Fleurs, Fins, & Furries

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.

How is it that it seems that overnight and just as the autumn equinox comes to us gently and softly, all the green and furry folks change in alignment? Just harmonious magic as I see it.

While the critter-sightings seem delayed from last year, we now have spied another raccoon mama and her kidlets, and a smattering of skunks but no wee ones.

Just last week we were lamenting that we had not seen one raccoon or skunk baby and then here comes the little family.

In typical August fashion we are popping with busy-ness inside and out. Let’s start with a stroll through the gardens.

We have been experiencing a persistent absence of clarity in the lower pond in spite of our best treatment efforts.

Every year it seems all the fleur-ed folks agree on a timeframe when everyone will pop into bloom at once. This year apparently the end of May and the beginning of June is the consensus.

We are all atwitter with the critter and fleur happenings of late. We actually saw SEVEN raccoons together at our feeder as well as the long-awaited return of our grey fox – yippy skippy!

Considering all the critter action in the gardens recently, guess who is putting their resplendent feet forward?

The koi babies finally are trusting that they don’t have to return to West Palm (hibernation) again this year and that the warmer, sunnier days are here to stay.

As vigilant as I believe I am about my green people and the seasonal machinations of the Earth Mother, sometimes they sneak up on me with surprising grandeur and a side order of mischief.

We had hoped that April would present itself in a fashion far more ‘typically normal’ than the UNADULTERATED & UNEXPECTED SHOWING that March gave us.

Today revealed to us one of the incredible serendipities graced to us by the Earth Mother.

No beekeeper in his right mind would consider opening a hive let alone harvesting honey early-spring for a myriad of reasons but we have learned to trust our instincts when it comes to our bee babies.

This little romance is so comical we simply HAD to share it with everyone. Several years ago, we created a holiday tree out of broken pieces of mirror.

As we await another onslaught of cold and blustery weather, it seems all creatures and beings – feathered and green – are preparing and peeking, each in their own unique and perfect way. Our feathered folks are stocking up.

I have become so enamored with the feather folks recently I have had to make a commitment to save NO additional images of them – ha!

We are astounded about the new eating habits of the doves leaving the ground to frequent the feeder and lately they have been frequently joined by the cardinals and the rufus-sided towhees giving the jays a run for their money.

With the onset of colder weather, our feathered folks have returned en masse.

Look at our new mama and her late-season babes.

These not-so-youngsters-anymore raccoons and skunks have virtually grown up together and it is heart-warming to see that their ease and cooperation continue.

We have experienced the absolute delight of seeing Mama raccoon bring her FIVE HEALTHY BABES to our feeding station for the last 3 months or so. When they first showed themselves they were about the size of an average lady’s shoe and could not climb the tree.

As the weather portends the coming of winter, many of our friends are moving into a warmer space just as we respond to that going within and hunkering down instinct. A praying mantis prepares to dine on a wasp in the atrium door, and I scurry around looking for those last couple of zinnias and the roses that blush (just the slightest) from the cold nights . . .

With the autumn equinox upon us things are shifting and changing in our outside world. Spider Lady preps her dindin and the night-blooming cereus gives us her last show of the season.