Summer Is Here

We dont care WHAT the calendar says, its SUMMER!.  We know, cuz the weerd bugs are around...

We dont even want ta PLAY with that thing...

Garden Tour Thursday

AYLA:   I asked Iza iffen I could show the plants on the deck, since thats where I spend most of MY time outside, and she said that seemed good. 

The planter pot plants are starting ta fill in and bloom.  This one of Pinwheel Zinnias have many colors.  Two different yellows, an orange, a red, and on the left is a cream, but its not blooming right now.  But there are lots of buds, so it should really look good soon!

The middle pot here has Caladiums and Yellow Marigolds.  The smaller pots have Orange Zinnias.

These Yellow Zinnias were blooming when planted, but when they got put in real dirt, they switched over ta getting bigger.  Which is good, cuz now they have lots of buds all over.  

These are a differnt Yellow Zinnia.  They are growing lots, too!

The Marigolds all seem a bit sprawly, but iffen they all drape over the sides, that should like nice eventually.

Our funny tomato plant is growing and there is even the first little tomato starting.  The flowers are Orange Zinnias, but there is 1 Red Salvia in the middle that will get taller.

This is another Caladium pot with Marigolda draping over the sides.  That curly thing is the watering hose.  It is easier ta drag around the deck than a regular one, and it kinna puts itself away when not in use.  TBT read about those an some had problems with leaks, but he saw which one Home Depot was using and figured they would know which kind was best!

IZA:   Well, pretty good job, Ayla, Thank You!  Now lets go out in the yard and look around...

The Black-Eyed Susans are doing nicely.  They are native here, so they are used ta the droughts and heat.  You'll see patches of them scattered around the yard.  TBT dint plant them all over, they just find the spots they like best.  Smart plants!

 Next ta them are 2 Star-Gazer Lilies.  This one is fragrant, so TBT has them next to a path.

This is a pretty sight.  Black-Eyed Susans growing up through our Nip Patch!  

This funny thing is a Crocosmia.  The flowers are small, but the plants are finally spreading and they dont need any care.

The Impatiens are starting ta bloom and fill in...

And next ta them are Coleus.  They are filling in, too.  They and the Impatiens are under the shade of the deck.  AND they get extra water from when the deck pots above are watered.  They like staying moist.

 They are really fancy seen close up like this!

And I have a couple of insects ta show...

The Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are enjoying the Butterfly Bushes.  There are lots of small orangish ones I think are called Painted Ladies, too.

This is just a picture TBT took earlier today (because they have certainly moved away by now), but I wanted ta include it cuz we might see some around during the tour.  But they probably wont be doing THIS!

TBT saw the large Praying Mantis walking over some viny plant, and THEN he noticed the smaller one following it around.  The larger one is probably a female and the smaller one a male.  So he stopped ta watch cuz he thought they were gonna mate and he had never seen THAT before. 

They kinna act like some spiders do.  They mate and then sometimes the female eats the male afterwards as a big protein boost fer her ta develop her eggs.  This male dint even get THAT chance though.  Apparently she wasnt in the mood.  She just pounced him and started eating.  He seemed really unhappy about that!

Well, I like a nice crunchy buggy now and then, too.

Speaking of food, lets go up on the deck now that it is shady and have some snacks.  We are keeping it simple this time.  We have minced chicken breast and water with Nip leafs crushed in it.  And of course, there is fresh Nip at the bottom of the deck stairs.  Feel free...

Thanks for coming on my our Garden Tour!

Easy Like Sunday

But differnt!  We all gathered around the toy chest very early this morning (but not fer the toys).

We were bug-hunting!!!

 TBT never could find it, but it was obvious ta him there was SOMETHING there.

But we lost track of it too.  It just vanished an we couldnt even SNIFF it out.  TBT thinks it was an ant, but we wouldnt bother with one of those.   We sniffed the trail it left carefully, but we figure it flew away (which is pretty hard to sniff out).

It wasnt a Bad Bug.  We would have tole TBT iffen it was.  Dont tell TBT but it was a Stink Bug...  They get inside here sometimes.  It will fly ta one of the ceiling lights and dry up, so there is no problem.

Freaky Friday

AYLA:  TBT says my efforts to catch insects on the outside of the deck door is "freaky"!  I call it "practice".  But Iza and especially Marley say Im a bit freaky about it and HIS opinion matters to me a lot.  So I'll worry about THAT tomorrow.

KATYDIDS!  I LOVE them.  They are jumpy, chompy, an colorful.  I seldom see them outside, so I gotta try and catch them when I DO see them!  I don't care if I cant catch them when inside, I just HAVE to go after them.

Iza (and even Marley) are just mostly jealous cuz I can stand up like this.

Even bendy-over whappin the glass...

But I have to follow the katydid down the glass.

Not a flatterin pose, but TBT admired how I can do the whippy-tail an not move the rest of me.  So I allowed it.  My whippy-tail is a important part of me.

The katydid crawled into a, um, bar on the door.  I am showin ya where it is.  See the distance between my ears.  Now look that far more down.  Its a pale green angle-thingie.  Did I get myself positioned right fer that TBT?  Yes?  Good.  Ears are good ta measure with fer the camera.

Now its moved farther over.  Oh now theres a moth to look at too.  

Oh no, come back katydid, I dint mean to ignore ya fer the moth!  Come back.

Drat, no more katydid.  I insulted it by moth-distraction...  *sigh*

Buggy Friday

MARLEY:  I GOT one!  A BIG one too...

Ya see, we were all outside, an Iza and I heard some buzzing sound among some old dry leafs.  We both went ta investigate.

The buzzin sound kept movin around under the dry leafs.

I finally saw it an scooped it RIGHT out.

After a few good biteys, it stopped buzzin so much.  Its wings felt really funny vibratin around my lips though!!!

TBT called it a cicada.  He says it was "late to the party" this year.  Huh, did we miss a party?  But I had fun batting it around and havin everyone watchin me play with it. 

Even Ayla was watching me!

Garden Tour Thursday

MARLEY:  Oh boy, I get ta do the garden tour this week!   And this week, it WILDLIFE!!!

First is my favrit.  Its an ant lion pit.  The ant lion hides in the bottom and waits fer an ant to fall over the edge.  And when it cant climb out, the ant lion GRABS it an pulls it unner the dirt!  Is that COOL or what?

This neat guy hovers like a hummerbird, looks like a bee, but its a moth.

We dont know what this is, but its big and looks fierce...

Speaking of fierce, this snakie is getting warm on the storm drain grate an waitin fer a frog to come along.  Its small but I wouldnt get TOO close.

We got 3 goldfishies in the pond ta prettify it.  Theyve been in there since Ayla moved here.  And NO, we dont eat the decorations!

And finally, we have frogs in the pond.  They make funny noises , especially when snakie grabs them...  But theres always more frogs.

Ayla is wavin an saying our snacks are up on the deck.  We have crumbled meatloaf!  And chicken kibble for those more tradionally oriented...  Olus Ayla has made Meowgaritas and there is Nip leafs fer appetizers.

Thank you so much fer coming ta visit...

Garden Tour Thursday

IZA:  Its Garden Tour Thursday again!  But this time, the flowers are about the same as last time (annuals are like that, and no perennials are blooming right now).  So I am showing off the "flying flowers" today.

The yellow flutterbies are all over the, um, flutterby bushes.  Notice the orangish one in the background though.

And there is this weerd moth what LOOKS like a bee and ACTS like a flutterby.

We mostly have the big yellow flutterbies around

More yellow ones.  There are large black ones, but they get spooked when we come near.  And there are LOTS of little orangy/black ones all over the place, but they are shy.

As best I can count (which is difficult enough with UNMOVING things), there are usually about 5 of the big yellow ones to one of the big black ones to about 20 of the little ones.  And about 3 of those weerd hummermoths...

Since the weather is pretty nice, I thought mebbe we should all go over to the large bare dirt area and roll around.  TBT is bringing out lighter fare today.  There is Eukanuba chicken kibble, chick-hen juice, and water with crushed Nip leafs.  I told TBT to make it light today, as I've read many kitties are on diets.  But we have lots of tiny crickets around on the lawn as snacks for those with bigger appetites.

And, of course, annykitty who finds a vole is more than welcome to it...

Marley's Cricket

AYLA: I am SO relieved!  There wasnt a cricket to be found in the house annywhere, not even in the garage.  TBT says he hasnt heard a cricket in the house all year, and come to think of it, I havent either.

So I was very thrilled when Eric and Flynn offerred to teleport a few over from England.  They arrived in a small box at my ESS.  Well, big fat GRASSHOPPERS arrived.  Thats even BETTER!  Marley's idea of "cricket" is kinna vague; iffen its a hoppy bug, its a "cricket".  So Marley was thrilled with them, and we all had one each (leaves a extra one fer Marley fer later).

Which also meant I could finally get some undisturbed rest after all my cricketless hunting efforts!

Oh, Look!

TBT noticed us staring intently out the deck door yesserday evening.  What do you suppose we were lookin at?

Was it:

1.  A Hummerbird
2.  A Bug
3.  A Skwerl

?

?

?

?

It was a Big Bug!  It jus kept walkin round an round and round the hummerbird feeder. 

 And round and round and round...

Silly bug!