Froggy Days!

  Perhaps it is due to the fact that we are doing a lot of work on the north side of the house next to the Frog Pond or perhaps it is just that I am drawn to the little critters but, here lately, my days seem to be centered around frogs.  I cannot escape the bouncy little guys (and gals!).  This morning, I was not even looking for them and they seemed to find me. Son has even taken to pointing out their quirky little ways to me. Today's critter was whiling away the day in its very own hammock of sorts.

  When Mark and Son started replacing the siding on the north face of the Little Bayou House, we had to do something with some interfering bushes, namely my orange trees.  Nope, I am not moving them.  Nope, I am not pruning them.  I refuse.  I absolutely, positively refuse.  So...the only other alternative was to corral the wide limbs and tie the trees to one side.  This worked well with one exception.  The rope used to tie the trees ran right across the pathway that leads through the yard.  Since this is a well used pathway, things got a bit dangerous.  I was afraid that someone was going to "clothesline" themselves.  The rope was stretched taut and was quite difficult to see so I remedied that by tying shopping bags at three foot intervals.  I now have a beautifully decorated yard...yeah, right.  Anyway, I had no idea that these bags would soon become handy hiding places for froggies. 

  While I was petting a Bronze Frog (yes, actually petting the sweet thing), Son and Son-in-law were discussing deep subjects.  To be honest, I have no idea what they were discussing as my attention was on the frogs and not them.  Only when Son called to me did I venture from the pond.  He pointed to the bags.  Several American Green Tree Frogs had taken up residence in the slings made by the hanging bags.  Cute!! The tiny frogs had found hammocks!  Ok, at this point, those two guys got a bit tickled at their mom being excited over frogs.

  This whole froggy diversion has made me ponder on just what will capture my attention when we move to the east side of the house.   Other than painting the siding, our work on the north side is just about complete.  On the east side, there sits the greenhouse and grape arbors! Fun things are bound to be lurking there!  I do know of two Mourning Dove nests and one Wren nest that could be of interest.  Oh, the things I find!

Enjoying the Sunshine While in the Hammock!

  Perhaps my favorite place to be lately is in the greenhouse.  I find myself being more relaxed while puttering around in the midst of plants. They don't ever argue with me!  I have yet to find a controversial bit of foliage!  This winter found me spending more and more time snipping overgrowth from ferns, digging around in potting soil and making hangers for plants.  Today, I rigged up several cutting vases before getting totally sidetracked by the hammock...and its occupant.

  The "hammock" was just an old piece of a fish net that I have hanging on the windows of the greenhouse.  It is strung across the top of the windows and dangles haphazardly onto plants, a birdcage and the back of a wicker chair...my chair.  Once  when taking a break, I noticed that someone was enjoying the warmth of the greenhouse while in that net. A Green Anole was lounging about soaking up a bit of sunshine.  What a perfectly lazy way to while away the hours!  

  The Green Anole is sometimes called (miscalled) the American Chameleon.  This is due to its ability to change colors from bright green to a dusky brown depending on its surroundings.  It is NOT, however, a chameleon.  The color changes can also relate to activity. When the anole is actively feeding on plants, it changes to bright green but when it is lounging about in a relatively dark place, it reverts to the brown stage. My little buddy, today, was blending quite well with the color of the netting.  During its stay in its private hammock, the lizard was gazing out the window.  It was probably in deep thought about what it will do for entertainment this summer and was probably hoping that I do not remove the netting!

Fit for a Princess!

  Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, has suddenly been exiled to the garden patch.  Since she and Ms. Put, the Bayou Queen, are not particularly happy when they are near each other, I have to find ways of separating the pair.  Cats can be so very fickle!  Ms. Nycto had spent the winter nights sleeping on the foot of my bed since Ms. Put had claimed the rest of the house.  I had no problem with this as a big fluffy cat can be the nicest foot warmer in the world!  Now, however, that has all changed.  Ms. Put realized that another cat had found a nice, comfy spot in "HER" house and she was not at all a happy camper.  Ms. Put took over the bed and poor Princess has been booted all the way outside!  Keep in mind that this was not by my choice!  I loved having Nycto with me but the Queen rules.

  Since the weather has warmed, things were not too bleak for the Princess, though.  She found that the straw covering my pineapple plants made for a cushy bed.  The area was protected from any predators by the garden fence and from the north wind by the house.  I guess it was about as comfortable as one could find if stranded outside but all things come to an end.  The pineapples started growing again and the coverings needed to be cleared.  I got busy and cleaned the gardens of all the frost-preventing straw and never thought about Ms. Nycto's bed.  

  Come nighttime, poor Princess was without sleeping quarters. She opted to sleep on the porch rail snuggled in an old oyster sack. I felt terrible!  The next morning saw me trying to make her a place that was at least as comfortable as her straw mattress.  Pondering the situation, I hit upon an idea.  Since she could no longer sleep in the corner of the garden near the pineapples due to their pointy leaves, I would raise her above the ground!  She would have a hammock!  A bit of ingenuity came into play and soon a raised wire platform was suspended from the cucumber fence to the herb shelf,  Over this, the cleaned oyster sack was folded as a mattress.  Ahh, yes!  Now for the test.  Would Princess love her bed or would she prove to be miffed by my efforts.

  I am pleased to say that the idea was a success.  Ms. Nycto loves her new perch in the garden.  She has the freedom to roam when she wishes but still has a nice comfy bed.  In fact, she spends most of the day lounging on her bed.  I do think she likes being a bit higher so she can see what is happening around her.  She also has access to the greenhouse during rainstorms or cool nights.  I think this might be a solution to the cat-fight over sleeping quarters!  Once again, the old Queen rules. 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads who spend their time providing for their family. Those men who go above and beyond to see that their children have everything from diapers to college educations. The men who see beauty in a mud-covered son and the brilliance of a daughter creating with Play-Doh. The men whose hearts burst with joy the moment their child is born but whose hearts break when this same child leaves home to set out on his/her own. May God bless all good fathers! May God bless my children's wonderful father!

Hubby enjoying his Father's Day Gift! One that Son has dubbed.."Dad's new workout equipment!" Ahh well, I think he deserves a break!