This and That and brushies.

 "Lynn, what have you been up to?  I woke up furom my morning nap and was so lonely (and wanting food) without you.  You leave so early and I have to wait so long fur you to show up."

I know Precious.  I have to ride my bike early before the

heat wave knocks me off my feet.  And I did get some

fun photos to show you.

Hooded Merganser family.  The first time I saw

them. the babies were tiny and now bigger but less

of them.  You know, turtle and fish and racoon food.

These two spotted fawn were on the path I was riding.  One I have to

drive 15 miles to get onto and not connected to mine at home.

And here, I was aiming to take the photo of the old and now

paint peeling barn, when I realized the fawns' mom was in the 

corn field, in the top right on the photo.  Actually, she was still

in the corn but closer to a woods when I returned and hour later.

Now I'm all yours Precious.  

"Let's get on 

with my hair brushing."

"A little more to the right, Lynn.  No, no,

the other right.  No, no, more to the chest please.

A bit more on the chin and please get my back some

more.  There's lots to make up fur now."

Full disclosure, these photos were taken days before

covid walked into our house on my husband's coattail.

Now the wind is outa my sails and hoping it'll be over soon,

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and a comment.

It is much appreciated.

A different look at the Children's Garden

 "Lynn,  you were gone long enough.  And you never evfur call me to tell me when you'll be home!"

Sorry Precious.  I just haven't been able

to find a phone for you that can be answered with

just a paw tap.

I am so lucky to have 45 miles of bike path on the

325 miles of Ohio to Erie Rail Trail.  It allows me to

see the country side in my county with just a short

drive to several starting points.

I usually start 5 miles from home and ride south west.

 I rode into our big little city and stopped for 

a lunch break at the Children's Garden built by

the vocational students years ago.

I usually concentrate on the miniature buildings and the

flowers and plants.  But this trip I realized I had

been overlooking all the statues.  Small but pretty.

The above statue was actually life size of a child reading.

All the others were only one to two feet tall.

The roses were past their prime and are the kind that have

no perfume scent at all.  Pretty when blooming but I like

the delicious scent of a rose and I miss it here.

"Are you saying I do not look like an angel?  That I do not have

the purrfect qualities to keep you home staring at me instead 

of cold concrete?"

And then there are these two very real looking concrete statues,

munching on my flowers of course.  Just adding to the herd.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and a comment.

It is much appreciated.

Just one neighborhood kitty

 "Lynn, does this kitty have a name fur me it call it?"

It is lying on the padded glidder above.  A bit hard to spot

sometimes.

I don't know what the kitty's name is, Precious.

It is a very pale ginger cat with lots of white tummy and legs.

So it is not easy to photograph while respecting it's

private yard.

I just see it on it's front porch on occasion when I walk in

our community.  It isn't always outside and I hope that

means it goes into the house for love and food.

"I live to go out on my catio now that I've become

accustomed to it.  But I do not want to roam away

fur-om you and my home.  And since I'm

in the back yard, no hoomans can spy on me."

My rose of Sharon early in the morning.

An hour later and it was probably 1/2 gone,

Japanese Beetles are horrible about eating these

flowers.  Thankfully my 5 bushes are large and

bloom into Sept.  The beetles are not out that long.

Above are two different wild honey bees on the same

bird bath.  There is a hive near by and on the very hot and

very sunny days,  the bees swarm the bird baths.  They

take their full bellies of water home and then spend their

time fanning their wings to help cool the hive.  When it

has been cloudy and rainy, they do not come at all.

The birds have learned to go to the other baths I have

throughout the yard that are in the shade.  No bees in

the shade.  I am so glad to see them.  I had them

like this 2 summers ago and none last year.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and a comment.

It is much appreciated.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

                                  How does your garden grow?

                                 With silver bells and cockleshells.

  "Lynn, are you calling me contrary?  Honestly I have never evfur

caused you a moment to think that."

"I'm not sure how this garden is growin', but I'm ready

to keep a steady paw on the pulse of the plants fur you."

"Just make sure my soft pink rug is out here 

fur when I need to take a bit of a snooze when the

birds quite hootin' and hollerin'"

We have extended the catio fence by 4 feet and the

flower pots are a bit more spread out than last year.

It gives Precious more to wriggle past and hide behind

when she is keeping an eye on wildlife.

The above photo shows how little room there was

last year.  This year I can easily sit out with Precious

and she still has room to roam.

For me, the seedlings I started inside in March, they are

just now getting some size and flowers.  I have waited so long and

I do not like looking at the calendar and seeing we are into

July.  It seems to fly by so fast.

Marigold and matching Zinnia

"And what about all that horrible fireworks noise!

What's with you people!  Have you nevfur evfur heard of

peace and quiet at night!  I am sure the people who

fought the brave battles would like to never hear the

loud booms of anything!"

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and a comment.

It is much appreciated.

Snakes are not sticks

 "Lynn, you must warn folks that this is a sneaky snaky post. Some hoomans do not like 'em.  Me, I don't know what you are tryin' to show off.  They look like sticks."

"I know you just have to show off these crazy things furom yer

bike rides but I just don't see the point.  After all you got 

me to show off!"

I know Precious but I really do get excited about these 

critters and all the rest I see of fur and feather too.

Look close and you will see I got a twofer in this top photo. 

These top two photos are close ups of the 5 foot long

black snake.  From one direction it looked as if she was 

a white spotted zigzag. And from the other angle

she just looks black.

The small snake above is about a 20 inch long brown

garter snake, which is pretty big for it.

They were both sunning on a rather chilly morn on the

section of Amish shared path.  As usual I am afraid of the

snakes getting killed by traffic on the bike path so I always

move them along.  The large black snake was so cold still

I had to pet it a bit to wake it up.  I'm good with them coiling

and striking as I am always ready to jump back.  Non poisonous and

not too toothy.  The garter was warmer and by the time I

bent over it, she said "adios and good bye".

Now this tree stump is actually a 200 year old

headstone in a Catholic cemetery.

I come across some unusual things as I enjoy my

rides. The paths go through small villages and

I try to tool around the streets if there are no hills.

The Virgin Mary alcove was built in 1932 but the

church was built in 1830 out of local quarried

stone.

Unfortunately for the congregation, the church closed in October

2023 due to lack of priests.  Nearly 200 years of Masses.

"Well, you've bored me out of my gourd.  I bet most hoomans have

nodded off if not run off screaming to their graves.  First killer snakes and then

cemeteries.  Java Bean, I am furry sorry fur this post. I hope

you do not have to go back into therapy fur this."

Java Bean at The Oceanside Animals was bitten by a 

rattler earlier this year.  

https://dennisthevizsla.com

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and a comment.

It is much appreciated.

Witchy Woman, she got the moon in her eye

 "Lynn, no one wants to watch the bouncing ball and sing along with you.  They are here to help me keep an eye on you."

"I nevfurr know when you are going to git up

and maybe give me a scrap of food.  I feel

like I must always watch out so you do not furgit 

about feeding me."

Precious, like you are going to let that happen!

"Well, maybe I can relax a bit and do some 

sun bathing 'til later."

This would be me if I had two cats, I am sure.

Thankfully with just a lap full of Precious, I get

to sit in the chair instead of on the top of it.

Pink lilies for Seney.  But with 98 degrees here

in north central Ohio, I do not expect them to last long.

What weather!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and a comment.

It is much appreciated.

Nutty Squirrels

 "Lynn, what are those crazy skweerls doin' in my catio! I must git

out there and defend my property!"

Back in late February we realized that there was a 

nursing female gray squirrel trying to supplement her

food intake with any and all dropped bird food.

We soon realize what tree she was nesting inside of

and watched for her all the time.

She ended up with 3 babies that now have learned 

that bird food found is easy pickin's.

Precious was sound asleep about 6 PM in her usual

state of the evening.  All of a sudden we both heard 

this clawing on the patio door glass and other odd 

noise.  The vertical blind was closed already as she

and I were spending a long weekend alone and I have

to get the house closed up before we sit together.

This 15 pound girl with all her sharp claws launched off

my lap and flew to the back door.  I ran with her

and we managed to open the blinds just in time to see

one of the baby squirrels run up and down the screen door.

Then it ran around all the patio flower pots trying to figure

out how to escape.  It finally found the place where it's

head would fit under the wood fence frame and ran like

it's tail was on fire.

I scooped Precious up and we got back in our usual

position until 8:30 PM

"I will have no introoders in my catio.  It's bad enough

when those deer hang their heads over the fence."

One of my 3 astilbe.  I have an all pink perennial flower bed

for Angel Seney, and things come on one at a time.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and a comment.

It is much appreciated.