Nature at Its Best

I’m starting the new year with a new place to write. Yes, like so many others, I’ve finally taken the plunge into Hubpages. I signed up 6 weeks ago, but my Etsy business prevented me from doing more than begin a hub. However, now, I’ve completed three hubs and am planning to create two groups of articles about gardening and native plants.

Fresh Corn by lalagniappe

It’s been quite a while since I could dedicate time to my vegetable and herb garden. Since I’m going whole hog on this venture, I decided to document my progress with Planting Seeds, 2011 Garden Journal (part 1). In this series I will take the viewer through each step in planting and harvesting a sustainable vegetable and/or herb garden.

For me, gardening helps in several ways. I loose weight and get fit while I work in the garden. The vegetables and herbs are really healthy and nutritious and help me loose weight. It’s also more economical and I know my food is safe. To me, it’s a win-win situation.

Hi, Naturegirl7 here.  I look at the calendar and can’t believe that 2010 is coming to an end.  It has been a trying year.  Besides the economy taking a nose dive, I’ve been caring for sick family members.  I hope and pray that the new decade will bring promise, prosperity and a sense of normalcy.

I have already formulated some New Year resolutions.  My list will probably expand in the next week, but here are the first ones:

1.  Live every day as if it were my last.  Live, love, exercise and be happy that I am blessed with many good friends and the beauty of nature around me.

2.  Do something to improve our habitat and the environment each day.  Just something small like planting a flowering or fruit bearing native plant or recycling.  If everyone did one thing each day, it would make a big difference.

3.  Create!  Paint a picture.  Crochet and make crafts and jewelry for our Naturally Native Creations Etsy.com Shop.  Photograph the beauty of our natural world.

4.  Unclutter my house and my life.  Let go of the junk and keep the treasures.

5.  Volunteer with local organizations like the Master Gardeners and the Folsom Native Plant Society.

If I can accomplish these five goals in 2011, then I will make a difference in this world and in the beautiful part that I live in.

I have been away for so long.  We still have our dogs, cats and cockatiels and have actually added a new cat to the tribe.  Pepper Cat found her way to our place via the neighbor’s barn.  Last January, during one of the coldest winters we’d had in many years, her owners went on a trip and the cat sitter forgot to dump a can of food in the barn each day.  You know the rest.  We fed her and she stayed and now she is ours.

Black Cat in Winter by naturegirl7

She made friends with 2nd Chance the cocker spaniel first and before we knew it they were touching noses and rubbing on each other.  2nd Chance is a little odd and this is not the first time he has exhibited cat-like behavior.  We think there must have been many cats in the deplorable place where he first he lived.  Pretty soon Rio, the larger mixed bread dog and Dax, the orange male cat were won over by her sweet ways.  We’ve told the beginning of her story in Black Cat Story and the rest in Pepper New Cat .

Dax and Chance Share by naturegirl7

All of our pets (except the two 20+ year old cockatiels) have been through so much in their short lives.  It is amazing to me that they could come through such trials and tribulations and still be kind and caring animals (even the cats) who give us unconditional love.  They have helped me get through a lot of grief during the past three years. They seem to understand when I need a rub or a cuddle.

I do not understand how anyone can call them “dumb animals”?

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.