Gonna have to try the suggestions! Growing Black Krim this year and have just 5 tomatoes on the vines so far

Enjoying all the critters, bugs, butterfly, pets and misc. I have some to add. I have a picture of the one Orion linked to.


These J-Beetles are either eating my plants or doing this

Copy cats

ok Dianne, I need a name for this one

katidid

grandson on a trip out of town sent me this.

who's watching whom ?



ready to come in and eat through the kitchen window.

sweeeet peas said the Bumblebee

I have used a Q-tip to pollinate tomatoes. Easy-peasy.

Mike, Mike, Mike
Genesta with a couple of fotobombers

Chipmunk on the rocks near water pool


Mama and six youngsters... late day snacking




... and hummers galore - mostly females and juveniles, males won't sit long enough for a picture

Great pictures, Dianne! Love the hummers.

OMGosh , my heart is pounding! I heard a noise out in the garden like a call for help. I couldn't figure out if it was a bird or cat. Then I saw a large black snake grabbed on to this pair of tree frogs. I grabbed a big stick and hit the snake. These 2 jumped down (still attached) and sat on a pot of hoya while I checked to see if they were ok. Then I grabbed the stick and hit the bougainvillea arbor the snake was in and beat it hard, leaves were flying everywhere and made a lot of noise to scare the snake off. I know the snake lives here I see it sometimes, occasionally almost tripping over it. It's a southern black racer, non-venomous, kills through constriction.
No pics of the snake 'cuz I was kinda busy lol, but here are the 2 I was able to help ... wow I'll remember the cries that were emitted now and keep for future reference.

Hopefully no one is eating dinner. Here's a cicada doing its impression of that scene from Alien

Weirdly, awesomely gross and cool all at the same time!

What she said! wow, that's a great picture!

Awesome foto, Tim

Cool pictures today!
That male tree frog was certainly the determined!

The Gulf Coast Fritterlaries have arrived. This one looks like it's had a hard time.

Crab spider, neat camouflage ability.

Cut little green bee landed on my finger as I was dabbing pollen. I transferred it to a seedpod to watch until I was done.

The observant among you will notice the spike-antler deer in the foreground... and not just the snowshoe hare behind him.

@Seedfork Larry for the acorn.

@adknative Dianne I love that you have so much wildlife around you! I lived among wildlife in Western Mass. and I definitely prefer woodsy wildlife to tropical. I never thought I would grow to care for frogs. But, there are tadpoles all around my garden and I watch them grow to adulthood. That experience I had with the frogs/snake yesterday left me with a nightmare last night. I'm having trouble shaking off the image and sound. My daughter said it's the circle of life mom. I know it is, but it's hard to witness. So, thank you for posting the pics and giving me the opportunity to live the woodsy life vicariously.

@MySecretIslandGarden ... Gheri, I'm glad to know you are enjoying the mountains & woodsy wildlife vicariously. I never take for granted that I am so fortunate to live where I am, each season has its own forms of beauty and every day its own joys.

I love frogs and toads, have no issues with spiders or all the other little multi-legged critters... love the birds and 4-footie friends. But I have to be honest and say, I am no fan of 's-n-a-k-e-s' myself, though my brain tells me they have their own place in the master scheme... So I will share my fondest recollection regarding the slithers in the gardens with you, as it reminds me to have tolerance for them.

'Many' years ago, one of my nieces was all of about 2 or 3. We were out near the rock garden... and, with the fearless curiosity of children, she asked: "What's that..?"

What's what (you may wonder as well)? Her reply: That "yong thing - with a face."

Have you ever heard a better description...? She was little enough, she could not pronounce her "L" yet, so it came out with a 'yong...' To this day, that's my favourite description of a snake: "a long thing with a face."

Finally saw a Monarch fluttering around the yard. Unfortunately I did not have my camera handy.

Last year our yard was covered with Monarchs and my milkweed was covered with their caterpillars. This year they have been few and far between.

Gheri, that was quite a story about the snake. I was reminded of our vain attempt to save a snapping turtle on Saturday, which I described in the Porch Swing thread. My husband and I are still not quite over it, and we shudder when we walk past the spot in the road where we found it.

Amazing stories and pictures gang.
Say hello to my little friend.

Hello Mike's little friend!



My work buddy is still hanging around.