Leaf Skeleton

I found a mostly decayed leaf a few days ago and hung on to it for a bit. I actually might go back and try another angle or two.

Jumping Spider

Pretend you saw this yesterday. This guy is living in a mason jar in my kitchen. I caught it in my mother's car after some finagling. On the way back from the Stone Zoo it decided to come out from under my car seat. It was a bit cold, and I hate to release critters where they didn't come from, so it now lives on pinhead crickets. It certainly seems happy and loves its crickets. No idea on species, as these guys all look rather alike if you don't have a microscope. Its back is black, with bright orange spots on the abdomen.

Dewey Lupine

It required growing from seed, but I finally have a nice healthy lupine. I tried six seeds, only two germinated, and only one survived its first winter. That one is now on its third year. I love the leaf shape enough that I almost find the flowers secondary. I have an amazing frost picture from the plant last year, and I keep trying for a good dew picture. This comes close, but I really want dew on both sides of the leaf without cheating with a spray bottle. Looking around the yard I have plenty of planting I need to do soon. I was lazy late last year and have 4 or 5 pots that need to go in the ground along with a list of plants I need to move for their own good.

Glory of the Snow

I'm not clear on the naming of this flower. We planted them out front a number of years ago and forgot the name for a while. When I finally looked it up, I couldn't believe their name. These guys flower well after crocuses, some of the iris, and even a few daffodils. These wait until the snow is thoroughly gone before coming up. At least snowdrops don't lie about their name. I've seen them coming up in the snow.

More Lettuce

I'm not sure yesterday's picture shows the true amount of lettuce I planted. The bed is 3' x 8' and I filled it with lettuce seedlings.

Lettuce

Mom keeps bugging me about the lettuce. Back in March I dumped a lot of lettuce seed in a whole half of the vegetable garden. I used to actually count out the seeds and only plant a certain number. This year I just dumped them and soon I'll let Mom go through with scissors and clip the crowd a bit. Organic lettuce is so very expensive that with 5 packs of seed we only hit the price of one package of lettuce. I kept them under plastic and they're all now starting to look like lettuce. Work is keeping me a bit busy, but so far I've kept from cooking them.

Water

Lady's mantle, another plant that didn't survive last year. This pic is from 2009.

River Otter

Another pic from the Stone Zoo. I have maybe two more that are any good. I was stuck using my longest and cheapest lens, so it only focused perfectly with a fast enough shutter speed a few times.

Puma

I missed Friday, oops. Here's a mountain lion to make up for it. I went with my cousin to the Stone Zoo, which was actually better then I thought it might be. I was there late last year for their Christmas lights display, but half the zoo was closed during that, so I missed a lot.

Another Crocus

I will endeavor to find something other then crocus to photograph tomorrow. It might not work, but I can always try. Maybe I should at least get out of the yard.

NH Clouds

I forgot about this until I cleared off my little point and shoot camera yesterday. Two weeks ago I drove up to New Hampshire and picked up my cousin. I'm actually going to do that again tomorrow. I also took a few cloud pics in a parking lot. I have to get back in the habit of dragging my little camera everywhere I go.

Chomp

This crested gecko has been around almost as long as the corn snake from yesterday. Too bad his temperament isn't as nice. Cleaning his cage involves trying to avoid getting your finger munched while getting him out so you can clean around him. I really wouldn't mind if he was a little less of a grouch. The younger female I have is quite docile, as are most other crested geckos I've handled, so I really don't know where the attitude is coming from.

Char the Corn Snake

Charcoal Corn Snake

In August of 2003 I was working at a chain pet store. I'd already brought home a few critters (leopard gecko and ball python about that time I think), but I really wanted a corn snake. One day a batch of hatchling corn snakes arrived. Half sold out that day to employees. I picked out a pretty gray one as I hadn't researched morphs at all and liked the colors, I got first pick as I was unloading the box. That gray corn snake baby grew up to be Char, my favorite snake. He or she (I'm not interested in breeding so never have the sex checked) is approaching 5 feet now and is on a bit of a diet as he is just too good about eating. This snake refused food exactly once. I dropped a defrosted mouse on his head and he went on strike for a week. He will be 8 years old this July (guessing based on date of arrival in store and standard hatch times) or so. I've had this snake longer then I've had my dogs. While I have five snakes there are only two I will never be re-homing. I like the other three, however if I had to give up some they would be going first as I am nowhere near as attached as I am with Char and Bruce (my first ball python).

Phlox I Miss

You know how something always dies over the winter? This plant gave up around August. It was always a plant that bloomed more then was healthy, often to the point of collapse. It was planted cascading out of a raised bed, but the dirt in the raised bed has been disappearing. I have almost 8" from the soil surface to the rim now (I'm probably ripping apart the bed and moving the remaining few plants) and it was too far for the Candy Stripe Phlox. I may try again with a small plant this year if I have the funds and a good location, as it really was one of my favorite flowers. In my yard I have luck with blue phlox, but any solid pink I've planted keels over within a season.