April 2016 Photo of the month contest

[rockerBOO]

Serviceberry is looking really good this year.

[EllenW]

Originally Posted by rockerBOO

Serviceberry is looking really good this year.

Yes it is. Thanks rockerBOO

[wildwatcher]

...oh yes, and a nice sized chipmunk at that! The cat [Camille] has been told in years past NOT to kill them, but that didn't stop her from bringing a wild one inside this morning. She proceeded to lay on it, as if hatching a brace of eggs or something (or maybe she thought I didn't see her come in the house with it by the neck)...so she played with her new toy for a while, and had it penned under a bookshelf, just out of her reach & yet still interesting. Then all of the sudden, she gave up, and promptly went outside.

I thought hummmph probably to hunt up yet another one (as in times past, she has left golf balls and other toys in various places 'just out of reach'). So as usual it is my job to coax out 'the toy' to be played with another day. Well I did have a plastic planting pot at the ready, so with back scratcher in hand, the little guy was tricked to back into my trap! Of course he hopped straight up bypassing the trap, and in less than an instant was in the bathroom, now I had full advantage with the door closed, at least he couldn't have free run, & a million hiding spots of the rest of the house. And just as fast, I lowered the trap over him & got him, unharmed, my wife Destiny's kitchen cutting board was used to fully contain the varmit in the plastic planter box, till I released him outside. (away from my silly cat's perception) I'm glad to report there was no blood, albeit a bit of stress on the chipmunk, but he looked to be in good shape as he dashed across the forest floor. Naturally in all the excitement, I forgot to take a pix.

Which brings me to my photo of the month entry... Camille (the cat) pointed me to this guy seeking a dryer spot after a nice spring rain. This thing is the biggest one I've ever seen, so I included a pix with a screwdriver for size reference. I threw in the chipmunk story because everyone knows a 'picture is worth a thousand legs'

ww

ps ohhhhhhhhhhhh katjh, your hubby is doing a fine job with the camera angles!!

[linrose]

We get those yellow and black flat millipedes here in Kentucky. They love the leaf litter we spread everywhere. They are alarmingly large and quite interesting.

[EllenW]

I wish I had chipmunks. They are so cute. WW how about keeping that cat in the house?

[wildwatcher]

Hi Ellen, if the cat remained in the house all the time...I probably wouldn't have a funny story to tell about the thousand legger. Camille the cat, does help me find things, things I might not normally perceive. Is she worth the dry cat food, bug off, & cat litter...definitely not.

ww

[katjh]

Originally Posted by wildwatcher

...oh yes, and a nice sized chipmunk at that! The cat [Camille] has been told in years past NOT to kill them, but that didn't stop her from bringing a wild one inside this morning. She proceeded to lay on it, as if hatching a brace of eggs or something (or maybe she thought I didn't see her come in the house with it by the neck)...so she played with her new toy for a while, and had it penned under a bookshelf, just out of her reach & yet still interesting. Then all of the sudden, she gave up, and promptly went outside.

I thought hummmph probably to hunt up yet another one (as in times past, she has left golf balls and other toys in various places 'just out of reach'). So as usual it is my job to coax out 'the toy' to be played with another day. Well I did have a plastic planting pot at the ready, so with back scratcher in hand, the little guy was tricked to back into my trap! Of course he hopped straight up bypassing the trap, and in less than an instant was in the bathroom, now I had full advantage with the door closed, at least he couldn't have free run, & a million hiding spots of the rest of the house. And just as fast, I lowered the trap over him & got him, unharmed, my wife Destiny's kitchen cutting board was used to fully contain the varmit in the plastic planter box, till I released him outside. (away from my silly cat's perception) I'm glad to report there was no blood, albeit a bit of stress on the chipmunk, but he looked to be in good shape as he dashed across the forest floor. Naturally in all the excitement, I forgot to take a pix.

Which brings me to my photo of the month entry... Camille (the cat) pointed me to this guy seeking a dryer spot after a nice spring rain. This thing is the biggest one I've ever seen, so I included a pix with a screwdriver for size reference. I threw in the chipmunk story because everyone knows a 'picture is worth a thousand legs'Attachment 43843Attachment 43844

ww

ps ohhhhhhhhhhhh katjh, your hubby is doing a fine job with the camera angles!!

Thanks for the kind words, WW! I'll pass that along to hubby.

That is one BIG bug! We don't grow 'em that big here in Michigan.

We have a feral cat that nabs a chipmunk every now and again from our back yard. I don't feed her but a couple of neighbors do. She prefers lounging in my wild back yard instead of their chemlawn yards between meals, though. I had to trap her and have her spayed about 4 years ago after she wandered out of my woodpile with 3 kittens in tow. I was able to tame the kittens enough to let them go as barn cats but mama is feral. No taming her.

[linrose]

I can relate kat, we have a neighbor cat that loves to come to our place because there are so many critters to catch. I saw her nab a skink in the driveway yesterday. Good for you to catch and spay her before she spews out any more kittens. It's a challenge to keep those outside cats in hand, especially out here in the (semi)country. It's even harder to tell those neighbors it is not a good idea to keep your cats outside. They just got chickens and I was just waiting to see when the cat would eat them all. I try not to be judgemental and let them learn by doing. I did feel a little smug when they discovered driving up and down a woodland path with trucks and ATVs all day long would erode the fragile soil. Now they are trying to reseed the path with grass. Oh well. Good for us because we don't hear roaring engines all day long. We did have a learning period too so I'm giving them a break.

[linrose]

I'm going to put in this very calm swallowtail that posed for his close-up.

[linrose]

Baptisia. False indigo. I love this plant so much.