We interrupt with breaking skwierl news

 "Lynn, come quick!  We got furs outside and I need to git out there to help."

"This one breached the catio fence and clumb

up the screen."

"There's a tuxie cat outside the fence.  Lookie see."

"I've seen this fellow afore."

"Lynn git this skwierl offa the door!  He's barking like crazy.

And I think the tuxie is takin' off without takin' the skwierl with him."

Sometimes we have drama here better than cable TV.

The grey squirrel hung for about 10 minutes after the cat left.

I wanted him to calm down before I tried opening the door.

His hind foot was on the screen and his front were holding

onto the porch light.  The second he heard the latch, he

threw himself off and over the 3 foot tall fence in

one fell swoop.

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Apple Hog, Whistle Pig, Ground Hog, you name it

 "Lynn has been frustrated with her lack of eatin' apples this year. Oh the 2 trees were loaded early on but the critters outside have a yen fur them too."

"We gots the squirrels and the deers and then here came

the hog.  He's a chub now as he has eaten so many apples

and working on acorns now."

"The squirrels and crows just pick 'em and toss 'em after a 

bite er two.  Then chubs has his pick afore the deer herd

stampedes thru."

"Soon as the apples stopped fallin' furom the sky, he quickly

found the acorns were rainin' down like manna furom 

Whistle Pig heaven."

"Now just give me a bucket full of my

crunchies and I'll let Lynn have the apples."

Here's a short short video of some of the 

hundreds of wild honey bees I am so happy to 

see this year.  This is one flower head of dozens

I have on 9 sedum plants.  Every flower head has

had many many bees.

Above is a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly.

No Monarchs new or old flying by.  Just the 11

that hatched and flew off into the rains of the South.

And the other good news is our Eastern Blue Birds

fledged 4 nest boxes of babies this year.  Could be 

any where from 16 to 20 babies.

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outside in the dark

 "Lynn says she can't really show you pictures of me outside anymore. Cause it is o'dark thirty and the sun is not up fur another hour or more."

"Can ya see me now?

I'm the one with glow in the dark eyes.

I hope Lynn has color film soes you kin see

my grey onesie on my thick pink rug."

(I was out filling bird baths and meal worms for 

the blue birds and got this with my headlamp on.)

"But I would look a lot like this only dark on dark.

I am watchin' fur moths and bats.  I even skip my

breakfast.

 Lynn threatens to water my furs.  She

says she can grow a flower garden on me 'cause I'm

covered in marigold and zinnia seeds.  The goldfinch

birdies eat the seeds all day long and drop lots of seeds

and they git in my furs."

"So she has to give me more brushies and find

all the seeds.  But that OK 'cause I luv being brushed."

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My kitty fur a Kingwood Garden

 "Lynn,  I knew you were gone agin when I got up fur some brushies and brunch and no one was around fur me!"

I went up to Mansfield, Ohio to Kingwood Garden, Precious.

kingwoodcenter.org

I have been so grateful that the mansion is always open.

Back before the 2008 Recession hit, it was free to the

public.  Then the whole place closed down for a while.

When it reopened the Garden now had a fee of $1

but the mansion was permanently closed.

Today the fee is $10 and it includes the mansion.

It is so worth the price of admission.

I go once a year for a long walk as it is 40 acres.

Most of the work is done by volunteers! I really

enjoy every moment, but I doubt if I could do all

the manual work these folks do daily.

I really can not show enough to you to show off how

absolutely lovely and peaceful this place is.  

Of course, it always is hot to walk the whole area

and go into the 2 greenhouses but it is worth it.

"Really, Lynn, it can not be worth it compared

to time with me.  What's a plant gonna do fur you?

Give you legs, purrs and meows?  I think not.

Maybe stickers and thorns."

"I want to purr a Happy Birthday to Willie

who will be a kid agin tomorrow, mol."

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Up up and away, for we can fly, we can fly

 "Lynn,  I guess they were not too much trouble.  I don't see any claw marks on you or the net."

"They did chew loud when I was tryin' to sleep at

night.  But they do look small and pretty now."

The above is a chrysalis that is showing dark

wings ready to hatch.

Hatching.

I put the goldenrod in for the butterfly to

have something to grab on to.  She flew

away in just 5 hours.

Second butterfly on the next day.  After this

they started hatching 2 and 3 a day.

I did have to find food for what ended up as

eleven catapillars.   I knew I was not finding all

the eggs laid, and as the cats inside got bigger,

I kept checking my plants outside.  I was fortunate

to find 4 more and I brought them in.

In all they were in the house from eggs to flying

about 6 weeks.  I forgot to keep track of time.

Only 3 or 4 years ago,  we would have so many caterpillars

on the milkweed in my flower bed, that the house was 

festooned in chrysalis.  And it has gotten less every year.

"It's nice to have my house back without company.

Never invite someone here fur meals agin, Lynn"

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Dining out

"Why do you git to dine out while I lay here starving all day long?"

"I know, I know.  You went on another trip of some sort.

You just never think on how this affects my daily

routine."

I had been out on a different bike path where I drive

15 miles to get to the beginning of it.

When the trip was over and I was driving through this

tiny village, I saw that the home town diner was

open 'til 2:30.

I had never stopped in before but was definitely

hungry as I forgot to pack my lunch.

These photos show just some of the fun things 

on the walls.  There is probably seating for 30

people, tops.  They serve breakfast from 7 until

2:30 and offer some lunch options. I got a 

ham steak dinner that was way too good and way too 

much to eat for a very reasonable price.  Then

homeward to Precious.

"I had to eat fast when you dipped it up.  I was afraid you

were goin' to go out again, or something."

"Mackerull,  lookie here.  Lynn found turkey burds on

the bike path!"

It is unusual for me to see turkey on the path but

once or twice a year I luck out.  This was a hen

and one 1/2 grown poult.

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Holy Cow, she's raisin' cats!

"Lynn, I absolutely put my paw down.  I've been here 11 years and I am not goin' to put up with you raisin' Cats!" 

"I absolutely put my paw down at you havin' cats

in my house."

I finally saw a Monarch lay eggs on the milkweed and

I brought in leaves with 8 eggs.  7 hatched. 

I have a bad feeling Monarchs had a bad winter or

worse Summer flying through so many hurricanes to

get north.

"I do not care if they are purebred Monarch

Cat-A-Pillars.  I do not want cats.  And folks,

Lynn even Amazoned a special net box to

grow these things in.  Wait until they have claws!"

"I say git 'em outa here!

I'm walkin' away furom this mess of cats."

They are ravenous.  I have to drive to cut plants to feed them.

I am very selective so I do not cut ones blooming, gone to seed

or have cats already.  However, sometimes I end up with an

egg or two and then have MORE to feed!

They should be flying away next week.

The above butterfly is a Painted Lady, much smaller than a 

Monarch.  On one of my 9 pink sedum plants. Also loaded

with honey bees.

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It is much appreciated.