Thuja occidentalis 'Golden Globe'

Last week, husband Pieter did find a beautiful Thuja occidentalis 'Golden Globe' for planting inside a big planter on the patio. Click on the pink hyperlink for info by the Missouri Botanical Garden.

We love anything variegated as it adds beautiful color to the garden and goes very well with our home's exterior paint color of Golden Mist by Benjamin Moore.

A true GOLDEN on this Thuja occidentalis.

Unfortunately, this Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes we found dead on the driveway...

Don't you LOVE these golden leaves?

Love its name 'Golden Globe'

Our Tiggy-Tiger girl loves to photo bomb...

All those big planters, Pieter found on sale and he has spray painted them in a matching color.

Patio is not yet clean as again we are expecting some tornado like weather.

Good for getting rid of the pollen but dry leaves and catkins all come down on the balcony and patio.

Our eldest, 13-year old Barty boy poses proudly next to the planter with lovely Thuja occidentalis 'Golden Globe'

Thank you for your visit!

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{For Mom & Dad's Visit in 1996 We Tamed a Mockingbird}

Yes, for Mom & Dad's visit in 1996 we indeed did tame a Mockingbird!

Feeding it walnuts from a ramekin and luring it inside our veranda.

Step by step, literally up the steps, past the threshold (that was the scariest moment!) and into the veranda onto the tiles.

This was the sight from our bay window area in the kitchen on Thursday morning, March 21 in 1996!
Poor quality photo, but it still shows enough about the special bond.
Not only did a Mockingbird come inside, but also a Brown thrasher and a Squirrel!

Dad told us the first morning that he did not believe his eyes, he wanted to pinch himself for making sure he was not dreaming...

We were quite successful pulling this off with only a bit of practice for a couple of weeks.

Once we sat the door open and called them, they would come in.

Pieces of nut flying in all directions.

Since we have cats, of course we no longer could continue doing this!

For those in Europe that don't know a Mockingbird.
It is often also called the American Nightingale, as it has quite a repertoire, singing and mocking other song birds!
We love them, they're such happy singers.
Also love the Brown Thrashers, they're like gardeners and you can see specks of soil etc. literally flying when they search for worms and insects.

Hope you enjoyed this photo about one of our tamed Garden Critters!

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{Monarch Butterfly - Danaus Plexippus}

On November 12 I was lucky to capture a beautiful Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus while it was feasting on a Citrus Flower.

This is a screen shot from the video I made.
There is a spider inside and on the video you see it come outside.

Twice this Monarch butterfly opened its wings for me; very kind!
Do you notice those thorns on the Citrus tree?
They are mean as hell for bringing inside and out of the greenhouse...

Hope you enjoyed this beautiful Monarch butterfly! Related links: {Aptenia Cordifolia or Heartleaf Ice Plant} | previous post by me showing a Cloudless sulphur butterfly {Out of Body Experience} | previous post by me showing a Giant Swallowtail  google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics  

{Aptenia Cordifolia or Heartleaf Ice Plant}

One of our Pot Plants that performed very well was the Aptenia Cordifolia or Heartleaf Ice Plant

This herbaceous perennial is such a tropical gem from South Africa!

No it's NOT a succulent...

Photos are all taken on October 10, this one at a moment with less sunshine...

Sometimes we get lucky and are able to catch a lovely butterfly!

Here you see the cloudless sulphur, Phoebis sennae (Linnaeus)

All tones of yellow with our retaining wall in Golden Mist by Benjamin Moore

Hope you enjoyed the Heartleaf Ice Plant and Cloudless sulphur butterfly!

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{Black and Yellow Argiope Spider}

When the weather is nice warm and sunny we can admire these Black and Yellow Argiope Spiders in their web. Their latin name is Argiope Aurantia.

They are beautiful and it is sad to know that they live only about one year.

When the first hard frost comes they die...

Here she has a FAT prey!

Seldom to have them eye-level as she had her web in the planter boxes on our driveway's retainer wall.

Here she is mending her web...

And down again...

One last shot early morning with my iPhone 6 Plus.

Happy days with sunshine for humans and for our Garden Critters!

Enjoy your weekend.

{Golden Silk Spider - Charlotte's Cousin} | previous post by me

{Our Golden Silk Spider aka Giant Wood Spider} | previous post by me

Black and Yellow Argiope Spider | about Beneficial Spiders in the Landscape
Black and Yellow Argiope Argiope aurantia | more info 

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{Carolina Wren on Nest}

You have seen photos before from a Carolina Wren on a Nest, in the greenhouse and such.

This time it had her nest in one of our fiberglass window boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati, on our kitchen bay window.
In my header, above, you can see the bay window... this nest was to the right.

When I walked around the bay window, with my camera, I could just capture her on the nest.

Our White  Verbena are not looking happy here; they actually died off.

But how clever to build against the corner, under the protection of the roof extension!

Related links:

{Wren's Nest} | previous post by me

{Wren Nest in Our Greenhouse} | previous post by me
{Our Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate from August 1997} | previous post by me

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{Wren's Nest}

Sometimes tiny birds can surprise you with building a nest in a very odd spot...

Look where a cute Carolina wren build her nest!

Inside her nest...

Lots of leaves are being used as entrance...

Yep, inside our greenhouse, on a shelf in an empty pot!
Wondering if it is the same bird, or related to the one we spotted in 2011...

Related link:
{Wren Nest in Our Greenhouse} | previous post by me

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) & Brave Furbabies}

We went to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and the weather was perfect after 5 days of heavy rain. So glad that we completed early this year all the Water Control Projects; what a blessing for never having to worry again! 

Christmas day was so LOVELY and SUNNY that we went for a walk!

Coming back we spotted about NINE Turkey Vultures, up in tall trees near the creek across from our property. So I investigated and found an entire RACK OF RIBS alongside the road across from our home. Did the neighbors drop it from their shopping bag? But it was naked...

So those huge Turkey Vultures were having a yummy Christmas Dinner!

So quickly Pieter grabbed our Nikon camera and attached the 200 mm lens to capture these images for you...

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura)

Size: Length: 64 - 81 cm according to the website's link above (just click it).

Or for US standard: 2 1/2 feet length with a 6 foot wingspan or 1.83 m!
Mockingly they are also called here: CONFEDERATE CONDOR!

Photos are heavily cropped and Pieter zoomed in from our driveway, without tripod...

How in the world could an entire rack of ribs end up alongside the road?

This Turkey Vulture LOVES it!

Our Furbaby, Spunky-girl is being brave...
All her hair upright and a very bushy tail! All her hair spiked up to look BIGGER!
 Looking at me like asking: Mom do I have your back?!
Sure you do Spunky-girl!

Okay Mom; I will attack!

She scared me, as I feared for her getting pecked at by those long and sharp beaks!

Her tiny sister, our 6-pound Tiggy-Tiger is all 'bushy-tailed' with hair spiked out and ready to join Spunky!

Look at Tiggy-Tigger as she too tries hard to look impressive with all her hair up; doubling her size...

That upright bushy tail!
Good for not having ANY traffic on Christmas Day in the afternoon...

Our cat-boy Spooky joins in now!
He too walks across the street towards those Turkey Vultures...
Watch him act BRAVE! With his arched back...
Both of us never have seen Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) from that close!

They stayed high up in the trees near the creek's edge of our neighbor's property.

Waiting for their turn to dive...

Impossible to capture all nine of them by zooming in from across the road.
But this was quite a Christmas Adventure!
I've learned that our Furbabies understood far better than their human parents that these mighty birds ONLY attack carion and not live animals.
I thought they acted very BRAVE!

That was our unusual Christmas afternoon adventure with the Furbabies after we got home from a walk...

Next morning, the entire rack of ribs was gone!

We did not let our Furbabies eat from the greasy meat and luckily they stayed inside with us.

Mariette on Google+

{Ebony Jewelwing}

With our new camera I was intrigued by a lot of Ebony Jewelwing flying near our creek...
But how difficult it is to capture them!
When I was trying to capture the more colorful male up close this afternoon, I had to give up...
This makes me even more admire the excellent photos that Noushka takes from Dragonflies.
She is an excellent photographer, just have a look at her 1000 PATTES or 1000 TRACKS.
So below is what I got to share with you.

This is a male but I could not get his body clearly. 

LOVE their face!

The female with the white spots on her wings.

Again a female...

A male, resting on an Orontium Aquaticum in the creek

Same Ebony Jewelwing male...

Related link:

Calopteryx maculata Ebony Jewelwing as seen on Bug Guide

{Our Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate from August 1997} | showing our creek with the Orontium Aquaticum

Mariette on Google+

{Praying Mantis}

Most of you might know the Praying Mantis already. Just caught one on camera the other day...

Long legged insect...

At the entrance door to our Rose Suite...

Not easy to make them pose for the camera!

Told him that a white back ground would make him look better...

See how he looks at the camera?

Related link:
Profumo di lavanda.... | Italian blogger friend Anna showing a Praying Mantis below...
True Facts About the Mantis | Youtube video showing their carnivore behavior...

Mariette on Google+

{Golden Silk Spider - Charlotte's Cousin}

One more time I like to show you some pictures of our Golden Silk Spider. Even more so because my husband Pieter is momentarily reading his Nook-book: 'The Story Of Charlotte's Web' and that made me think of our Golden Silk Spider as Charlotte's Cousin! Are you afraid of spiders or are you in awe of their webs like I am?

These Golden Silk Spiders sure are fascinating!

See the MALE?

He is so tiny, at the top left...

Look at their web!

They use dry, tough and sticky threads for building their huge webs.

Through the book: 'The Story of Charlotte's Web' Pieter did learn more about how they manage to bridge their web over such a vast distance.

We had several of them in September but now they seem to have disappeared.

Those females die after they lay their eggs so probably their life's cycle has been fulfilled...

Related links:
{Our Golden Silk Spider aka Giant Wood Spider} | previous post by me
Charlotte A Cavatica: Bloodthirsty, Wise and True 
Barn Spider | for A. Cavaticus

Mariette on Google+

{These Wasps Stung Me Near my Eye}

On September 7, when we finished putting our LPG Gas Tank on its new spot after I made photos, I liked to snap some shots from our white bird houses in the gazebo. On my previous post about Our Gazebo (see link below) I got some comments about our bird houses. So I thought why not show them up close...

Oh my; I was in for a surprise. When I pulled the drawer out with its heart shaped opening, I felt a sudden pain around my right eye. Turned out that wasps had built their nest inside... I dropped the drawer and went inside the house to put some Tea Tree Oil on the spot that was burning so bad. It was my right eye, my only good eye... Now I was tearing from the Tea Tree Oil but it sure helped to take out the burn. 

This photo I had still snapped right after being stung and when I'd dropped its drawer...

I did sit at my PC for uploading the LPG Gas Tank photos that I'd just shot, to check if they were okay.

Doing that, teary eyed and still hurting, I heard a FB comment come in and when I did check it was my sister-in-law, in The Netherlands, asking me what is a John Deere EZtrak. I'd written on FB to her that with all the underground springs in our garden it still causes a problem for Pieter on his John Deere EZtrak. He got stuck twice already.

With my swollen and teary eye, I did Google it for her and typed my reply, that it is a Zero-Turn Mower, with the note that she herself easily could have looked it up via Google.  

Wow; that was enough! So much for nice relatives that bug you at the wrong time...

I did give my eye some rest after that... It gave me quite a scare as I got stung three times; close to the corner of my eye, below the eye and to the side of my nose. 

This is almost an hour later, that's what was inside in the top part of the bird feeder. 

I went back to the gazebo for revenge, to spray them all to death. 

With the rains we had not been able to fill this particular feeder with some nuts inside that drawer. 

That's what our little birds usually snack on. 

They even occupied an adjacent birdhouse!

Those little bastards! 

How painful their sting is but they paid with their lives...

What a tiny waist those wasps have...

But still, what a venom comes from them!

Related links:
{Moving Our LPG Gas Tank} | previous post by me
{Our Gazebo with Chair Cushions} | previous post by me
{Our 'GREEN' Bedroom} | previous post by me and last photo is showing this bird feeder up close; last photos
Natural Cures for Insect Bites: Tea Tree Oil 

Mariette on Google+