A HUGE Snapping Turtle

 With our five kitties having just made our usual cat—walk after breakfast, over the bridges and wood trail, we spotted a MONSTER.

Looking from the bridge down into the creek that is.

No wonder they are also called mud dragon!

It was quite a monster!

Guess our kitties do know instinctively that they better avoid such a monster!

They were just over 13 months old here and they followed us like doggies.

Now they don't do this anymore and of course they have become senior kitties.

~

BUT remember our Kwekkie with a wounded foot?

Before that, we had other ducks with the same wounds.

Guess those snapping turtles try to pull them down as prey when they're hungry.

Related link:

Pieter's NEW Love—While I was in Limburg | Kwekkie with her wounded foot

10 Biting Facts About Snapping Turtles | Interesting info with videos

Rolling our Bikes in the Sunshine

 August was a rather WET month with too much rain...

Good for the yard and the farmers — but not good for riding our bikes!

At least for planning a longer route that is.

NO—there is no black spot between my eyes... just shade.

That is a happy WeFie from August 28.

August 28 it was 32°C and not raining after a long time...

Pieter at a sturdy built bridge over big creek.

We stop for a sip of water and a brief break—at 93.5 you can't go on and on!

The weather on September 18 was again a lovely 31°C

Me at the same bridge for a sip of water... not from the creek but from the bottle 😉

Contrary to Limburg/The Netherlands where you have safe bike lanes AND lots of stops with a bench and often a coffee shop nearby.

We paid Kyle Wayne Dinkheller a visit at his memorial in Dudley, close to Interstate 16, where he got killed after he'd stopped some guy that was speeding over 90 miles an hour.

Kyle left his expectant wife and 22 month old daughter behind...

Such a tragedy in January 1998 and we will never forget that!

Also how the community came together in supporting his family.

Resting on the cross tire as there are no benches.

On September 21, we spotted a baby donkey on the way over but as we came back it hid in the shade...

Cute as can be!

On sunny September 25, we rode in 31°C

Spunky girl greeted us on the driveway, where they love to chill out...

During the devastating hurricane Ian, even our area was affected by the weather change.

Only 18°C on September 29

Another happy WeFie from October 6.

Yes, a blissful relationship on wheels...

Our lovely Indian Summer was back with 28°C

Lovely stretched out fields in the hilly area on October 6.

On October 9, we rolled again and here I'm standing on the side of an overpass over Interstate 16.

October 9, it sure was lovely weather at 25°C

After squatting down on the cross tires during our previous ride—we spotted these seats for taking our break.

Easier for getting up at our age 😉

Happy me on said bench in Dudley, almost having devoured my rice cake...

Just as I was about to leave, I spotted this plaque:

IN HONOR OF DR. JIM KIBLER

BY

HIS CHILDREN

~

Thank you so very much!

Do you find rest areas in your area when biking or walking?

Bandido (Dido) and Sacha caught a Crayfish Cambaridae

 Living with kitties is never boring!

They exposed us to wildlife we both never knew we had on our property!

Our 10 month old Dido brought this into our garage.

At first we thought it was a little crab...

Dido did run and was not letting us see it.

One of its shears was off and it also held its tail under its belly...

Dido's catch looked more like a Procambarus talpoides or Mole Crayfish.

Our almost one year old (on March 30) Sacha (Bandido's sister) brought one inside our bedroom at 10:00 PM.

This one was complete and now we clearly could see that this was a Crayfish or Cambaridae.

Crayfish are the food for bullfrogs, snapping turtles, raccoons.

Guess our kitties found them interesting living toys...

Quite interesting those 5 naughty kitty siblings!

How often I've had to 'rescue' some critters—and yes, I used to make that trip in the night across the lawn towards the creek. 

Have you ever seen a Crayfish?

Related link:

{R.I.P. SACHA GIRL} | previous post by me 

Part X - Cape Town, South Africa | previous post by me where we ate the best crayfish ever!

Bandido (Dido) found himself a Cicada

 Dido has always been a rather feisty kitty bandit; hence his name Bandido.

We rescued his Mamita from Acapulco and also his Daddy no doubt was Mexican.

So, on September 2 at 10:00 PM our 5 months old kitty Bandido did bring this into the living room.

At that time I had no clue what it was... a locust, a beetle?

He did not want to bring it outside, though once he brought it downstairs...

We always wonder how they manage to come through two cat–doors, then up the stairs!

Related links:

{CICADA} | previous post by me

Bandido (Dido) did bring us this just Morphed Cicada | previous post by me

Our Garden Blooms in Summer

 It is about time for showing you some photos, taken on September 8...

Things blooming in our garden.

On September 8, I walked around and captured some of our summer blooms.

This is a beautiful summer Azalea, in a pot on our patio, right below the kitchen bay window.

Hummingbirds LOVE it!

Crocosmia blooming abundantly!

Showing you the actual size of a Crocosmia flower...

On September 8, our Hydrangea paniculata, Limelight a late–summer and autumn blooming variety that starts indeed out a bit 'greenish'.

Kwekkie still checking IF there is one more kernel left from her breakfast...

She is on our driveway in the morning—together with the kitties, waiting for breakfast!

A happy duck!

Our Liriope muscari variegata, near the driveway are blooming...

A Moonflower Ipomoea alba, around breakfast time—after blooming at night.

An insect is inside.

New Moonflower Ipomoea alba buds—ready to unfold during the night at our Rose Arbor.

September 8, I spotted the first Spider lilies in bloom and more buds to open soon.

Our Spunky girl—inside the garden hose near the driveway...

On September 12, showing you the HUGE size of our Moonflower's leaves!

Yep, they LOVED all that August rain...

On the trellis against the storage room underneath our balcony... Moonflower Ipomoea alba vine. 

That trellis photo did NOT show the Moonflower Ipomoea alba's actual size!

This was early morning, during a darker day so they thought it still was not yet DAYTIME...

Our Oxalis are blooming again!

They got all whacked off with a weed eater—by our over–active garden crew!

But since those are bulbs, they did come back.

Our Hydrangea paniculata, Limelight on September 22 in the sunlight.

And on the fence, the Potato Vine or Solanum laxum 'Album'.

Hoping you enjoyed our summer bloomers!

Do you have anything blooming in summer?

Related links:

Azalea Society of America | Late Blooming Azaleas at bottom

{Crocosmia} | previous post by me

{OXALIS in Our Garden} | previous post by me

{Our Liriope Muscari - Border Grass or Lily-turf} | previous post by me

Pieter Capturing his Progress on the Wood Trail while I was in Limburg

 While I was in Limburg, Pieter got determined to finish our Wood Trail, adjacent to the gazebo, till the greenhouse in the back.

A short 2:26 minute video of his progress on this Mega Task.Taken with Pieter's limited iPhone on June 5, around 15:50.I'd gone to bed and was asleep when I woke up shortly past midnight and used my iPhone for another video–call via WhatsApp, to tell Pieter that he better uses his iPadPro instead, as that is unlimited. This is the immediate result, captured at 18:30 after supper, in this short 1:30 minute video.Quite a challenge for getting past our HUGE laurel oak tree Quercus hemisphaerica.It made me feel very proud of my 93–year old Pieter who is tech–savvy and also very clever in conducting this final task!

The grass looked rather lush and you can see Kwekkie standing near the pond.

Greenhouse in the back and gazebo to the left.

Speckie, our youngest kitty–girl, is watching over the wooden poles that Pieter hauled back home for placing under the Wood Trail, for elevating it out of the ground so it won't rot that easily.

Thus we stayed in touch over 8,000 km away from each other but still maintaining a Blissful Relationship and Pieter also had the kitties as companions...

Related links:This section got last done when Mom was in her final days | previous post by meHusband Pieter Finished Restoration Work on our Bridges on Wood Trail | previous post by me

Eastern Phoebe Reside in Front Porch with Babies

Our newest residents...

Eastern Phoebe is a flycatcher...

Just a few weeks ago, when my severe midback arthritis pain did not permit me to bike,

I started walking the wood trail through our wood garden.

I left through the front door and noticed a broken bird egg on the tiles in our front porch...

This was on May 17...

SAD sight!

Looking up, I spotted the nest, on the ledge above our Vintage Woodworks...

Clever, as it is rather high!

On May 23, I captured its resident...

It turned out to be the Eastern Phoebe, a fly catcher.

We sure were thrilled knowing what it was!

Here I spotted both; male and female Eastern Phoebe.

How sweet!

You hear our senior kitty Dido in the background, as I captured them through our dining room window.

Here it is on the railing and I love its eyes.

Insect eaters, so they catch also mosquitoes; a bonus to have them around!

Just like our tiny bats on the driveway side, behind the gable vent.

We have had lots of heavy rain and since I have to get up often during the night due to my kidney problems, I noticed that the Eastern Phoebe was high up on the nest.

Pieter mentioned, maybe there are chicks in it?

So today I took the lightweight aluminum ladder from the garage and brought it upstairs.

 Looked inside the nest, with my iPhone on selfie setting...

Guess there are four babies, 3 beaks are visible but the other is moving as well.

Thrilled to have them!

Are you having any birds nesting around your home?

Our Garden in May

 May is still a pleasant month here in the South; not yet too hot and plants and shrubs thrive.

Our Yucca lily is putting on a show again...

Yucca lily is a happy potplant and rewarding us annually with blooms!

So are our loyal Oxalis!

Snapdragons are quite happy and perform if they get plenty of water...

Happy yellow!

Oakleaf hydrangea or Hydrangea quercifolia.

Oakleaf hydrangea with Rose Arbor and Gazebo...

The bumble bee that flew around did not want to pose for me...

Yes, our kitties live in Paradise.

Lounging here under the Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, left is Tiggy–Tiger and her brother Spooky to the right of her.

Palm tree is doing well and our fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' is blooming.

On May 19, Pieter made this photo of a bloom of our fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' and it measures 26  cm or 10.5 inches in diameter!

And it is double, two layers of petals.

Happy kitties lounging after supper!

Still sunshine around 18:00 o'clock and I love the shadow of the palm tree on the garage door.

The driveway is very warm from the sun and Spunky girl is stretched out, her brother Spooky in the grass...

Gazebo visible in the back and a tiny greenhouse in the distance to the right of it.

This is from the front, as I walked around our property and on the wood trail.

My first exercise on May 17, after my severe mid–back arthritis pain...

When I opened the repurposed mailbox (bird house now!) in the wood garden, the Carolina Wren flew out and I saw that she had now Baby Birds!

Read more in my previous post with photo of nest with eggs→: Husband Pieter Finished Restoration Work on our Bridges on Wood Trail

So glad that Pieter timely did remove the white egg, the brood parasitic bird one, just before they hatched, without disturbing her! 

Did not want to leave it opened too long, nor disturb the 3 Baby Birds; two beaks are clearly visible here.

Do you have birds nesting in your garden and/or around the house?

Related links:

Variegated Yucca Lily Blooming | previous post by me

213 Countries Visited - Welcome Sint Maarten and my Pinterest + Yucca Lily | previous post by me