Tag Archives: nature

To Be So Loved

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Meet my boo, my bae, my sweetie:

Every morning he waits for me on the deck by the patio doors. Sometimes I almost trip over him because he’s always underfoot, trailing me from the deck to the garden and back again.

When I first noticed this behavior, I thought he had somehow become stranded on the deck and was asking for help, so I put him him in a box and released him on the grass, but he came right back.

He turns his head back and forth as if he’s listening to me, “Good morning, little guy!” “Is it hot enough for you?” “Here’s a bowl of fresh water in case you’re thirsty.”

At night, he looks through the screen door, but that’s where I draw the line. He’s not coming in, not even if he shows off with a few sets of those lizard-y pushups. #boundaries

One occurrence would be nothing to think about, but this happens daily, so I guess I’m in a relationship now.

I brought him a green hornworm from my tomato plant and he gobbled it up. Since my love language involves feeding and caregiving, that made me happy (and a little grossed out).

Most of my research says that lizards symbolize resurrection and rebirth. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, the symbol of the lizard was representative of plentiful abundance. A lizard in one’s house is often seen to represent an old friend or acquaintance.

Gotta go, my boo just came by for breakfast. 🐛

Phytophile: Word of The Day

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A phytophile is a person who loves plants, and for me, that includes dandelions! Phytophile comes from the Greek words phytòn (plant) and philìa (love or passion).

Last week I rescued a six-foot ficus and a sad little cordyline from the nursery clearance section. They were dried out and cruelly discarded. These once beautiful specimens simply needed a bit of my tender, loving care. They quickly perked up and are both now enjoying the good life here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.

Margaret Tarrant

More about the adorable and functional dandelion…

Dandy Lion

Come With Me

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“I know you’re tired but come, this is the way…” Rumi

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

It may look like a hot and dusty trail, but I think it’s paradise. Let’s explore this path together.

An Empty Nest

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I learned something new today. I read that freshly hatched doves are silent; unlike most birds that chirp or coo incessantly for food, baby doves make virtually no sound.

I didn’t hear anything for a couple of days, so I climbed up on a stepladder to see inside the nest and there was this gorgeous little one gazing at me with his gentle round eyes. I thought there were two eggs, but there’s only one, and he seems quite content.

Baby mourning doves are ready to fly and leave the nest when they’re about two weeks old, but they stay close to their parents and continue to be fed by them for another week or two.

The nest is now empty but they’re still here in the garden, and even came to visit me on the deck. I feel lucky to be chosen as a safe haven for these placid, peaceful creatures.

Makin’ Babies

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There are a lot of doves around here AND a lot of hawks. I’ve actually watched them hunt doves, and because they’re not the most swift birdies, it’s not even a contest. The hawk wins every time. It’s a traumatizing experience for ME because there’s nothing I can do to save them from their terrible fate.

Yesterday, I noticed some ripe grapes in one of the arbors in my garden so I climbed on a ladder to snip the cluster when I spied a rough twig-filled nest wedged on top between the vines.

Camouflaged so adorably was a mama dove sitting in the nest looking right at me with her big round eyes. I think there are two eggs in her nest.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

I grabbed the grapes and climbed down as fast as I could to not further disturb or scare mom.

I’m not sure this is the most secure location to raise a family so I’ll do all I can to keep them safe. “You can trust me, mama dove!”

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

A dove pair may raise two families in a single summer. Mourning doves mate for life – about seven to ten years. If a mate dies, the remaining dove will persevere in its futile attempts to evoke a response from its lifeless mate. Driven by hunger, thirst, threat, or nightfall, the bird will ultimately depart. SAD!!!

Doves are mainly ground feeders which makes them extremely vulnerable to being swooped up by predators. They’re almost 100% granivores, feasting on grains and seeds from wild grasses, weeds, and herbs. I stopped filling the bird feeders because of RATS and squirrels so these guys are on their own, but that doesn’t seem to bother them.

Like all birds, Mourning Doves are unable to sweat, so to stay cool during hot weather … they pant just like a dog. Panting requires the doves to drink a great deal of water due the excessive loss of moisture to evaporation. Doves are one of the few species of birds that drink by sucking up their water instead of taking a bill full of water and letting it trickle down their throat. It can suck up its total daily requirement in less than twenty seconds.

Symbolically, it’s believed that when a dove visits you, they bring a message from a loved one who has passed away or a sign of peace and comfort during times of grief. Two doves together symbolize unity, partnership, and love.

I left the ladder nearby so I can check on mama’s progress. Soon, I hope to hear the chirping of hungry little dove babies.

Let Them Be

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Ever so gently
Just as we
Shall be
Let them all be
Let the ladybirds on a rose bush be
Let the worms deep down in the earth be
Let all the little creatures come to me
Let all the elementals come to see
Ever so knowingly
Just as we
Shall be
Let them all be

A little poem by Athey Thompson
Art by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Elaine Bayley

In Pursuit of an Enchantress

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Lately, I’ve been acting like Sherlock Holmes in my quirky attempts to capture this elusive Monarch butterfly. It’s like she knowingly teases me–such a coquette–flitting all around but never staying in one place long enough to capture her beauty. “Here I am; oops, now I’m gone. Catch me if you can!”

Yesterday, my patience paid off!

Purely bewitching…

FYI…did you know that the brilliant Leon Russell was the pianist on Bob Lind’s recording of his song, Elusive Butterfly? It’s TRUE, Leon was everywhere with his musical genius.

Here’s she is, in all her glory on the flowering California native sumac, joined by a couple of friendly bees:

The money shot: symmetry, color, perfection…

Check out this older post with video of Bob Lind and Elusive Butterfly.

Whale Songs

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Along with today’s rare alignment of Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus, one of the most impactful astrological events of the year, July’s full moon is next Sunday and I can already feel the energy, how about you?

My dreams are crazy intense. I dreamt of whales swirling all around, smiling at me. There were other, darker, sadder dreams that woke me up and gloomily lingered for the rest of the day, but the whales only brought a delightful yearning to speak to them and join in their song.

This is the juvenile California Gray Whale that became lost and almost dangerously stranded in our lagoon.

Lucky me got several super close up photos and videos. At one point, his eyes locked onto mine and I tried to mentally direct him back to the open ocean so he could join his mom. Eventually he did, but I’m sure I had nothing to do with it.

It was an otherworldly experience, as are all my whale and dolphin sightings. There is no greater joy than the exquisite joy that brings tears from our heart and soul.

Wild Bunny Ambivalence

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Did you know that a family of bunnies is called a “fluffle”?

My garden is home to a fluffle of wild rabbits. Sometimes they frustrate me because they eat every single blade of grass, even pulling out the roots, and it’s literally impossible to reseed the bare spots they create.

This is where the ambivalence comes from; a love/hate kind of feeling. On one hand, they’re cute, especially the babies, but rabbits can be quite destructive, and there’s not much that deters them.

One of my neighbors who complained about a similar problem suggested shaving Ivory or Irish Spring soap around the area to discourage the buns and I might try that to see if it really works or if it’s an urban myth.

However, this little guy greets me every morning when I open the patio doors. He’s always perched on the deck bench and devours grape leaves.

What’s even freakier is that he sits at the screen door and watches me, even at night. I have to remember to securely latch the screen because I think he’s trying to come in the house.

Because of all the rain early in the year, the vines grew crazy big. I covered the grape clusters with little white mesh bags to save them from the buns and other critters, but I’m happy to share a few leaves, especially since they’re pesticide-free.

Love Is All You Need | Rescue and Thrive

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A couple months ago, a neighbor was planning to discard half a dozen orchids she thought were dead or dying and asked me if I wanted them before they ended up in the trash.

That really broke my heart, as I have a soft spot for animals and plants (and a few humans) that might benefit from some kindness and attention, so I took them all.

When I brought them home, they were sad little things; dried up, starving, and so thirsty that I could feel their pain, so I immediately submerged them in filtered water and set them in a quiet and shady place to drink all they needed.

I pruned some of the withered bits, found pretty pots for all, and decided to give them some time to heal in a loving environment.

This is the first orchid that has rewarded my caregiving with a spike of stunning color!

Let me introduce my rescued baby, a pink Phalaenopsis Elastic Love, also called Moth Orchid.

She is SUCH a drama queen and thrives as the center of attention!

The remainder of the rescues all have new growth and are throwing spikes, too, which brings an overwhelming sense of joy! All they needed was a little tender, loving care.

What an absolutely amazing way to start a new month!