My garden moments in the past two weeks have been quite interesting. It is gardening season here in Florida and the weather has been practically perfect, so we've been using the gazebo daily for dining al fresco and taking breaks from our spring gardening.
Today was the first time I've ever seen our red-headed pileated woodpecker on the ground - up close and in person, instead of on high in the trees. He was pecking for bugs on a rotting limb that had fallen from our big oak tree.
He is definitely a big, beautiful bird - it was a thrill to see him live and up close.
That's probably the fifth time in the last two weeks I really wished I had my camera handy. Such a good shot that would have been, he was practically posing in front of my big, green ferns, sigh:).
Yesterday's thrill of the day was a bird of many vivid colors that visited the birdbath - breathtakingly beautiful and exotic looking, I'm still not entirely sure what it was.
Later laughing at a young chick, a sort of parrot-ty looking bird, greenish, yellowish, with all its feathers standing on end, having a ball taking maybe its first bath.
Roly-poly funny.
Half cussing - half laughing at the damn squirrel's antics getting into the bird feeder ... tsking about the bird bully, some grey and black thing that wants to claim the bird bath for himself ... seeing two new birds we've never seen before, apparently stopping over on their way up north.
Get surprised by the red-shouldered hawk swoop by surprisingly low, his wings almost brushing me. Seeing the heron take off with a fat frog in his bill, the frog's legs dangling wildly.
Being delighted by our new neighbor's two-year-old daughter getting all excited about the big turtle sunning itself on the ditch bank.
... and my macabre - favorite moment - dang, why didn't I have my camera on me:
We found a skeleton of a skull a few months back. Not sure what critter, in the back forty, I mean back yard - so I included it in my newest garden design, by putting it on display.
I wondered why it kept falling off its flat stone pedestal:) - well, I got my answer.
Coming around the corner - I stopped in my tracks, here was the black snake all stretched out, resting his head on that very skull.
Just soaking up the sun - he was the culprit who knocked the skeleton off the display stone:)
Btw - the black snake is harmless, it is called a racer and eats the fruit tree rats and other vermin, a good, resident garden snake to have around.
Did I mention huge, pretty butterflies everywhere and a steady buzz of bees, dragonflies and green and blue iridescent flies that hover midair?
The latest ... Mr. R. told me he just saw the first little night owls in a long time ...
Cheap entertainment:). Happiness is that first cup of coffee in the garden while the mist is still in the air and a white fog shrouds the neighbor's home and horse barn and the world is still and quiet and somehow a tad surreal.
I am indeed most grateful for the new neighbor's for not having a parking lot full of business vehicles - now I again have an unimpeded view of the horses out in the field and the old trees hung with Spanish moss.
Life is good.