I had one of those skinny critters in my fish pond today. Had my granddaughter fish it out and it had a snail in its mouth and wouldn't let go. Had her take it to the far end of the property, it will probably come back and have some baby fish for dinner. I really, really do not like snakes.

BettyC-5 wrote: ↑Thu May 04, 2023 10:00 pm I had one of those skinny critters in my fish pond today. Had my granddaughter fish it out and it had a snail in its mouth and wouldn't let go. Had her take it to the far end of the property, it will probably come back and have some baby fish for dinner. I really, really do not like snakes.

Fish ponds are snake magnets around here. My mother has a koi/goldfish pond that I used to take care of when she was out of town. There always seemed to be a water snake in the filter area. Coral snakes also hang around her pond, probably to eat the other snakes. The fish have to be constantly replenished since the snakes eat them. If it isn’t the snakes, then it’s the barred owls that get the fish.

This monarch just "hatched" this morning. The caterpillar had made the chrysalis on the side of the garage. It's in the process of drying its wings before it can fly away.

What kind of cocoon is this? It is covered with white strands of silk.

@SpookyShoe Forest tent caterpillar is my educated guess. Tis’ the season. Sure looks like the ones I have. You are 50 miles away.

My guard dog Tate keeping an eye out for danger while I chainsaw up and haul off the storm debris. He’s perhaps or more likely not perhaps not feeling contrite after going AWOL the previous night for two hours, but he did finally return after midnight, muddy and exhausted.

Baby pineapples.

Woodland creatures here don't seem to have gotten word that the health emergency is over - just saw this rabbit yesterday, still masking. Maybe waiting for the WWF fo follow the lead of the WHO.
Duly noted that the mask isn't worn correctly, but what do you expect, it's a rabbit!

Thanks a lot Bower; now this idiot is too scared to go out hunting!

LOL @JRinPA But what a great invention to keep a beagle from getting lost in the woods!

Solanum seaforthianum

Passiflora "Insipiration"---Host plant for the Gulf Fritillary

plumeria "Aztec Gold"

"Deep Silky Red" milkweed

Pink salvia, name unknown






"Hot Lips" salvia. The flower at the bottom of the second picture has its lipstick on. Cuphea "Bat Face"

Fabulous @SpookyShoe!

Catnip might be my favorite flower to grow, it is a bee festival.

I'll have to see how they hold up overtime, but this might be the greatest thing I ever done to my garden. Not professional job I know, but this entire place was covered with amaranth a week ago.
Before: After: Fruit truss and sucker growing out of a leaf branch, or vice versa.

Yeah that black plastic sure helps keep down the weeds.

That is kind of hairy for a leaf branch, but I'll take your word for it. I definitely feel that the more pruning I do, the more weird stuff I see. After pruning, the tomato plant adapts to try utilize that sun, water, and nutrients.

Lavender Cat Whiskers, a small shrub
Bee balm, a little scraggly but I pruned a nearby plant to give it more light
Summer Jewel red salvia
Plumeria
Ruellia
White crepe myrtle (dwarf)
Lizard striking a pose