Monica Knits

Shaq and I went out to pick up the mail. My route is more direct than his, as he waters plants and trees on the way to the mailbox. On his first stop, he flushed out a garter snake; both the dog and the snake were momentarily surprised and froze. Read more ....

This morning at 6:30 I saw a wonderful sight -- a flock of wild turkeys and their young in our front yard. There were 4 adults (at least one male) and about a dozen young, hunting for insects. This year there seem to be more youngsters in our yard, from bunnies, to deer, to birds, due in part to the trees (cover) we've planted and our organic gardening approach. In fact for the 3rd straight year a doe used our fenced front yard as a playpen for her fawn. ... read more about the doe and fawn ...

Many of you read the Gold Flame Spirea article: Not Your Usual Spring Colors - Gold Flame Spirea. In spring (right), it is the equivalent of the burning bush with its vibrant reddish leaves. In summer (left) the leaves are green and the tiny flower clusters dark pink. Click here to read the article: Not Your Usual Spring Colors - Gold Flame Spirea.

This small red rose is visited by an equally small insect that I didn't see until I looked at the photo on a large screen.

Read more ... to see other photos in the "Pollen Gathering" series.