heah?
March 13, 2012 at 10:10 am
Ha ha very good Louis!
You and Rev. should give your blood pressures a break from politics every once in a while. (: It’s as ridiculous as our wildest reality tv shows.
March 13, 2012 at 9:47 pm
You are really a fantastic photographer – breathtaking – made my day (well night actually as it’s close to midnight here!)
March 13, 2012 at 10:22 am
Julie thank you for sharing your kind thoughts. I imagine it’s near impossible to calm the mind when the to do list is the never-ending kind of impossible. Yet you write and write and write. Thanks for your motivation from the other side of the world.
Speaking of other side of the world…. my spring bulbs pop a few weeks before most int he area because they face the south; our warm side. Is the north side of your garden the hot spot?
March 13, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Another fine eclectic collection, Melissa. Great closeup of the cocoon and the flowers/bees.
Happy Tuesday. :-) xo
March 13, 2012 at 10:36 am
Happy Tuesday Bob (: I was so excited to find that cocoon… I always have a hard time taking down my garden because I’m lazy AND because I don’t like the idea of destroying a cocoon.
I’m still wrapping my head around you and your bride jetting along the treacherous terrain on Big Bend for fun. You guys rock. (: xo
March 13, 2012 at 9:54 pm
Ann will chuckle when I tell her that you said that we “rock”. She will think you mean “in our rockin’ chairs?” xo
March 13, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Listen, I worked frantically all day to maneuver 20 minutes in the sun in my ROCKING CHAIR with tea. (:
Ann rocks…she’s a sucker for the written word and therefore she is endearing.
March 13, 2012 at 10:25 pm
showing my ignerence you’re the naturalist, so why you want praying mantises around so bad?
(to pray for you? that’s my department you know; and i think you need me praying you up with that, huh, harsh critique of the 3rd bambi sibling; bad girl, mommy)
love the rich colors of the flowers and killer beeze, nice.
March 13, 2012 at 6:08 pm
That dick head deer can’t be emotionally wounded by me typing the truth; therefore, I don’t see my judgement as a sin.
Killer beez (: I wish you could witness the drama around these parts sometimes…. I don’t own a macro lens and so when I take these I literally just have my lens against the bees. The flowers are outside the front door. The girls have stood behind the glass of the front door crying they’re terrified I’m going to get tragically attacked when I take these pictures every spring for the past few years. The bees are docile in our cold and only thinking of pollen. There aren’t a lot of bugs in the cold.
Hope you’re well Gpa! When is THE race?
Praying mantis are non-toxic predators of invasive insect species. They eat pest insects like Louie Lou’s Asian ladybugs and the destructive Japanese beetles I see. Praying mantids are selectively good killers AND cause a lot less cancer than spraying your lawn and garden with carcinogenic chemicals. (:
March 13, 2012 at 10:15 pm
I thought everybody loved all the little Bambis but nooooooooooo, not Melissa Not Dusting.
The footrace is less than 2 weeks, sunday may 25, whereupon I’m taking a week off to recuperate and maybe indulge myself with a hamburger, or tex mex and margarita therapy one night for sure. don’t want to get big as a whale again though; worked to hard to run it off. (Also time in College Station for more googoo over the newborn that week I’m sure.)
interesting about the praying insect, i’ll have to take some manti to Louie Louie’s Mountain cabin to do a sweep of my guest quarters and chew up the Louis Louis hair bugs before I go to bed.
Blessings, drama queen.
March 14, 2012 at 2:19 am
These are beautiful honey. Such an artistic eye! Seems as though Louis is doing a Romney imitation.
March 13, 2012 at 9:09 pm
But unlike Romney, who probably went to the bathroom to hurl those grits as soon as he escaped his unadoring fans, Louie Louie is authentic; he really does eat grits and tawks funny lak a Virginia Mountain goat. (Speaking of Mountain goats, did you notice the resemblance?)
March 13, 2012 at 10:01 pm
He is the real deal. And could use the praying mantis too!
March 13, 2012 at 10:16 pm
I love you Mom.
I’m sure, I’m sure about Louis’ impression. He is as much of a character of our beloved family cat, Louis. (:
March 13, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Tyrant trying to adapt to the ground hog fresh out of hibernation is proving to be fascinating. Thanks for stopping by.
March 13, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Melissa, the last photo is my favorite. So dainty.
March 13, 2012 at 10:28 pm
I think you’re moving straight from winter/spring into summer. What crazy weather!! Beautiful pics. Especially the deer. I miss them eating all my flowers. :-)
March 14, 2012 at 10:54 pm
There was a deer on the front porch when I came downstairs this morning (again) eating all the grape hyacinths greenery. (: It was 80 yesterday and I was sunburned- wow and what!?! Hope you and your family are well Lis!
March 15, 2012 at 6:43 am
I love the bees! You are brave to risk it! I used to live in Michigan- I miss real spring. Here it’s snow, mud, hot. No spring!
March 16, 2012 at 8:55 am
I told my girls that luckily I stopped using my pollen induced lotion weeks ago. These bees are very passive and only interested in pollen, so even when they land on you they just sniff around a bit before taking off. (: Where are you living now? I’ll check your blog. I love spring…it’s muddy, but all the change is so exciting!
March 16, 2012 at 9:55 am
Can you send me a praying mantis egg case? :-)
March 18, 2012 at 9:39 pm