Category Archives: Garden: Verb and Noun

Spooky Creepy Spider Webs

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It was so foggy last night that I could barely see across the street. This morning it revealed hundreds of spider webs shrouding my garden.

I’m all ready for Halloween!

Here are just a few…

The spider webs are literally EVERYWHERE. I hadn’t noticed them before today.

I almost walked right into this one but I looked up just in time to snap a photo. If you look closely, you can see the beaded foggy drops sparkle like diamonds.

No spider web, just three dewdrops on a grape leaf…it looks like rain but it’s created by dense fog.

A Very Very LONG Lizard

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I didn’t have time to grab a ruler or measuring tape but this lizard was LONG. I actually first thought it was a snake, but my gaze followed the tail all the way to its body. I see these guys every so often, but they’re not as common around here as the smaller ones.

The California Alligator Lizard was named after its large head and big jaws. The alligator lizard really looks like a mix-up between a lizard and a snake with a body twelve inches long or more and most of its size made up of its tail. They’re yellowish-tan with black stripes and a gray belly.

Alligator lizards are carnivores that eat insects, ground beetles, crickets, hornworms, and grasshoppers. They are opportunistic feeders that take advantage of any resource they can find, including cannibalizing their own kind if that’s the most convenient food source. Whatever they catch and can swallow whole is considered fair game, from tiny flies to baby mice.

I read that they bite when cornered, so I’m glad I didn’t get too close. I was once bitten by a smaller lizard that I tried to rescue and that hurt a LOT. I can’t possibly imagine how I’d get this big one off if he latched on to my hand. You can read about that other time HERE.

Save a Life 🐝

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Since I was fortunate enough to NOT die last week and still slightly anxious from that near-death event, I stayed home this morning.

As I was taking out the trash, I saw a single bee on the deck. I crouched down to get a better look at the little guy and while he was still moving, he seemed lethargic and tired, but not dead, thank goodness.

I ran inside to get a shallow plate which I filled with sugar water, placed a rock in the center, and brought out a toothpick. I set the plate near the little bee and watched as he took a couple of sips from the drops hovering at the end of the toothpick.

I scooped him up with a seashell and placed him on the rock in the plate. After the thirsty little guy drank a bit more of the sweetness, he gathered enough energy to buzz away.

There are no pics of that miracle because I was too intensely focused on bee rescue, but I felt really good about the outcome especially since I’m allergic to bees and have always been afraid of them.

Bees are incredibly hard workers and if you do find a bee on the ground for an extended period of time, then in most cases there is nothing wrong with the bee. It simply needs a little rest. It’s pretty easy to revive tired and exhausted bees. A simple solution of white sugar and water can work wonders to give them the energy they need to fly away. 🐝

Sunday Vibes

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I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree. –Joyce Kilmer

I looked up from weeding the veg garden at green leaves and the bluest sky kissed by the sun. There’s a bird singing somewhere in there but I couldn’t locate it.

Had to snap a pic before this ash tree loses all its leaves for the season in the process called abcission. I wrote about that here: https://enchantedseashells.com/2020/11/20/the-process-of-abscission/

#SundayVibes

Colorful Coyote

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I hardly ever see my backyard friends during the day so this was a huge surprise, even more so because I was actually outside at the time.

I have no idea how I missed observing this beauty in real time, but it was such a treat to check the camera and discover my silent visitor up on the hill.

Isn’t his coloring beyond beautiful? I can’t wait to see him again…

Morning Coyote Visit

Hurricane Hilary’s Aftermath

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Hilary visited Southern California all day on Sunday. I took a walk this morning to survey any damage and this is what I discovered…

Even though we had nearly three inches of rain, there was no flooding and it looks like my garden was able to drink in all that water. My plants were so thirsty!

The highest wind gust was about fifty mph, not enough to fell any trees or big branches. There’s a lot of cleanup from leaves, but no deck furniture was damaged.

I didn’t lose power like many others and I’m grateful for that.

I’m left with a bathtub of water which I’ll save for the garden since there’s no rain in the forecast.

Other parts of San Diego experienced far worse. There was extensive flooding and giant eucalyptus trees falling on houses. The mountains and the desert didn’t fare so well either, and it’s going to take a lot of cleanup to restore roads and infrastructure.

In the middle of the storm, there was a big earthquake in Ojai (near Ventura), along with clusters of decent-sized aftershocks. Social media coined a new word; hurriquake–which absolutely describes our crazy weather.

It’s back to normal now, but will always be another date for the history books; the day Hurricane Hilary came to town.
🌀1858
🌀1939
🌀2023

Nature’s Fractal Beauty

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As I walked around the neighborhood I had to snap a pic of this mndblowing geometric perfection.

Agave

Unearthed Primitive Artifact Or…

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Before I even begin my strange tale, I want to be sensitive to negative colloquialisms such as “‘Burying the hatchet’.

The use of this term trivializes the ancient peace-making ceremony in which two fighting nations symbolically buried or cached their weapons of war.

Offensive language like this is a result of centuries of violence and continues to perpetuate stereotypes that have real-life impacts on Native communities.

Indigenous Peoples and their cultural traditions are real and deserve respect. They are not historical artifacts, caricatures, or mascots. (radicalcopyeditor.com)

But I don’t know how else to describe what I just found in my garden…an actual buried hatchet.

Look at it!

It’s a joke from the Universe, right?

I have no idea how long it’s been there or how it became buried near a path that leads to some steps to the second level.

I can’t even figure out how, after all this time, it became UNburied enough for me to notice that bright blue handle.

So with deepest respect, I brushed away the dirt around the buried hatchet.

I’m not sure what to do next. Dig it up? Leave it there? Anyone care to hazard a guess about what it means?

Bigger IS Better…Western Giant Swallowtail

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This giant followed me around the garden all afternoon. I’ve never seen this particular butterfly before, but I think he was attracted by my solar powered pond fountain, and that makes me very happy.

The Western Giant Swallowtail wingspan is about 5.5 to 7.4 inches, depending on gender.

I took a lot of great photos with my Canon but was disappointed to have some kind of error message with the SD card, so I can’t share those more pristine images.

The swallowtail butterfly is believed to represent transformation and embodiment of souls who have crossed over to the spiritual realm. It has also long been an animal that symbolizes joy, freedom, and honour of the soul.

Additionally, in many cultures, the swallowtail butterfly is believed to be a messenger of pleasant news and luck.

Curated from https://spiritualdesk.com/swallowtail-butterfly-spiritual-meaning/

What’s Black and White and Adorable?

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I don’t really know what possessed me to look out my bedroom window at 8pm last night, but I’m glad I did because I was able to meet my new garden visitor, Pepe LePew!

I took this not great photo through the window because I didn’t want to scare my new skunk friend. He strolled through the lawn, dug some grubs out of the soil, and was generally a kind and considerate guest.

Best of all, he’s now joining the other predators like my bobcat, coyote, hawk, owl, possum, and the occasional roadrunner to de-rat my backyard. Even raccoons feast on rats now and again, so I hope my animal family enjoy all they find. I’m exceedingly grateful for their efforts!

The spiritual meaning of seeing a skunk is often associated with self-awareness, introspection, boundaries, and self-respect. Skunks are known for their ability to protect themselves with their strong scent when threatened, symbolizing self-defense and independence.

Come back soon, Mr. LePew!