July left us with the blooming of these flowers...
known as Surprise or Naked Lady Lilies.
They look like gracefull ballerinas to me...
~
~
~
~
as does this...do you recognize what it is?
I found it on....
a tomato.
"Tomatoes"...
.
I'll be lucky to get any this year....the squirrels
.
have decided they like tomatoes...green ones...
.
I found them...
~
taking turns going up and down to a...
favorite spot to eat ones they gathered..
which is why we even had to move the planters,
.
from the porch...and erect a small
.
electric fence in order to have a few...
...for fried green tomatoes or a
salad with our meal.
So far...
the zucchini and peppers don't appeal to them...
which leaves us able to have fresh cole slaw...
or zucchini bread for dessert.
Sometimes I bring in more than I mean to
with the things I gather from the garden...
but it's better to find tiny grasshoppers
although granddaughter Alivia would
but it's better to find tiny grasshoppers
.
and deal with them...
.
than it is to find
.
giant stag beetles lurking by the back door...
although granddaughter Alivia would
probably try her best...
to capture one with her little green tweezers...
and run to show what she has just gathered!
She likes to gather bugs like I like to gather
to capture one with her little green tweezers...
.
then put it in her treasure chest...
and run to show what she has just gathered!
.
It happens all the time!
She likes to gather bugs like I like to gather
berries to make cobblers or crisps.
It had been a very nice day in the field...
It had been a very nice day in the field...
.
with clouds gathering in the sky...
the last time I gathered blackberries...
and
I was reaching for that berry when it moved...
Their mom has just returned from the woods...
the last time I gathered blackberries...
and
found
more
than
just
blackberries
gathered
on
on
the
...vine...
~enlarge for full affect~
~enlarge for full affect~
I was reaching for that berry when it moved...
and slithered on it's way...and
~
No! I did not spill the berries!
~
It's an Eastern Ribbon Snake...notice
it's "keeled" scales...they look very pebbly.
So, in my field you can find...
a snake as well as fawn...
Guess what has their attention...
~
Their mom has just returned from the woods...
to find them...
and you can often find them all...gathered...
See how many 4 leaf clovers you can
and you can often find them all...gathered...
and resting in the field.
See how many 4 leaf clovers you can
find and gather in my field.
~enlarges~
"DON'T PEEK YET"
I gathered eleven!
~enlarges~
"DON'T PEEK YET"
~
~
~
I gathered eleven!
35 comments:
I enjoyed the little peek into your world again this morning. The lilies are so pretty, and your squirrels are adorable. I can't blame them if they love eating your tomatoes, they look delicious. That zucchini bread looks delicious, are you going to post the recipe? The beetle and the snake look a little scary, but it would not stop me from collecting berries! I wish I had your granddaughter here, to collect bugs for me to photograph. I'm sure we would make a wonderful team! Have a wonderful day, Wanda!
The tomato stalk is certainly a beautiful dancer - so clever of you to spot it! x
Except for the beetle, everything is so eye appealing, but then I remember that I AM in storyland where Snow White keeps everything beautiful.
Wanda I just love the pattern on your cup and saucer...so pretty!
Maybe you could let some tomatoes grow 'wild' away from your garden and the squirrels could be diverted?
We planted a tomato plant in the far back with the watermelon and I am amazed at how bug free and wilt free it is! The bugs must not know about it and think that all of the tomatoes are inside the garden fence!
It's nice to know that if I ever get transported to story land that it will be beautiful, comfortable and even have a great cook to make appetizing dishes!
blessings and hugs,
marcy
p.s. Alivia just looks so cute doing her gathering.
And I KNEW you weren't afraid of ANYTHING, not even a snake. Please tell me that you would at least back away if it was poisonous!
Alivia is darling....
I love the dancing tomato stem...and quite frankly, I love everything about your garden! I love to come here, and wish I could stay longer. I'll be back this afternoon for a longer stroll...
Smiles,
Jackie
Hi Wanda
see, all those four leaf clovers prove you do live in a fairy tale land...
I love the focus and absorption of Alivia intent upon her tasks...
I presume the snake is non venomous, or you might be making more fuss about being so close...
Where do the deer go in the middle of winter to eat?
Happy days
Wanda... I'm always smiling after my walk through your blog post...
which is more than words and pictures... I'm transported into each picture and scene!
The snake photo took me completely by surprise...as I was looking for a tiny bug in the smaller photo...
Why did God make Beetles? They must have a purpose :)
Berry cobbler is next for baking ... blueberries are ripe now!
Thank you again for these moments worth sharing!
All the best to you~ Maria
Good morning Wanda-
Oh my,my, my....I SO enjoyed walking about your 'nature-land' and seeing and gathering and savoring every sight, scent and surprise. Alivia is far braver that I!! :-)
I often feel quite sluggish and flulike when I take the M S Medication and so walking with you and being so stimulated and alive with nature made me feel better. "Thank you".
Love to you
Gail
peace.....
Hi Wanda,
As always, I am loving walking with you on your beautiful property. I love the birds singing in the background. Upon seeing the stem of the tomato, it will always take on a new light. I will now see dancers. Fried Green Tomatoes. Did I read that you make them? Last year, the hubby and I went to Savannah, Georgia and I tried Fried Green Tomatoes. There are Yummy!
Take care.
Lovely set of photos, I love the one of the squirrel running up the tree clutching a tomato:) The stag beetle is wonderful, what a handsome insect. I like beetles. I like snakes too, I take that one isn't poisonous? You did well not to drop the berries:)
Hi Wanda! No. 101 is just as wonder-full as 1 to 100! I love your ballerinas! Who would have thought that the tomato stem was also a dancer?! That is incredible the photo you got of the squirrel in the fork of a birch eating the green tomato! Caught in the act! Alivia is quite the entomologist! Does she label them afterwards? She has a good eye for spotting these elusive little guys. I was so happy to see the doe and triplets again! That is their home! We use bags of deer food every winter which are comprised of grains and molasses to feed "ours." Then we complain when they come back in spring and summer and eat all the euonymus! Thank you, Wanda! I leave you feeling lucky! LOVE xxox
Wanda another beautiful and most wonderful post, you even managed to make the snake look good...I am afraid of snakes, even little garden ones and I know I would of spilt the berries. I don't mind beetles though and your picture of it as all of them are, crystal clear. Oh and your food looks lovely and makes me hungry. I love the squirrels and thought it cute how they ran up the tree to enjoy your tomatoes (I wouldn't it they were my tomatoes) but I have to say again and again my very favorite pictures are of beautiful Alivia....she reminds me so much of you and Annette. These sounds are beautiful and reminds me of one of my meditation CD's, perhaps I'll listen to it later this evening. Have a wonderful day my friend......:-) Hugs
Hi Jientje...Alivia would help you, she really is a cross between tomboy and ballerina. I could put the recipe on the sidebar...:)
Thank you Jinksy...it just caught my eye!
Marcy...I have grown tomatoes for years and this is the first time for the squirrels to be thieves. We only have nice snakes here!
Hi Jackie...I guess it's off to the school house for you today!
Hi Delwyn...g/daughter Katie once found over 30 4leaf clovers in one area...We see the deer all winter...I know they eat tender bark on some young trees...and attack the evergreen hedge even, they do slim down over the winter!
Hi Maria...Over at the Riverdaze Blog on the side bar, he posted an even more viscious looking Stag beetle!
Oh! Thank you Gail for coming...Alivia is interested in searching!
Hi Anne...Yes we fry the green tomatoes a few times each season.
Hi Rowan...my walks are not as full of rich history as yours but I do discover things of interest to me...I was a little surprised with myself on seeing the snake...that the first thing I did was grab my camera!
Hi Margaret and Bernie...You both were here while I was replying. The squirrels do provide entertainment, but I think we have more than our share of them, you can always see 8 or 10 easily. Alivia turns everything lose after looking at it Margaret
and Bernie...Alivia is like a younger combination of my 2 older g/daughters Amanda and Katie to me.
Wow,that is a LOT of 4 leaf clovers....you must be a very lucky person.
Your photos were beautiful...Bernie told me you had a snake picture a lot like the one I posted today, and she was right!
Hello Wanda,
I've been thinking of that Zucchini Bread since you told me you baked it. Yum to the cobbler, too. I loved the beetle picture - it looks so prehistoric, doesn't it - like a throw-back to the dinosaurs. I also love the dancing tomato stem - your right brain is always working! So many clovers - so much Good Luck. Your clovers always remind me of my Mother. Maybe Alivia can teach Amanda not to fear bugs!
Just had a bear in the back yard - what excitement. He finally ambled off, up my back trail. What's he doing here just when I would normally be working in my garden?? Hope I at least got a decent pic!
I really enjoy your blog,I love the great outdoors with the bugs and all,looking forward to next time..take care
Hi Wanda,
I really enjoy your blog, your pictures are really great.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
Sunny :)
A very nice post, Wanda! Love the veggie/food shots, my dad still picks blackberries at 85 y/o! You can come cook for me anytime. :o) Your g.daughter is adorable, don't you just love childrens' imaginations? Sweet.
Fantabulous post! You are so blessed to reap such lucious rewards from your garden. YES the ballerinas are wonderful and I agree with the stem dancer! Never would have thought...but it is so! OK the beetle thing...EWWW that was awful..we too have a lot of very "different" beetles here in the dessert and I am always just so squeemish when I see them, especially when the SOMEHOW come into my home!
Hi Joan...I was just visiting you and saw your snake!
Hi Barb...I just put the recipe on the side bar for a few people...Bernie and I want to see the bear Barb!
Thanks for coming by Andora...I'll be back to yours too!
Thank you Sunny...I related to your post!
Hi Jann...I hope I'm doing the same at 85! Sometimes with Alivia I am a King!
Hi Linda...I just saw you at Jientje's :) The garden isn't doing as well as usual though.
What a lovely post, snake and all! I greatly admire what you see around you.
Wishing you a wonderful week.
What a wonderful blog, thank you for visiting mine and I would love to become a follower of yours. I am afraid our snakes are all poisonous, but we get them in the garden any way. We also have naked ladies in Australia, came in the ballast from South Africa in the sailing ships so I am told.
I went over to Riverdaze and W*O*W
what a stag beetle he found! His commentary is informative AND funny!
Thanks for the tip...oh and thanks for the zucchini bread recipe... great idea to put it in the sidebar!
~Maria
Oh, I so enjoyed this post, Wanda! I loved all the pictures and the story to go with them. I like hearing about your day, I like hearing about you gathering your fruits and vegetables, and hearing about how you use them. It's just so relaxing.
And I really enjoyed hearing about Alivia.
I'm not feeling so good tonight, and I'm so tired but can't sleep, and feeling a little down, and this post and Bernie's picture post made me feel so much better.
I love visiting here. Thanks.
Love,
Eileen
Your post made me hungry. I love those pink lillies. They look very delicate.
Well Wanda all of your photos were terrific! The food especially the cole slaw is making me hungry! Perhaps you could plant a tomato bush just for the squirrels and put a little sign up for them so they would know not to eat yours!
Hi Wanda, Thank you for another wonderful walk , it was magical, and all the lovely sounds in backround. There is one thing I am glad of though, that St. Patrick banished the snakes out of Ireland.
Thank you Pat...hope you have a good week too!
Than you Penny...I know I will enjoy your Blog!
You are welcome Maria, and thanks for visiting.
Hi Eileen...just saw you at Marcy's!
Hi Loree...I love visiting your island with you!
Hi Diana...maybe you could come visit and take a few squirrels home with you!
Hi Ann...we actually see very few snakes, plus...they aren't poisonous, so that makes it even better!
Our "naked ladies" popped up overnight while I was at the lake last week. Every year they live up to the "surprise lily" name - I forget about them and am surprised by how many I have. I posted a link to an extension garden in my garden blog that had more info. re. the lilies....I'm thinking I may divide some per their instructions....
There must be a whole new species of clover, do you think? 4-leaf used to be very rare!
What a delightful peek into your life and beautiful photography.
Your granddaughter with her little chest collected her bugs.... so darling.
I just had breakfast, but all your delicious looking food is making me drool.
I'm so glad I found your post, Wanda. You will be a daily delight to visit.
Wanda from Brushstrokes
Hello my friend, would you believe I just noticed your picture on the sidebar as I was looking for your receipe.....now we do look similar but I have to be honest, your much prettier and I am not one bit jealous, it just so nice to see the resemblance. So good to be home and in touch regulary with you, ........:-) Hugs
Your post is fantastic as usual. I'm not going to pick a favorite photo they're all great but I do like the deer ones. If that had been me and I saw the snake I'd have dropped everything and creamed anyone in my way trying to get out of there. I'm such a chicken.
Wanda…I'm going to bake your zucchini bread tomorrow—with black walnuts instead of pecans—and in reading through it on your sidebar, came to this: "Spoon batter into two greased and floured 8 1/2 x 41/2 x 3 loaf pans." What does the "3" mean…or is it just a typo?
Thanks! And I'll let you know how it turns out…not that I have doubts, mind you.
I just love sharing in your visits with Alivia..she is darling!! I loved the red mushrooms, and the tomato dancer!! I didn't like the snake though!! I think I need some of those 4 leaf clovers here at my house :)
I love visiting your page...you have such a lovely home and a beautiful blog too!!
Love, Jerelene
Oh My God Wanda the lily pictures are exotic!! I just can't get enough of your photography! You are simply beyond amazing and spectacular :)
I noticed that you've put up recipes on your side bar. I've always asked you for them, and now that I see them I will make a note of them. Thank you SO MUCH Wanda. I am sure they'd turn out brilliant :)
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