Fleurs, Fins, & Furries
at The Surgeon’s House
December Flora and Fauna
December always proves to be full of surprises inside and out. The 4 raccoon siblings are all grown up now and resplendent in their winter coats plus they appear plump and healthy.
Samhain Blessings Inside and Out
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral – blessings one and all. With a glut this week of the ALL-TIME SWEETEST yellow peppers on the planet, we jumped at the chance to use them in as many ways as we could imagine.
Fall into Paradise
In a not-so prolific flowering season, these guys are making up for lost time.
The United Nations
Would that we humans could get along and accept each other’s differences, right? In all our years we have never seen anyone but pigs socialize with pigs and here these youngsters seem just fine. Is there a lesson somewhere there? P.S. and a side order of skunk.
Profusion! Abundance! Opulence!
After a relatively UNremarkable blooming season earlier this year, this afore taste of autumn in collusion with the supermoon offered up a plethora of wonderment in dahlias, lilies, our spider person, virginiannas, critters big and small, and finned fantastics to name a few.
Magical Weaving
Our treasured anemone virginianas have finally given us something to gawk at when we are done absolutely marveling at the intricacy and weaving ability of this spider that google tells us is a common house spider!
Play Date and More
Our little faithful raccoon family was quite busy recently scavenging and making friends with the skunk.
Summer’s Bounty
The latest monsoon rains have absolutely electrified the gardens and sent us heirloom tomatoes, okra, basil, peaches, and pears. Mind you, we are NOT putting Del Monte out-of-biz, but these darlings good-looks are exceeded only by their full-bodied flavour.
We Just Can’t Resist!
Summer continues to wend its way through August and we still feel monsoon-cheated. We are pleased that this little family is finding food and most importantly water. Indulge us by enjoying them yet again.
School is in Session
Well finally, and what seems to be months too late, we were visited by our first raccoon family this year. Mama brought her four kindergarteners for their premier visit and training session in foraging and tree-climbing.
Luminous – A Wild & Precious Life
This summer’s blooms have not been as spectacular and prolific as years past so when we are given a show-stopper like this dahlia it truly gets our attention.
The Silent, Secret Summer Visitors
Although the ladybugs have been in short supply, we have a few other neighbors keeping themselves busy this month. With our datura in full regalia where it volunteers in the veggie shed, a praying mantis has taken up housekeeping.
Eat up Girls!!!
With summer in full swing, we are not only rain dancing for another round of monsoons but praying the gods send more ladybugs whose favorite snacks are the dreaded aphids that attack the new rose growth. This girl needs to chow down!
NOT the Dog Days of Summer at TSH
With July in full swing heat-wise, our feline crewmates, Latte Papa, Fiona Papillon, and our new youngster Braveheart Primo are redefining the proper approach to the CAT DAYS OF SUMMER!
Little Altars Everywhere
During the beginning of a long, hot summer, we look for and relish our little miracles and pleasures where we can. Miss Fiona Scritchies Papillon has established a drive-in theatre vantage point (replicating her time at Allen’s when we left the cat video channel on for her in our absence but this time for REAL) behind the honey shack from which she can monitor all feeding station visitors.
Welcome to June
June has barely begun and here comes summer in all its spicey glory. Latte Papa has taken up back door greeting duties.
Look at What is Happening in Jerome
If you want to see what is REALLY happening in Jerome that you won’t see anywhere else, take a gander at what is happening at The Surgeon’s House aka our Coconut Island in the Sky.
Get ‘Em While Supplies Last
If you ever doubted that Jerome is worth visiting, take a REALLY QUICK look at what the gardens are offering right this minute.
Beauty and the Beast
Only a mother can love some of these endearing signs of the spring equinox and admire the dexterity of getting dried off.
Oh Joy Oh Joy
Just when you think it is safe to go nursery shopping. . . when all the Indian signs told us that it was good to nursery shop to regenerate our pots, we had second thoughts as the temps dropped abruptly and down came the ‘sky juice’ so into the honey shack went all our newbies.
Could Spring Be Springing?
As we near the middle of February, the Earth Mother is gifting us some teasers of better, brighter times to come. Life of all natures is peeking and poking out. See the evolution of the hellebores from barely peeking, to bud, to flower.
Praise Be but where are your buddies?
The regrettable extreme overpopulation of the javalenas in our area is tragic and it is continuing.
Beginnings of the last hurrah
As the temperatures continue to dip and the wind is showing its more fierce side, a few hanger-oners and unique visitors present themselves.
New October wrinkles in the landscape
Just when you think you have seen it all, Mother Nature throws us a couple of curve balls. The falcon and the selfie of the skunk are first timers.
Fall simply Fell!
Both inside and out, one minute it was late summer and then FALL FELL on us with colder temperatures alongside that glorious pre-winter sunshine. Joshua and Juan tackled pruning of the ash tree while a new spider woman moved in and the anemone virginianas appeared in all their glory.