What Is It?

Recently I showed a picture of this same type of stuff that I found in one of my vegetable garden boxes in my back yard. A couple of days ago I found this in the front yard. It is really weird, especially because it was sitting on top of the grass, unlike a toadstool. The next day there was one more. I don't have a clue as to what it is. It looks light and airy, unlike something that a cat or dog would vomit. Next time I will cut it open to see what its structure is like--maybe that will help!

Finally! I'm finally able to get back online! Thank you for your patience!
I was pulling weeds and deadheading plants the other morning and saw this sight!

I thought it looked like the snails were on a carnival ride or something! That didn't last long, as I helped them on their way to their happy hunting ground!

A Glitch . . .

I won't be posting for a couple of days at least--I am having computer trouble. I will be back as soon a I can!

Fall Is On It's Way

I don't know if you can see the slight change in the color of these peach tree leaves--it's not from a bright sky--but they are starting to change color in preparation for dormancy. The tree is pulling the nutrients out of the leaves so it can be stored in its roots for use next spring. If I was to prune this tree now, I would be short-changing the tree of some much-needed nutrition.

Leaves

In the lower center of the picture there is a leaf of my Granny Smith apple tree that has an interesting color design. Nature is the greatest creative force! All things can be altered, nothing needs to remain the same, although there are generally certain patterns that help create order in our world. It would look strange for an apple tree to have pine needles or palm fronds in amongst the apple leaves!

Grape Hyacinth

Now is the time to buy bulbs for early spring blooms. One bulb that thrives in my yard is grape hyacinth. I have grown them for many years, in full sun, and they keep coming back year after year. The first time I saw these flowers en-mass was back in the mid-west, about 25 years ago. My Dad and I went on a genealogy trip, where we would drive from one courthouse to the next, looking for our family names in the vital, land, and other records. We went to one cemetery in Illinois, which had been abandoned for a very long time. This cemetery was covered with trees that were about 20' or more high. Underneath the trees were the headstones of our ancestors. We started walking in under the trees, and once we were in the shade, we saw that grape hyacinths had completely covered the ground and were in full bloom. It was such a beautiful sight, I will never forget it. Long ago someone had planted a few bulbs to beautify a grave. Grape hyacinths are relatively cheap and multiply quickly. You will know spring is here when you see these flowers pop up!

Make It Happen . . .

No, this is not my garden! In our newspaper there is a weekly article that I like to read, by Harvey Mackay. He writes about how to improve your business. Although I don't "work", I still like to see what I can learn and apply it to my life. Recently he asked a woman at a conference what she did for a living. She replied that it's what you do with your life that matters. Mr. Mackay then gave several little sayings to show that you have to do something to be able to get something--it doesn't magically appear just because you want it, "you have to make it happen." The one saying that fit this blog says: "Life is like a garden. Plant good seeds and tend them, and the bounty is plentiful." It's like what the Bible says, where you have to sow before you can harvest. My Dad always says you have to give, to get; meaning you have to give up something (like snoozing in a hammock) to get something else you want (like a bountiful garden). Time passes by whether we are busy or not, so we should get ourselves in gear and make something happen!

Praying Mantis

This is a praying mantis eating a grasshopper. Today as I was pulling weeds in my yard, I saw three mantis', one large brown one and two medium sized green ones. I was pulling weeds around them, trying to get them to move over. After a couple of minutes I looked over to see if they had moved, and the big one was eating one of the green ones! I was really surprised as I had not expected it--I do know that they have a tendency to each other, though. Mantis' eat a lot of things, including humming birds on occasion! Praying mantis' can eat up to 16 crickets a day--so you can see they are really handy to have in the garden!

New Construction

We are having a new walkway installed in our back yard. I'm glad to get the bermuda grass out and a nice cement path to use. My husband took out the cement curbing yesterday, as it was cracked in several places. My cat, Dottie, insisted on being in the picture, too.

Another Black Widow

This morning I went out to clean our pool, and found a black widow spider living in the center of a plastic pool ring that our grandkids left in the pool. In the picture below, you can see her at the 1 o'clock area of the inside of the ring.
She was just floating along with the ring, seemingly happy with her new home. That didn't last long--I showed my husband and that was the end of that!

Fungi

I'm not sure what this is, except it's a fungi of some sort! It was really white, and about 1 1/2 inches across. The next day it was tan; and the day after that it was more brown. Have you ever seen such a thing? I haven't!