Raspberry Joy

 

At last I have one!

Purple flowr'ing raspberry -

Behold its beauty.

 

Likin' Lichens

A beautiful lichen pattern on a beech tree

 How detailed in close up!

So much texturing!

This is called a script lichen.

Squirrel Darlings

We were recently graced with the presence of 2 squirrels on our deck at the same time, albeit full of noisy chattering and posturing in between chasing chipmunks. This young one got really close to me, allowing me to wallow in her perfection.

Look at this exquisitely magnificent, gorgeous tail

The other squirrel is well known to us, with a deep fork in her tail. She's molting and is more grey and disheveled-looking by comparison with this sleek newcomer to the perils of outdoor life.

Spider Mom

We've all heard of Tiger Moms and also Spiderman, but this is a whole new scenario ... may I present Spider Mom:

Wolf spiders don't make nests, so they must carry their big egg sac around with them wherever they go. Once hatched, the babies ride on her back as she hunts for food on the ground. They don't make webs to catch their prey, so she must carry her babies with her as she stalks prey -what a burden! I think I can easily count 22 bodies on her back - eek! That means at least 176 legs to account for!