Secrets of the Forest



I used to enjoy going hiking with my family when I was a kid. I learned a lot about the forest and its inhabitants. Even in the cities there is lots of nature. Not only exhaust and hectic. You just have to look for it and create an environment in your living space where Mother Nature can show its wonders.

And don't forget to look up to the sky!

You never know what is happening above you. This is a shot of an osprey gliding along looking for his next meal.





You can click on the image to see a bigger image of the Osprey.

Then again, there are things looking down at us too.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

My favourite special friends. Toads and Frogs

When we moved from the city into the country it was a big pleasant change.  My very first experience was kind of weird for city folks, even though I am not one at heart.

I came back from work and wanted to use the bathroom.  I lift the toiletseat and what do I see?  This big pile of you know what I thought.  I am just about to accuse my husband of forgetting to flush, when this thing moved.  It was a big fat toad the size of my hand.  I couldn't believe it.  I nearly sat on this thing.  Well.  Wondering how it got in there, I had to get it out of there.  It wasn't hard.  I had some rubber gloves and just grabbed it and carried it outside.  What a creature!  How did it get there?  I still don't know.

Ever since I met these things in all sizes outside.  Tiny little babies the size of the tip of my little finger, big fat ones the size of my hand.

Last week I had a visitor right in front of our newly build deck in the new flowerbed.  It must have liked the mulch and used it as bedding.  It is amazing how they blend in.  I was doing some weeding and watering.  Nearly gave it a good bath.  When I noticed it I left that section alone.  Totally cozy in its bed the size of my hand.  It wiggled itself in there.  I called it Dr. Bernstein.  He stuck around, didn't seem to go anywhere for days.  Then once I found him at the other end of the flowerbed in front of the deck.  Yet, he went back to sleep in the same spot he was before.  He stuck around for a few more days.








 


I am going to post some more toad images later. I love to have them around.  After all they also eat mosquitos. YEAH.


     



Praying Mantis

Secret Cottage Garden: Praying Mantis

Frankie - goes to Hollywood



Its another sunny day out here in the hills.  I love the warmth of the sun today, even though normally I stay in the shade.  Its just right out there. Comfortable.  I will dedicate some time to weeding later. After the rainshowers we had, some of them thought they had a free pass to my garden.

The one recent experience I would like to share today is Frankie, as I named it.  I looked up at the siding of our house a couple of weeks ago and wondered. What is this?  It looked like a stick and it had legs.  Cute as a button it was to me.  I wanted to pick it up, but then again I didn't want to hurt it.  So I just watched it for a long time.  It was a stick insect.



 

Its long legs, even the colours in these thin legs were totally cool to see.  He kept walking on the siding, took a break, kept walking a bit.  He was still there until we went to bed.  I even went out with the flashlight at night to check on him.  He was still there.

Next day though he was gone.  But just yesterday my husband noticed him again on the siding during the day.  I guess Frankie didn't go to Hollywood, but he seems to stick around.  Is that what sticks do?

Of course now I am constantly keeping my eyes open for more stick insects, but so far Frankie is a loner.  Check out LizandProfessor's blog for another kind of stick story.


Liz and the Professor: Walkingsticks and My Coffee

Liz and the Professor: Walkingsticks and My Coffee

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