11.21.2014

Some Of It



From my walk of yesterday, I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, a very thick sweater and a windbreaker jacket. This guy, he was fishing with only a short sleeve t-shirt on!

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I'm so glad Oreo found the rope left hanging at my tree form a tire swing.
Now she spends her time playing with it, and gives me a break.
She is full of energy, (think of Energizer Bunny) I can't keep with her!

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 Butterflies  in three different stages caterpillar, chrysalis and finally butterfly. (Couldn't find an egg picture)

This year I started a new adventure, rearing caterpillars. Caterpillars are listed as crop pests and
they do eat plants all the way until there is not a single leaf left!  But I plant the parsley, fennel, snapdragon,
rue, and many other plants just for them. In return I have these beauties flying all over my garden.

Black Swallowtail female on the left and male on the right
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Some tree branches are still on summer mode.

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"Junco is a common winter visitor to many backyards. In some regions, this bird is resident year
round, but in many regions of the US, their arrival signals the beginning of the winter season."
(From random internet bird site.)

Juncos are not  residents of my region, I saw this one at my backyard
yesterday,  one more hint that  winter is near!

Sharing with you and Willy Nilly Friday

11.19.2014

Seedlings


Coneflower seeds.
One of the awesome things about being a gardener is that I get to witness how 
the little seeds from the above  became these tall plants full of pink flowers below.

Coneflower at my garden,  from 2010.



I planted these seeds back in September, it was time to put them in their own little pot. 
Then I will plant them at the garden where they will go to sleep in the winter to 
wake up  sometime in the spring,  when weather gets warm.


Oh, my life in the city! Most of the things I do, I do them inside my cage. 
We around here call it fence, got to have it, it also comes in handy for the picture's backdrop.



Cutie is always around helping me, where would I be without him!



 Have you ever wondered how long are the roots of a 2" seedling?



Being patriotic, 2010

Poor guy, he works so hard that he passed out in the middle of the job!





Coneflowers  among other plants,  from 2010.



11.15.2014

Mid-November at Leticia's Garden


Clematis

Here are some pictures of what I have blooming at my garden in the middle of November. 

 Last night was the first time the temperatures got really low around here. I walked through my 
garden this morning to see what the frost had done and the only flowers I saw damaged were the 
dahlias and black eyed susans. Which made me very happy because not just I get to enjoy many of
my flowers for a little longer, but I can also use the pictures I had already taken for this post! 

Snapdragon
'Dancing Dolls' Salvia,  and Black Eyed Susan
Johnny Jump Up
Wood Aster
Cone Flower
Plumbago on left bottom and Blanket Flower
 After blooming Snapdragon
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Blanket Flower  
Agastache
After blooming Anemone 'September Charm'
Penta
Blue Salvia and Penstemon
Turtlehead 'Hot Lips'
Clematis on the fence with Lantana in the back
Knock Out Rose
Coreopsis
Lily 'Happy Returns'
Bearded Iris
Clematis with the fall orange color of a Myrtle tree at the background
Blanket Flower and unknown plants
I'm so happy to have these many flowers at my garden!
But I have to confess, it is also full of weeds, as you can see in the picture above.

After not caring for my garden for 2 years, the lilies, evening primroses and black eyed
susans, have taken over. In the last couple of months I have been uprooting some of them
which left me with a lot of  bare spots that the weeds have quickly filled in.

Currently I'm putting down mulch, which it might be a little too late, at least it'll give
some nice curb appearance to my home for the winter. Thankfully I have the cat to help me!



 Joining May Days Dreams for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and to Floral Friday Fotos

In a Cat's World



Here is my cat spaced out into his own little world, meticulously licking his paw.
Watching my cat groom himself is a joy. He even makes licking  noises as if  he is
eating a juicy mango or enjoying a drippy melting popsicle.







While he is in his own little world I can go on taking  as many pictures of him as I want.
But as soon as he becomes aware of my presence and the camera's sound, he goes from a  very relaxed cat to a very annoyed cat. As if he's saying "How dare you come and interrupt my cleaning ritual!". 


Sharing with you and Saturday's Critters and Camera Critters

11.14.2014

Some Of It

This is my window view, so pretty! That myrtle tree is on fire!


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By now you probably have heard of what happened to 43 students from a place called 
Ayotzinapa in Mexico.  It's a very sad story! But things like these have been happening
in Mexico for awhile now. And Mexican citizens are tired of it. So in their frustration that the
government appears to not care about them, they have gone violent. If the government
is doing it's part, is hard to say! The government has to deal with the mafia which is
interweave with the government itself!  Please pray for Mexico.

Here is a video of students from around the world that want to use the social
media to show support to Ayotzinapa.


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My son asked me for toothpicks.  I told him where they were and 
I guess he found them, because when I went to his room this is what I saw!


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Here is  a short video of  the Veteran's Day parade at Colonial Williamsburg. 
(Please excuse the blurriness, I'm new at the making videos job.)


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This is it! Today it will get down to 31 degrees! As much as I don't want to, I think is time to say good bye to my wishes of playing with the waves and feeling the warm sand between my toes! 'till next year!


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