A Step Away From Ones Normal Day

What I love most . . .  other than a farmed and forested landscape . . . is one by the sea. Here before a large window in the Provincetown Library I see many fishing boats, rooftops and a lighthouse calling out beneath a huge blustery sky. It is 'time out' for me and I hope to have the sea deep inside of my being by the weeks end. 

Each November I look back over the year from here and sort the many pages of my life. I think of all of you and how blogging has enriched my understanding of gardening and peoples of the world. I am so thankful for your many kind words of support and enjoy visiting your worlds around the globe through our shared love of nature and our gardens. This year . . . though having been a challenge . . .  has brought forth very sweet happenings and memories. My son is happily married and tomorrow he will become 30! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAREST SON! 

The library lights are blinking . . .  it is time to go. Have a great week everyone! 

Wild Visitors for Blooming Friday

Actias luna

One morning in July I found this lovely pale male Luna Moth sleeping on the clapboards next to the front door of my house. I carefully lift and carry this beauty into the studio, for he would surely have become lunch for a Chickadee had I not eyed the moth myself. He can continue dreaming of a mate more safely indoors on this plant. (If you have time here is a great video of the Luna Moth life cycle.) He continues dozing until dusk, then I hold him out into the night and watch as he awakes, quakes and using my hand as a flight pad . . .  takes off . . . his ghostly wings uniquely flapping side to side rather than up and down like most other moths and butterflies. I have only ever encounter them in May never seen one this late in the summer. I felt like I was given a gift. 

What a life . . . having no mouth . . . no need for food . . . a Luna Moth simply sleeps all day and  flies about all night, with one goal . . .  finding a mate. They have one full week of life in this manner. In my garden, the female may lay her eggs in groups on leaves in the Shagbark Hickory tree.

Male Luna Moth . . . the wide full antennae are the giveaway. 

Luna Moths are so incredibly beautiful. Someday I will post about a spring, when nearly thirty come to visit over a period of a couple weeks. I imagine my human visitors may have left their outside light on during the night, which attracted this moth. Birds appreciate the mistake and feast on sleeping Saturniidaes. I have seen the hunt and try to wake the moths, but mostly they just fall to the ground . . . this is why I began bringing them inside to have a safe place to sleep. I try to remind guests to turn off their outside lights. I will not deny that in this case I am not upset about the remiss. 

White-tailed Deer  Odocoileus virginianus

Oh, I see you little one! I have often called my farm 'Flower Hill Fawn Care'  for sometimes a doe will leave her babies to sleep in the flower borders or hidden within the shrubberies, while they roam further to forage. I was lucky once to see one doe at pick-up time. Remarkably the Deer do very little damage to my gardens. We have an understanding most of the time.

This Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana

This creature cannot seem to make up its mind . . . going up . . . or going down?

Bobcat Lynx rufus

One of my most amazing visitors . . . you can see my earlier post on this Bobcat along the side bar. He takes my breath away!

Coyote Canis latrans

I am happy to finally see this fellow in the light of day. We have known each other in the garden at night . . . he or she growling at me, when suddenly realizing I was nearby. The frightful sound pierces my solitude and I do not feel quite welcome, as I jump out of the hammock . . .  from my quiet moon watching meditation . . .  shouting towards him while clapping my hands. I can see a form running away, but that night I did not have my flashlight. 

I would like to think that my presence just makes her uneasy, as I am so quiet and the wind may be blowing in the wrong direction for my scent to be detected. We have another encounter the next night in a different part of the garden. Perhaps she is just caught off guard and her growl is more from fear. Equipped with my light this time . . . I can see her form more clearly . . .  with those eyes lit up staring back at me. Wild creatures such as Coyotes and Bear run away when frightened then stop and turn around . . . looking back at what it was that scared them off. Finding this rather disconcerting I always walk with a quick step . . . not running. . . back towards the safety of my house. Alas, I have given over the night garden to the wildlife. Most likely this Coyote would not harm me, but it is a wild creature and I respect its right to be here too. Often there is a pack howling and carrying on in the garden. Their chilling calls are thrilling. This one seems to be a loner. This gardener/farmer greatly appreciates their skills at hunting rabbits and voles. I worry for the little fawns and yearlings, while knowing there is a balance at work here. Coyotes are native and have been wandering the land for millions of years.

 Least Weasel

I am very grateful for this little critter too. I only wish he or she would not raid bird nests. Weasels do enjoy dining on rabbits and voles as well. There is the danger with all these predators . . . for the larger ones to kill the smaller predators. I think Weasels and Ferrets might be better at controlling Rabbits. I hope they are more clever than the Coyotes. 

Catbirds are rather brazen at times . . . here they challenge the Least Weasel. 

I love that my gardens and land are home to so many different wild creatures. I do sometimes wonder just who is the visitor here. It is Blooming Friday over at Katarina's  Roses and Stuff  be sure to visit to see other garden visitors from around the world. 

Autumn's Grand Finale on Flower Hill and Hills Beyond

Thousands of Rock Maple leaves, Magnolia Soulangeana, Miscanthus and Gray Birch

Miscanthus before Oak

Metasequoia 'Dawn Redwood'

Crabapples before blazing Metasequoia and White Birch

Last of the Birch before forest of Oaks on Walnut Hill and High Ridge

English Hawthorne and Continus  with many Oaks in background.

Apple tree before Blueberry field

Japanese Maples and Oaks before forest of Oaks on a hilltop

Buddleia 'Black Knight' 

Native Highbush Blueberries

Continus 'Smoke Bush'

Korean Lilac out of time

Native Black Cherry

Magnolia stellata, Miscanthus grasses, Rock Maples

Asclepias before Sumac

Cimicifuga and Bombus

Chrysanthemum and Monarch Too Late for Mexico

All these photos were taken last week during an afternoon walk around the garden. It was a warm day after a few warmer days and I guess this butterfly finally was able to emerge from her chrysalis. Alas her wings are odd (Being due to a lengthy confinement. ) and she was not able to fly very well.  I spotted her  hanging in the rabbits veggie garden . . . she looked very vulnerable . . . and as there was nothing for her to sip . . . I waited patiently for her to climb onto my finger and carried her over to these lovely flowers offering sweet nectar. She stayed on my finger until I placed her near the flower. Her proboscis unfurled right away. 

A storm was due during the night and all the next day, so just before dark I picked the flower and brought them both inside. She did not object. I would have cared for her, but she was not content to be a house guest. It is better to be one's true self . . .  no matter if only for a day or two . . .  than to be a prisoner. She did fly out into the garden the next day, when the rain stopped. I never saw her again and hope she escaped the birds and had at least one free full flight as a butterfly. As she was quite a miracle already . . . I like to imagine she somehow smooths her wings and  soars over hills of trees, rivers and fields to some place warmer . . . one can hope. It was a lovely walk that day and her presence in the garden made it more magical. 

This will be the last of Autumn colors here . . . temperatures are dipping into the high twenties at night and all the leaves will soon fall . . .  leaving a naked and cold landscape. Trees are  interesting subjects of sculptural beauty at this time of year. The awe and mystery will last for a few months, before I long for them to dress again.

Muse Day Marvels of Sky Marking Time

The sun will set and call the curtain

The days end with rising light

Brightly shining mirroring might . . . sailing high . . . into inky night

Till another day sends the darkness away . . . starting with a sliver . . . a ray . . . a cracking

Then spilling out as time continuing. 

We stride along with it . . .  our daily lives . . . taking note of changes in the sky. 

Join Carolyn for Muse Day.