Nature at Its Best

Vegetable Basket by lalagniappe

Despite the dry spring, our vegetable garden is growing quite nicely.  We redid the watering system and replaced the spray hoses with drip hoses so that now the water stays in the garden where it’s needed.  We also added several large pots and 2 of those “as seen on TV”, Topsy Turvy planters along the outside of the garden to utilize some wasted space.

The chicken manure from our 4 hens has helped produce giant squash and pumpkin plants.  In fact I don’t ever remember growing such large ones.  We picked 3 zucchini squash already.  The beans, tomatoes and peppers have flowers and fruit and the 4 mirliton vines are doing well.

Juicy Tomatoes by lalagniappe

Speaking of tomatoes Micki_G has written some great lenses about growing tomatoes, as well as some others about gardening.  If you want to Grow Great Tomatoes in Pots! “Secret Potting Formula”, then you should check out her purple star lens.  Also, don’t miss Tomato Planting and Growing Tips.  You’ll be the star gardener of the neighborhood if you follow her tips.

We had to remove a few tomato horn worms from our tomato plants and the chickens have disposed of them for us.  We feed the hens the weeds that we pull, too, and they reward us by providing protein filled organic eggs for our table.  The king snake, lizards, birds and toads are helping to take care of some of the other critters.  We are following the practices of Sustainable Gardening and it’s working well.

So how does your garden grow?

How will you celebrate Earth Day, or will you?

When we were younger, and lived in Baton Rouge, we enjoyed attending the organized Earth Day celebrations.  They are great events where you can learn about new earth friendly techniques.  The Forestry Department always gave away little packets of hardy native trees that would provide food for the wildlife and help reduce flooding if planted in low areas.

The Bayou Bluebird Society usually manned a booth which showed how to build a bluebird house and gave out information about the life cycle and habits of bluebirds.  There were even color sheets for the kiddies and free bluebird houses or tee shirts with a paid membership.

These days, we celebrate by doing something for the environment in our own backyard.  This Earth Day, we will plant a few fruit bearing or flowering native plants and vegetables in our sustainable garden and habitat.  We’ll give the chickens some extra treats and change the hummingbird feeders.

Save the Insects Hat by naturegirl7

We firmly believe that Earth Day should be every day and that it should start with the individual.  If everyone does just a few “green” things around their own home and neighborhoods each week, the benefits will be enormous.

So we urge you to continue being green, and if you’re not, then do just one green thing this Earth Day.

Sustainable Gardens T-Shirt by naturegirl7

When the warm weather rolls around, most people do spring cleaning or plant a garden.  They dust off the white sandals and get out their spring clothes.  We do those things, too, and they are not so bad, but one of our spring rituals is not one we look forward to.  It’s one that we put off until there is no way to avoid it.  Have you guessed it yet?  ….. It’s shaving 2nd Chance, our maladjusted Cocker Spaniel.

We first tried getting the Vet to do it (because groomers wouldn’t touch him).  The Vet had to give him anesthesia and one time when an emergency came in, it wore off and they had a really pissed off little dog confined in the bathroom of their office.  After anesthesia, he’d come home and act like he did when we first rescued him from 8 months of solitary confinement in a small cage.

Finally, we decided to do it ourselves, so the Vet, bless his soul, got us a super shaver that was designed for horses and plenty of doggy tranquilizer pills.  We already had a muzzle.

Here he is a few days before we decided that it was time.  No, that’s not a baby brown bear or a miniature Sheep Dog, it’s a Cocker Spaniel.  A couple of times each year, we prepare for battle.  We give 2nd Chance a couple of mild tranquilizers & wait for him to relax.  Then Al sits in a chair outside on the patio and we put a small ottoman in front of him.  All our tools have been set out.  After we get the muzzle on the dog, Al holds him on the ottoman and the battle begins.

The shaver is over a foot long and cuts through most of the thick fur, but not all of the mats.  2nd Chance squirms and jumps and growls and tries to bite every now and then, but he’s much better than when we first started.  Back then he would get so worked up and mad that we thought he was going to pass out.   Now he accepts most of it until you try to do the ears or the head.

After we get all we can with the clippers, we continue the attack on the really tough mats with scissors.  The whole time we are fighting with this dog, I’m trying to remember how we saved him and convince myself that he needs us, etc.  When the job is done, he looks and feels better and we are totally exhausted and must all go inside to rest. Though there are still some rough spots, that must be dealt with later, it is good enough for him to feel more comfortable in the Louisiana heat.

The things we endure for our pets… I just wish 2nd Chance were a bit more appreciative and would stop playing rooster at the crack of dawn each day.  If you’d like to meet the rest of our menagerie (they are all much sweeter), then visit Our Pets’ Stories .

Oh and to show you that 2nd Chance has his moments, here’s a picture of him at his best.

Chance Relax by tiger45

You know spring is here when the Ruby-throated hummingbirds return from their wintering grounds in Mexico.  The males arrived at our place on March 13th and just like clock work, the first female was seen exactly 2 weeks later on March 27th.  Let the breeding season begin!

Hummer Nest Postcard by naturegirl7

A hummingbird’s nest is a work of art in miniature.  This walnut sized creation of woven plant down and spider webs is “decorated” with lichen to camouflage it.  If you are lucky enough to find one, it’s usually because you were very observant and watched a female return to the same spot in a tree or bush.  Even when you know a nest is there, it’s hard to see.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds usually nest near water and often on a small branch overhanging water.  Since we have water on 3 sides of our property, you’d think that in the 15 years that we’ve been here, that we would have found a nest… NOT!  However, we have been lucky to have a few good friends that have and they invited us over to see and photograph theirs.

Some people are blessed to find a hummingbird nest right on their back porch (so to speak).  bakerwoman, who is new to Squidoo, has shared her experiences of Hummingbirds growing up in my garden, complete with great pictures of the little baby jewels.  Oh, I wish we could be so lucky.   You’ll enjoy this delightful story as you watch the baby hummingbirds grow, flex their wings and finally leave the nest.  I’m going to plant some geraniums in a couple of my hanging baskets right now.

Hummingbird and his flowers by naturegirl7

If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden and you’d like some suggestions about which plants they use, then you may enjoy our lens, Hummingbirds and Gardening for them.  You’ll find plant lists, information about hummingbirds and plenty of photographs.

Now, I must get back out in the garden.  It’s a beautiful spring day and my plants are calling me.

Spring is here in the south and the birds are busy staking out territories, finding mates and building nests.  Males take the lead in this dance.  They put on their finest feathers and sing their best songs from the highest point in the territory that they have chosen.  Females are attracted to the most beautiful male with the best voice who would add the most to the gene pool by producing strong, healthy young.

Northern Mockingbird Wildlife Postcards by VermontMooments

In most species of birds, the male is brightly colored and the female is clothed in shades of brown so that she blends into the landscape while she spends weeks sitting on the nest.  However in some bird species, like the Mockingbird, males and females are difficult to tell apart, except for the fact that the male sings.  As K_Linda in her lens  The Mockingbird tells us, male Mockingbirds have remarkable voices and can mimic many other birds and sounds.   Unattached males will often sing at night.  Mockingbirds are also staunch defenders of their nest and young and will attack any creature which they feel is threatening.  K_Linda has written a delightful and informative lens about this unique bird that is another example of Nature at Its Best.

Mockingbird Postcard by lisawilliamsgifts

If you’re in the mood for spring and the weather is not cooperating, then stop by Naturally Native Squids Headquarters and browse the hand picked nature lenses written by more great lensmasters (like K_Linda) that are grouped there.  You won’t be sorry that you made the trip.

It’s funny how little pleasant things can help you get through really tough situations in your life.

Some of you may know that before Thanksgiving my husband went into the hospital with a serious, life-threatening illness.  After 3 weeks there, he was well enough to be discharged.  During Al’s stay in the hospital, my Dad was also admitted to a hospital in another part of the state and he died on Dec. 7.

Times were really tough for us during November and December, but the day after Thanksgiving, I saw a hummingbird in our yard in Covington, LA and this little bird stayed with us through the whole ordeal and all the doctor’s visits that followed.

Rufous Female Hummingbird by naturegirl7

Just when we thought my husband was going to be alright, he got sick again.  This time he refused treatment until it was almost too late because he didn’t want to go back into the hospital.  After weeks in ICU and major surgery, he is now home again and seems to be on the road to recovery.

Each morning, for months, I would look out of the French doors before going to stay with my husband in ICU and I would see the tough little Rufous hummingbird drinking from the feeders and the early flowering trees.  She helped to show me that I could also stay strong and get through this hardship.

For me, she was like the Last Leaf in O’Henry’s short story by the same name.  She stayed and is still here to brighten our days and to give us something happy to hang on to as we battle adversities.

On February 21st, my friend Linda, a hummingbird bander, was able to capture and band the little Rufous female.  Minutes after she was released, Al called me to say that he was to be released from the hospital that day.  The joy of Banding a Hummingbird was further enhanced by Al’s release from the hospital.

Now we will be able to track this little winged jewel back to her breeding grounds in the western United States and if she chooses to visit us again next winter, we will be able to recognize her.  Al can sit at his computer as he recuperates and watch her when she drinks from the feeder by the window until it is time for her to migrate back to the place where she was born.

Thank goodness for small things.

Louisiana weather never ceases to amaze.  One day we have snow and the next day the frogs are croaking.  Today the sun is shining and it feels like spring.

Colorful Cricket Frog by naturegirl7

Of course, certain frogs, like Cricket Frogs, are active all year long here in south Louisiana.  You can hear the gick-gick-gick sound any time it warms up a little.  Other small frogs like the Green Tree frog and also the Gray Tree frog also begin to sing early in the spring.  When the weather warms up more, later in the spring, the males can be seen and heard as they stake out their territories and call to prospective mates.  The Amphibians of Louisiana are a hardy and varied group of animals that include frogs, toads, salamanders and newts.  Most lay eggs and spend the early part of their lives in water.  Amphibians can be found in many different habitats.  Even urban and suburban areas host Amphibians.

Green Treefrog by naturegirl7

Amphibians are a great subject for home study or to develop a child’s observation skills.  Some good thematic unit and activity lenses that teachers may enjoy are  Frog Unit Study by Evelyn_Saenz and Reptile and Amphibian Color Pages by Pistache.  In these lenses, you’ll find many creative activities that will engage children in enjoyable Froggy activities.

If you’d like to learn to identify the various frog Voices of the Night, then this CD should help.
Voices of the Night – Eastern Frogs and Toads (CD) – $ 19.95
Decipher the cheeps and trills of 36 species of frogs and toads native to eastern North America. It features up-to-date taxonomic nomenclature, including 3 species introduced from the tropics. Endorsed by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

In most parts of the country snow in February is not a big deal, but where we live in southeastern Louisiana it is an event!  The soft, fluffy white stuff started falling at about 9:30 this morning and continued for about 3 hours.  There was very little accumulation because the temperature was a couple of degrees above freezing, but the flurries still were a pretty sight.  The photo above shows the flurry and in the background, what is left of one of the giant pine trees that was snapped by Hurricane Katrina.

If you’d like to see some really beautiful snow pictures, then you must visit Pictures of Snow for Your Home or Office, by mulberry.  Mulberry has written many informative lenses about media. This lensmaster lives in Indiana and has been a Squidoo lensmaster since 2007.

Northern Cardinals are the bird of winter, no matter what part of North America you live in.  The bright red males stand out against the browns of winter.  In February, Cardinals begin to choose their mates and you will often see the pairs visiting the feeders together, even in a snow storm.  When the weather warms up in March, breeding and nest building commences.

The Northern Cardinal is one of my favorite winter residents, but I also enjoy the tiny Carolina Chickadee and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  What are your favorite winter birds?

Dragonfly on Lily by naturegirl7

Let’s face it, the weather in the southern United States, especially from fall through spring, is pleasant.  That’s why so many northerners retire down here along the Gulf Coast.  We’d love to send you some of our semi-tropical weather, but since we can’t I thought you may enjoy taking a virtual tour of two places here in the south.

First, a spring tour through a National Wildlife certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat which is located on a 9 acre riparian tract along the Little Tchefuncte River near Covington, LA.  To the River and Back Again is a pictorial walk from our house, along the creek to the river and back to the pond.  There are many animals and plants to see along the way.

Next, we visit tropical south Florida as Poddys, takes us on A Walk Around Deer Creek, a community near Palm Beach.  It’s almost like being there and is sure to chase those winter blues away.  Poddys also has posted some of his lovely photos (like the one below) in poddys Zazzle Gallery.

SUNSET IN PARADISE Poster by poddys

And besides having some of the best weather in the United States, the Gulf South also has the New Orleans Saints, who reigned supreme in the 44th Super Bowl.  Geaux Saints!  Mardi Gras this year will be a black and gold affair.

Starfish On Lava Rock by malibuitalian

The cold temperatures of winter and the Superbowl in Miami make me think of warm days at the beach.  Even though I grew up in land-locked north Louisiana, since I was a child I have been fascinated with the seashore and beach combing.  My first experiences with this wonderland of nature was on a family vacation to the Gulf shores.  Gathering seashells and observing sea life is a very enjoyable past time.

While we have the swamps and marshes, I wish we lived closer to the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico so that we could photograph the scenes there more often.  Fortunately there are several Naturally Native and Zazzle Squid Co-Op members, like malibuitalian and pamdicar who have taken some great shots of ocean life.

Colorful Shell Collection by pamdicar

Pam, aka lensmaster dustytoes and Zazzler pamdicar has taken many beautiful photographs and written some excellent lenses about Seashell identification and beach combing.  When you visit her Zazzle galleries and read her lenses, it’s like taking a virtual trip to the beach.

Why not take a virtual trip to the beach this winter or get some craft ideas  or help with the identification of your shell collection and enjoy the time indoors.  Soon spring will be here and you won’t have the time or inclination to visit some of the great lenses on Squidoo.