Thursday, March 29, 2012

Crab Apple Blossoms

A fleeting moment
Of most fragile perfection
Then gone in a breeze
I am linking up with Floral Friday Fotos and Haiku My Heart! I am also linking to a new (to me) meme this week - Flaunt Your Flowers at TootsieTime!!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Tussock Moth Invasion!

The first order of business is to apologize for the quality of the pictures. My son took them at his college apartment. He does not have a high quality camera in his phone. But, one day he went out to his car and the caterpillars in the first two pictures were EVERYWHERE! Literally hundreds of them! They were even all over his car. The second two photos are of the cocoons. The third picture is of the cocoons - again HUNDREDS - around the screen door on his patio. The fourth is an individual cocoon.

I have identified these as the Tussock Moth. I am going to try to link to a moth expert that I have found online and see whether we can find out why they SWARMED like that and whether that is normal Tussock Moth behavior. By the way, this is my second son, Richard. He is in Tampa, Florida, and his apartments have Live Oak trees with Spanish Moss and azalea bushes. (I am listing this information in case that helps explain why so many were here.) I am participating in Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, because I know Michelle will think this is cool - LOL! And, because I want to share this with everyone and hear theories on THE GREAT MOTH INVASION.

By the way, isn't it a weird coincidence that I JUST did that post for Nature Notes about the other moth cocoon that I had found in Ohio?



On a fairly unrelated note - I thought Nature Notes users would like this - I was on Google Earth and right on their main page you push "Connect" and then there are buttons to push to take a street level TOUR OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN JAPAN!!! I did it - its cool!! :) >

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Macro Mondays - Green Dogwood!!

I took these pictures of the green dogwood tree that grows next to my parents from door. I love this tree! (I hope you do too!) I am sharing it via Macro Mondays. <--Here is the link. The button is at the bottom. Thanks!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Redbud Tree

Here is a Saturday Snapshot of a redbud tree in bloom in front of the house. From the balcony, I can see hundreds of bees buzzing around it!
I am linking this photo up with Saturday Snapshots over at Athomewithbooks.net!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Forsythia

I just entered my first (top) forsythia photo in the Spring Photo Contest over at pullingmymaskoff!
Wintered over sticks.
Brown and dry. Dead and brittle.
Yellow! Spring bursts in!
I have linked with Floral Friday Fotos and also with Haiku My Heart! Click on these links and take a look at the other photos and haikus!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Polyphemus Moth Cocoon

I actually found this in the hills of Southern Ohio last fall. I was waiting to photograph and share it until AFTER I had identified it... So, I think I have it! I found another blogger - Biodiverse Gardens - who had found the exact same thing in a similar habitat. I will let you click through to her site to see what the moth looks like because it seems wrong for me to copy the picture after the help I got from this other blog in identifying the cocoon!
BTW, as usual on Wednesdays, I am linking to Michelle at Nature Notes - see the button below. (The website is Rambling Woods, and Nature Notes is the meme.) It is really fun; you should check it out :)

Monday, March 19, 2012

Bradford Pear

This is the Bradford Pear that blooms in my parents yard every year! And 'yes' every time I see it, it makes me smile! Therefore, I am hooking this post up with Leigh Vs. Laundry (don't you love the name of that blog?) Pay her a visit and link up something that makes YOU happy! I am also hooking up to "Sweet Shot Tuesday." Why not push the button below and participate too!

Sweet Shot Day

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Fungus on a Stump!

Look what I found! It is not gross - its cool! I found it growing on a stump in Loveland, Ohio. I think it is called Auricularia cornea (Jelly Ear Fungus). I googled "fungus." Please do not ever do this. You would not BELIEVE the problems some people have with their toe nails(!) Anyway, it matched the pic of this type of fungus. Here is another shot!
I am linking with Ramblingwoods.com for her Nature Notes meme on Wednesdays! She is passionate about nature and has some awareness info at her blog about saving the frogs and the monarch butterflies.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Yellow Weeds!

Today I am participating in the Mellow Yellow blog meme! Look at the yellow "weeds" I found just lying by the side of the road ;) This is fun and easy to participate in....go to: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Crocus in Ohio

Crocus

When I was a child
I was surprised to see a
Crocus in the snow.
I am sharing this with:  haiku my heart friday (corazon.typepad.com); tinaspicstory.blogspot.com; floralfridayfotos.blogspot.com

Friday, March 2, 2012

Flowers near Downtown Tampa...and a Haiku

I took these pictures near downtown Tampa around the end of February 2012. The fuschia is Bougainvillea. The wierd orange pod with the bright red seeds inside is a weed(!) that was growing on a vine in and around the bougainvillea. The orange flowers are birds of paradise.

The Bougainvillea

On the brick wall in the sun

The endless summer.




I am sharing this with: haiku my heart friday (corazon.typepad.com); tinaspicstory.blogspot.com; floralfridayfotos.blogspot.com