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You are here: Home / Archives for insects

Insect Life in the Garden

June 13, 2019 at 10:54 am by Claudia

On yarrow.

On the clematis.

On catmint.

On Solomon’s Seal.

You know that I love to take photos of insect life in the garden. Sometimes I deliberately focus on the bug. Sometimes, as in the case of the clematis, I have no idea there is a bug there until I look at the photo on my computer. I love surprises like that.

I spent some time walking around the gardens taking pictures yesterday, in between yanking weeds, watering plants, and repotting the monstera plant in the living room (with Don’s help, that baby is big!)

It’s raining here today, an all-day-long steady rain. Looks like we’ll be indoors for the day. I’m debating cleaning the bathroom – well, not debating that one, it needs it – and cleaning out my dresser drawers, which are so stuffed with clothing that I can’t fit everything in there. We have one dresser each (Don’s suffers from the same malady) and one small closet that we share. That hearkens back to yesterday’s topic and walk-in closets. Never had one. And yes, I’d like a bigger closet. But it ain’t gonna happen.

Heck, we were just happy to have a half-bath upstairs right outside the door to our bedroom when we bought this cottage. In the rental we lived in for our first four years out east, having to go to the bathroom during the night required walking down the stairs, then through the living room, dining room, kitchen and laundry room until we reached the tiny bathroom at the back of the house. Try staying sleepy during that trek. It was bad enough 18 years ago, but now that we’re – ahem – older, the amount of travel that we would have to undertake during the night would be a giant pain in the tush.

I love tiny houses, but the thought of sitting up in bed, crawling backwards to the ladder-like steps, climbing down – visiting the bathroom – then climbing up again, and crawling (literally) back into bed is too much for this girl. That’s a young person’s game.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: bees, flowers, garden, insects 26 Comments

Horses, a Caterpillar & Comments

October 11, 2016 at 9:28 am by Claudia

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I want to take a moment to apologize. Not for my posts about this election – I stand by them – but for my response to some of the commenters. This election has made me angry in a deeply despairing part of my heart. You know how I feel, so I don’t have to re-state it here. But I am  angry and afraid and that, I fear, had an effect on a few of my replies. Instead of responding as I usually do, I lost some of the grace that I hope normally infuses this blog and my writing. I got defensive. That is never a good place to come from when responding to someone.

I am someone who will fight for what I believe is right and speak out. In this particular election year, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t speak out. But I’m also someone who is a ‘people pleaser’ (both Don and I suffer from that syndrome) and am conflict-averse. How do I balance all of that? Sometimes gracefully, sometimes not.

I went back into the comments last evening and edited some of those replies. You as readers certainly have a right to disagree; we’ve had many lively discussions on this blog during the past 8½ years. (I hope you receive updated comment replies in your email? I’m not sure if you do.) I’ve always kept comments open and have replied to each and every one of them. I’m proud of that, especially considering there are many bloggers who don’t reply and/or don’t allow comments – particularly on a post that might be controversial.

If I turned off comments for a certain post, readers would be upset. If I, as I did only once in the history of this blog, say that I don’t want to read any negative comments on that particular day (which certainly is my right) then some readers get upset about that. I can’t please everyone, nor will I try. But I certainly can make amends for a less than graceful response.

I’m sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings or appeared uncaring. I can assure you, I am not. Don knows these things stay with me and bother me for days, and sure enough, I was awake before 5 am this morning…worrying. He always offers wise counsel, my husband. I don’t know what I’d do without him.

I’ve said what I have to say about that man who is running for President. I don’t think I need to say more.

I’m moving on.

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Look who I found on the picnic table yesterday.

This is a White Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar. There have been quite a few rumors floating around that these guys are poisonous. They’re not, but touching them can cause a physical reaction. Most everyone who touches them gets a rash that itches and stings. Others experience a more severe reaction and have to see a doctor. The hairs are connected to poison glands (according to Snopes, who debunked the more extreme claims about this caterpillar) and release a venom when touched.

Of course, I knew nothing about this until I researched it. Luckily, I didn’t touch him, just the leaf behind him.

They like nut trees and we have a young shag hickory on the property, as well as a couple of black walnut trees.

I wonder if he’s still out there this morning?

Oh goodness, it got very cold overnight and we had a frost warning. I was, of course, worried about the plants that are still blooming. When I woke up, I saw that the water in the birdbath had frozen and immediately looked at the morning glory and moonflower vines. They seem to be okay, which is a relief, especially since it isn’t going to remain this cold.

We took a long trail walk yesterday. There are two horses along the way that belong to a man who lives along the rail trail. Don called him the other day to ask if it was okay for us to feed them an apple and some carrots when we see them. Yes, he said.

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This is Ashley. She’s the elder of the two. Pliers, the other horse, is her son.

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This is Pliers. I fed Ashley yesterday and Don fed Pliers.

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They need a good grooming, but it’s not our place to do that.

When I was a kid, my grandfather had horses. I’ve always loved them, though I would never claim to be an equestrian or a horsewoman. There are a couple of other horses along the trail, as well, but they are usually so far back in their paddock that we can only see them from a distance. There are also locals who ride their horses on the trail and we love seeing them. Such beauties they are!

Sob. My Red Sox were swept by the Cleveland Indians.

But we’re also cheering for the Cubs. Come on Cubs!

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

Filed Under: animals, blogging, hiking, insects 64 Comments

Nature Day

August 20, 2016 at 10:03 am by Claudia

Yesterday will now be called Nature Day.

Morning found us outside standing near the Funky Patio (dubbed Funky Patio in 2010 when we threw it together on a whim) watching an Eastern Swallowtail butterfly float, fly, hover and circle the maple tree. He landed on the poison ivy leaves, on the leaves of other non-flowering plants, obsessively circling and landing as if he was absolutely sure that these plants held nectar of some kind. I kept saying “No. That’s not going to work. Go to the phlox.” But still he circled. At times, his circle widened and he came very near us as we stood absolutely still. This went on for at least ten minutes. Magical.

Then I spied this on the section of picket fence that functions as a door on our front porch.

8-20 stickbugs2

Two Stick Bugs, or Walking Sticks, one much smaller than the other, which led me to believe – in my naiveté – that one was the mom and the other was a baby. Off to Google I went, looking up Stick Bugs. Nope. Babies don’t hang around moms. In fact, moms drop eggs hither and yon and don’t stay with them.

No. My second instinct was the right one. They are mating. And, according to Wikipedia, this ‘mating’ can take quite a while. Days. If you were able to be on the porch looking downward on the bugs, you’d see that the little one is hooked around the big one near the bottom. In fact, if you look closely here, you can see it.

8-20 stickbugsmating

They were there last night. I haven’t been outside yet this morning to see if they’re still at it.

Then we took a mile and a half walk on the Rail Trail.

Then, I saw this beauty on the butterfly bush:

8-20 frittilary1

8-20 frittilary2

It’s a Great Spangled Fritillary – which has to be my favorite butterfly name of all time.

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8-20 frittilary4

All in all, a lovely Nature Day.

Not one bird in the birdbath yesterday. I fear we’ve reached that time in the late summer when they begin to take off for other climes. I miss them. Henry? Who knows where he is? Bunnies? Not a one. But the mourning doves are still hanging around. Thank goodness.

Some of you saw the comment from my reader April Baldwin yesterday. I had mentioned the fire that destroyed the home of our dear friends earlier this week. Well, April – who lives with her daughter and son-in-law in Northern California – lost her home to a fire this week. A fire that was started by an arsonist. They also lost their four cats in the fire when rescuers couldn’t get to them.

Words fail me at times like this. What can I say that is even remotely helpful or soothing or caring? My heart goes out to this friend who has lost everything. Sending prayers and love and a hope for healing to you and yours April. And thank you to those commenters who reached out to April on yesterday’s post.

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: butterfly, insects, nature 30 Comments

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Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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