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Greetings and Welcome to http://www.crittersgaloreandsomuchmore.blogspot.com/ and also http://www.gardeneroflight.blogspot.com/ From these spaces I want to share my love of animals and Nature and Life in general. So here you will find stories, information, reminiscences, an occasional bit of advice and a recipe or two. Please check them both out!!!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Uh oh! They Heard About The Berries!

  "Did we hear 'mulberries'? Where are the mulberries? We LOVE the mulberries. We WANT the mulberries! AND WE WANT THEM NOW!!!!!"

   Ooops, looks like the chickens heard about the berries. Sheeesh! They can be SO demanding about things like this!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Soft Closing To A Good Day.

   Its just been one of those days that felt good from beginning to end.  A feeling of peace and well being permeating all the details of actions taken. 
   The evening brought out an outrageous number of dragonflies!!! And flying far above them in layers and undulating waves were the robins. More than I've seen all season.  What a beautiful sight!   
    Here is a little bit of the sunset to share. Wishing everyone a wonderful and peaceful night!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Early Mulberries!!!!

Wyatt's first taste of this year's mulberries.

Another taste to make sure.

"Yep, those are GOOD BERRIES!"

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Update On The Container Garden.

Some assorted lettuce has joined the German Johnson tomatoes.

Found a "chocolate" cherry tomato plant, almost the same size as the Cherokee Purples.

An assortment of vegetables and herbs waiting to be repotted. Want to get buckets from the bakery and drill drainage holes. They would be a good size.   The pear trees are budding out too. Ignore the lop-sided frame. I'll get help to finish putting it up tomorrow.

Perfect Satisfaction!

  Ronan has found a simple recipe for Satisfaction. Take one beautiful Spring-like day. Add a soft cool breeze through an open window. A generous dash of warm sunshine. Mix all these ingredients on a soft blanket next to that open window...and there you have it!  Perfect Satisfaction.
It just doesn't get much better than this.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Mr. Maynard B. Mouth Amidst The Neglect

   This used to be part of the side garden.....all overgrown now! When I caught sight of Maynard glaring at me through the pineapple leaves I could have sworn he was chastising me for all the neglect.
    So now is the time for changing all of that! For one thing, I plan on putting an onion bed in this area. Haven't figured out where I'll move the scuppernongs to yet. But I will have to build a new arbor for them. Better hurry!! They're budding out all ready.  Oh well, with Maynard supervising I'm sure things will go well.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Hermoine Hard At Work.

    I just couldn't resist posting this! Big, fluffy hen butts always make me laugh! And I'm a firm believer in laughing as often as possible. Its good for your Body and your Soul.
   This is Hermoine, hard at work scratching for bugs..... and tilling the soil. She also is a very prolific layer of wonderful brown eggs.  A multi-purpose critter if there ever was one.  Thank You Hermoine!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Some Days Are Lazy Days.

      Of course, I'm not the one that gets to sleep in!!! But Cormac looked sooooo comfortable, I wasn't about to move him just to make the bed. 
    This is a very good reminder to take time to stretch out your body and then just RELAX......  Something that we all should do more of.    Of course, its easier for Cormac. He doesn't really have a care in the world!  He is a cat after all. And that means he just pretty much does whatever he wants....when ever he wants.  Must be nice.
   

Sunday, February 12, 2012

"Rooster Fruit"

Well, Reuben has done it again. "He" lays an egg about every third day. This is the largest and most asymetrical one yet.
Guess I should think about going back to calling "him" Rosetta!

Ouch!!!

   Well, it got colder than they said last night. But I was a little preoccupied and didn't cover up my tender herbs. They got hit pretty badly.
   Kind of like my car. A family member borrowed it and as they were sitting at a stoplight some idiot hit them. Everyone seems to be OK.. Except for Tallulah. (Thats my car's name.) Oh well, thats just one of those things that happen in life and I just have to deal with it. The main thing is that no one was injured.
    Now I have to make sure I tend to the plants as its supposed to be even colder tonight!!!
    And no..... still no sign of Malcolm.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Its Not Going To Be That Cold!!!

   A little more cold weather coming. So the pile of blankets, coverings and cat beds that I brought out were quickly snuggled into. This is Rufus Rupert Uglybutt again, with his brother The Marvelous Magnificent Murphy Mulgoon!!
   I'll have to take a few of the blankets away from them so the yard cats will have some beds up on the porch. I've fluffed up some hay for them too. Need to protect the new transplants. I'm really only concerned with the tomatoes. Everything else should do just fine. It isn't supposed to get very cold.
    Still no sign of Malcolm. Thank you to everyone who has contacted me with their prayers and hopes for his return.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Waiting.......

   Found this photo of Ernie...... and this is how I feel right now.  Haven't seen Malcolm for a couple of days. I'm so tired lately I can't remember which morning I saw him last. Which is really important because one or two evenings ago one of the neighbor's dogs killed a cat. Let me clarify: The dog killed another cat! He seems to have that horrible habit that so many ignored and neglected dogs get. Vicious behavior. 
   I just hope and pray it wasn't Malcolm that I heard being attacked. In the meantime, I just wait and keep looking out the window.................

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Now Here Is A SWEET Face.

   Still doing early Spring cleaning.... came across some older photos. Here is a photo of Ahulee from a couple of years ago. What a wonderfully sweet face he has! But then, he is a wonderful, sweet dog!!! So no surprise there.
   It is a little disconcerting to see how much he has aged in such a short time... but this just serves as a reminder to me to be thankful for the loving, sweet Souls that have graced me with their companionship over the years.  Its an honor to have that much Love and Loyalty surrounding me in this physical life that I live.
   Do you want to know real and honest Love ? Adopt a stray animal, take good care of them, tell and show them that they are loved.  The love they will give in return KNOWS NO LIMITS.     A wonderous blessing. Please keep it in mind whenever you see an animal in need.   
  

I Do Believe That She Is Still Mad At Me!

   Well it seems that Autumn is holding a grudge after I disturbed her the other day. And this photo doesn't even begin to capture her really ornery expression!! But, as I've said before, her personality is NOT exactly what you'd call sweet and loving. I'll give her credit though, she has mellowed a lot with age. She actually comes up every once in a while to be petted!! When she was young she was downright frightening at times! Ha ha ha   The way she can disappear is a bit unnerving. And I'm used to cats and their "normal" abilities to do things like that. She truly is exceptional in many ways......Autumn, the Magick Cat.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Malcolm Having A Hay-Day!!!

   Did I ever mention how much Malcolm the Malcontent LOVES hay? I bring home a bale or two of coastal hay every now and then to use as mulch in the garden and to help create bare-foot friendly pathways. Its soft and decomposes nicely. Adding a bit of much needed organic matter to the Florida grey sand that makes up my yard.
   Well, Malcolm can't resist the stuff!!! It seems to have a mild catnip-like effect on him. He lays on it, rolls all over it and burrows in it like a rabbit..... usually going to sleep afterward.    What can I say? This is a perfect example of when you find what gives you JOY in life.... GO FOR IT!!!!!!

Hey! Who Is That In The Hay?


Is that a nose I see in there? Maybe a whisker or two?

NOW I know who that is!!!

Spring Cleaning and Autumn Don't Mix!

"Why are you waking me up?"
   Decided to start a little early Spring cleaning. Got some boxes from the bakery so I could pack up things for the local Hospice Thrift Store.  That afternoon when I finally got started this is what I found!
Autumn just LOVES boxes.
More precisely, she loves to sleep in boxes. And I WOKE
HER UP! Now, shes kinda' crabby on a good day... so this was NOT a good thing. Her age and size also come into consideration. This is what 14 pounds of displeasure looks like.
Soooo......I'll do my house cleaning another day!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Store-bought Tomato Plants to Scratch the Gardening Itch.

Blossom and a Cherokee Purple
   Trying to play catch-up with seedlings, I decided to purchase a couple of tomato plants. Picked German Johnson and Cherokee Purple because those are two of the many heirloom plants that I have been wanting to try  for ages now!
    I've also decided to try some of the Spring garden plants in containers, mainly because of the knot-root nematodes that inhabit my soil.  I've been ignoring my yard and garden for waaaaaaay too long. Time to change that.



My tomatoes in salvaged pots.
   Pretty meager looking beginnings. But since I plan on redoing most of my yard this year..... this is a step in the right direction!
   The wonderful weather we're having has inspired me to attempt WONDEROUS THINGS!!!

Nature's Lessons: the Mulberry Tree

   Overall, its been a very warm winter here in central Florida. Except for a couple of quick freezes, temperatures have been running well above normal. And all the plants notice. Here is one of my mulberry trees. Don't know the variety... I rescued it too!!! It was on the dump heap in back of a local nursery. As root bound as a plant could possibly get. They sold it to me REALLY cheap because they figured it would die after I planted it. The nursery people obviously hadn't been around many of these trees. They refuse to die without a monumental battle! Just keep them well watered at first and they will adapt to almost any type of surroundings and continue to fight all adversity until they flourish!  Thats a great lesson for all of us to learn.  Flexibility, Adaptability and Persistence. With the end result being not only Survival, but Growth and Abundance.