The Beauty Of The Changing Seasons

She also has some pretty strange squash. LOL

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Hmmmm....after looking into it, I'm not up for the Orchid from seed challenge. Up to 3 years for germination, a specialized process, and then up to 10 years for a flower.

Nah, I'll just get some parent plants. LOL
 
That orchids amazing.. I skipped past the first photo then thought I was looking at a China plate. A doves head with wings up in a militant/ regal like pose...
 
That's an awesome orchid, looks like a falcon.

Another spotted body, Radogast! This one had some wing damage and is also why it is cropped this way.

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I've got one more set of flower pictures I am going to upload yet, thought it would be nicer to separate. :)
 
SmokesDaKush said:
That's an awesome orchid, looks like a falcon.

Another spotted body, Radogast! This one had some wing damage and is also why it is cropped this way.

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:)
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That is your classic Monarch Butterfly. They don't normally get banged up by birds and bats because they concentrate milkweed sap in their bodies to become bitter to the point of toxic. A bird won't eat a second monarch. I suppose this one was tasted by a baby bird. They can live for over a year and wear out a lot of their color, but almost always pretty evenly.

40 years ago, I saw the Monarchs wintering in Pacific Grove, California. Thousands of them per tree. It was unforgetable. The West Coast equivalent of fall leaf peeping in Vermont.


p.s. You posted some beautiful orange flowers there :)
 
Ahhh.... The sweet smell of wisteria. :battingeyelashes: Smokey, such beautiful pictures. It's such a pleasure to find your work here. :Love:
 
Radogast said:
That is your classic Monarch Butterfly. They don't normally get banged up by birds and bats because they concentrate milkweed sap in their bodies to become bitter to the point of toxic. A bird won't eat a second monarch. I suppose this one was tasted by a baby bird. They can live for over a year and wear out a lot of their color, but almost always pretty evenly.

40 years ago, I saw the Monarchs wintering in Pacific Grove, California. Thousands of them per tree. It was unforgetable. The West Coast equivalent of fall leaf peeping in Vermont.


p.s. You posted some beautiful orange flowers there :)
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Another fun fact brought to you by Radogast! :) It's so interesting how nature works, I mean are they born knowing they need to eat the milkweed sap, did their parents communicate it to them or is it just an adoption of like, evolution. Sadly I am pretty sure yard beast got this one, looks like claw marks to me. The good thing is it could still fly.

I guess I didn't even know or put together that they overwinter, never gave it a thought I guess. What a vision indeed. I had to find a video of some to get an idea, hope you don't mind me linking here Canna! Thanks Radogast and the Sunflowers are stunning this year! :)

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SmokesDaKush said:
Another fun fact brought to you by Radogast! :) It's so interesting how nature works, I mean are they born knowing they need to eat the milkweed sap, did their parents communicate it to them or is it just an adoption of like, evolution. Sadly I am pretty sure yard beast got this one, looks like claw marks to me. The good thing is it could still fly.

I guess I didn't even know or put together that they overwinter, never gave it a thought I guess. What a vision indeed. I had to find a video of some to get an idea, hope you don't mind me linking here Canna! Thanks Radogast and the Sunflowers are stunning this year! :)
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I don't mind at all Smokey. I have always wanted to head down there and see this for myself since the discovery of them. It is just amazing!

BTW, that upside down spider shot reminded me of something. Last night I watched a spider in the house crawling up it's drop line. I think I disturbed a lot of them in the garage recently and probably brought a couple small ones in with me. {{shudder}} Anyway....I broke it's line and when it dropped it played dead! Shriveled itself up just like it had died. I waited a minute or so and it unraveled itself and proceeded to move on. I moved my hand close to it and it did the same thing. What an unusual protective defense for a spider. That was cool.....but scary. LOL
 
Canna, I really like your hummer pictures and the way you rigged a perch. Lets face it, any fool can take a picture of a hummer at a feeder. Good job. I was presented with a unique hummingbird picture opportunity today. One flew into the open side of the disposable-diaper greenhouse.

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She was a little frightened while I stood in the doorway and took some pictures but eventually buzzed my head in a mad rush and streaked for freedom. Poor thing needn't of worried. So not a garden foe!

Here's a challenge. Post a hummingbird picture that can be loaded up into member galleries...
 
That's right!! Good job PeeJay! You may have caught a first. :laughtwo: :bravo:
 
ROFL! Peejay, first of all...great job on getting some pics!
Second, I had an almost similar situation today. I put a feeder outside in front of the large garage window and forgot that I left the door open. I was sitting there watching a hummingbird checking out the feeder.....then the window....then off it flew and came right into the garage! I opened the car roll up door quickly and it flew out. :laughtwo: They are the most curious little birds. :)

Yeah, that's got to be a first on the hummer/cannabis 420 logo pic. Tee hee...
 
Cannafan said:
I don't mind at all Smokey. I have always wanted to head down there and see this for myself since the discovery of them. It is just amazing!

BTW, that upside down spider shot reminded me of something. Last night I watched a spider in the house crawling up it's drop line. I think I disturbed a lot of them in the garage recently and probably brought a couple small ones in with me. {{shudder}} Anyway....I broke it's line and when it dropped it played dead! Shriveled itself up just like it had died. I waited a minute or so and it unraveled itself and proceeded to move on. I moved my hand close to it and it did the same thing. What an unusual protective defense for a spider. That was cool.....but scary. LOL
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I've seen them do that before. I didn't mention it but I was collecting seeds from the hollyhock which is where that spider was. Before I knew it was there, I got his web all tangled in my hair and head. I thought nothing of it but when I came in to unload the seeds and go back for more, I had a little guy on my shoulder, a different kind though. Anyhow then I went back out and found that one, can you imagine having that one on your shoulder. I'm pretty chill for the most part but I bet I would of jumped and tried to shake it. :)

That's pretty wild PeeJay! :thumb:
 
My bug identification method on google has not turned up anything on this bug. Does anyone know what this is? Or at least a species type that I can go by? It's only about 1/4 inch or so big. I love the markings, it looks like a wolf face above the head. I need to know if it's a harmful to plants bug though.

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PeeJay said:
Looks like some sort of shield beetle. They are plant suckers and should get squished.
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:thanks: Exactly, I found it!

And, I'm going to have to get over my fear of spiders or move.

I was out checking pistils on the Wildlings, had the loop and my eye all up into the top of this plant when I noticed a large curled leaf near me. I looked under it and saw this:

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I'm still shaking from the thought that it was so close to my face. LOL

Here's a closer look, it was not a small spider by my "keep your azz away" measuring. ;-)

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Cannafan said:
:thanks: Exactly, I found it!

And, I'm going to have to get over my fear of spiders or move.

I was out checking pistils on the Wildlings, had the loop and my eye all up into the top of this plant when I noticed a large curled leaf near me. I looked under it and saw this:

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I'm still shaking from the thought that it was so close to my face. LOL

Here's a closer look, it was not a small spider by my "keep your azz away" measuring. ;-)

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Hope you don't cause spiders any harm, they are great predators of miscellaneous unwanted other creepy crawlies, working hard for your benefit :winkyface:
 
OMeWanCannabi said:
Hope you don't cause spiders any harm, they are great predators of miscellaneous unwanted other creepy crawlies, working hard for your benefit :winkyface:
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No harm, I usually just relocate out of my way. :) I do like to transfer Daddy Longlegs to the plants every now and then. They are great watchers on the plants.
I loved the colors on this spider, but wouldn't want it crawling around me. ;)

Have a great day!

:circle-of-love:

Edit: Forgot to add the description of this dude.
He is a juvenile Marbled Orb Weaver, Araneus marmoreus. Non agressive and seldom bite, venom is not toxic to humans.
They are really awesome looking when they are adults. I had one build a nest in the corner of a bathroom window one year (outside, thank you very much) I watched it grow up. :laughtwo:
 
Hope everyone is doing well. How are things going?


Grizz, did you get your garden planted yet?
Radogast, how is the babbling brook going in the back yard?
Sue, have you had an opportunity to photograph the Wisteria near the care center?
I know how Smokey is doing....same area. LOL
Anybody else have news or good summer things?

I finally have some fruit on the squash plant. A couple small squash. It appears it will not be spaghetti squash, just regular summer squash which is okay too. :)

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Hot and humid as heck around here. Not outside too much during the heat.
 
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