I need to get outside and start cleaning up the garden beds. That will make me happy for warmer weather.
Turtle on cypress roots |
I wish I had a super duper zoom lens! |
I don't know what he has in his mouth. |
Cypress knees |
Turtle on cypress roots |
I wish I had a super duper zoom lens! |
I don't know what he has in his mouth. |
Cypress knees |
We are in the habit of leaving our cat, Murray, outside for a while after dinner/supper (your choice, depending on where you are from) until we go to bed at night. Our back yard is fenced in, and he hasn't shown interest in venturing beyond. He loves being out there alone in the dark.
We let him out if he wants to, of course. He's in charge of us. I wish I could say he is a benevolent master, but he's not. He's self-centered and quite demanding. You know the type!
He killed a rat the other evening. It was his first big "kill" and he was very excited, absolutely beside himself. It was the first time I've seen a rat in our yard, so I was both pleased and horrified over the "kill." It's complicated. In all sincerity, I apologize to all the soft-hearted rodent lovers out there. I'm afraid I would make a terrible Buddhist.
We had noticed he's recently been obsessed after dark, sitting at the bottom of our palm trees in the back yard, looking up and stalking "something."
It was a roof rat. Apparently, they are especially fond of living in palm trees. Notice my wishful thinking in pretending it was just one roof rat? We'll see.
"Call them what you want–roof rats, fruit rats, black rats–but they’re all the same thing. These are the same rats that spread bubonic plague and fleas. They’ve been with humans for centuries, and throughout that time, they’ve been less than ideal house guests. Rats spread far more diseases than the frightening Black Death, though. Others include murine typhus, salmonella, rat-bite fever, and leptospirosis, to name only a few." https://www.myheronhome.com/pest/rodent-exterminators/prevention/
Murray "Murder Mouth" the Cat - my hero |
Yesterday, Tom and I went on the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, and then on to the city of Mount Dora for Cuban food. It was a much needed distraction from reality. This is some of what we saw along the drive.
A big guy in the water on a hot, humid day |
a cute little marsh rabbit, minding his own business |
A shot along the canal, such beauty sustains me |
Egret, fishing no doubt
|
A raccoon, just walking by |
a great egret being chased away by a heron |
That new cat we have, Murray, is a total goofball. Perhaps even a knucklehead. We are really enjoying him. Except in the middle of the night when he sneaks up the middle of the bed to sleep right next to our faces, and then scratches my toes and feet in revenge for moving him down to the foot of the bed. Actually, I think he assumes I'm playing with him when I move my feet.
Can cats be trained?
For most of our marriage we have co-existed with at least one cat. Our last one, Buddy, died 5 years ago. We decided then to forego getting another animal. As much as we love cats, we were happy with that decision.
Our daughter and her family have 4 cats (!). One, Murray, is the alpha male. He doesn't tolerate other cats well. It created a stressful environment for all. Murray needs to be an only cat. He would prefer being pampered, spoiled, and admired above all others. Me, too.
Somewhat reluctantly, we agreed to take him in. It was definitely a rescue, but not of Murray. Our taking him rescued the 3 other cats. We just got him last night. He is still scared and traumatized by the change. He's in hiding.
My husband is the Pied Piper of cats. They all love him, and he loves them. I trust his judgment and approach to winning Murray over, which is to give the cat time and space. There is also some baby talk, treats, and petting. It's a start.
When we went to bed last night Murray was underneath. I was totally cognizant there were now three "people" in the house. It was a good feeling.
A cranky osprey on a telephone pole |
A discarded fish skeleton hanging from a telephone wire |
heron and alligator coexisting |
I think this is a juvenile bicolor heron - feel free to correct me |
Egret with just the right amount of yin and yang in it's neck |
Dwarf poinciana and butterfly. Feel free to tell me what kind of butterfly it is |
The mucky swamp land with a heron smack dab in the middle |
More mucky land, this time with attitude |
This was far from me, I zoomed and cropped like crazy for this closeup |
This was a fat one! They are all unique |
The boardwalk from the cottage to the ocean, surrounded on either side by salt marsh plants |
The moon rising over the ocean, behind a saw palmetto
|
I was amazed at how many different varieties of plant life could survive in the salty sand. |
This sweet little cactus gets a yellow flower on top |
Blanket flower (Gaillardia)? There were also yellow beach flowers up towards the beach. I wish I had gotten a picture of those, they were lovely. |
Red winged blackbird |
Cormorants or anhingas? - they are always on this tree, or what is left of it |
An osprey looking inscrutable and feigning indifference |
The historic pump house at the end of the Lake Apopka Loop Trail |
A big old alligator just trying to take a nap, s/he got angry I was taking this picture (from the bridge...) and got up and left. |
Here S/he is, disgusted and leaving. |
A Blue heron on the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive |
Palm leaf after a controlled burn, Wekiva Springs State Park |
Palm Tree some months after a controlled burn. Still growing. |
Heron on slab at Lake Apopka Wildlife drive, crooked neck |
A turkey taking the high road at Sand Lake, Wekiva Springs State Park |
A palm leaf that continued to grow after a controlled burn, Wekiva Springs State Park |
Turtle on log in Sand Lake, Wekiva Springs State Park, note spider web over his/her head |
The swimming area at Wekiva Springs State Park. Swimmers are supposed to stay on this side of the bridge. The water area on the far side of the bridge is for canoes and kayaks. There are alligators on the far side. A couple of years ago a swimmer swam out there and an alligator attacked her. She lost her arm. True story. The swimming area is shallow, so you would be able to see an alligator if it came there. They don't, though. I'm not sure why not. |
Lubber Grasshopper on red leaf, Wekiva Springs State Park |