Saturday, November 7, 2015

Happy November!

Happy November, Everyone!
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I can't believe it is November. How did that happen?

"The days are long, but the years are short..."

Too true. 

(My Mom said this would happen, that time would speed up...

but when she said it, I was in the middle of dealing with little children

 and grade school Halloween parties... and I thought "Surrrrre..." LOL)

Your Mother is usually right.

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The countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas has already begun,

without me!

I have been sick since Halloween, but I think I am on the mend, finally!

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Son Jon brought me birthday flowers.

So pretty! They have lasted all week.

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And, I had to document a Susie's Bakeshop Buttercream cupcake...

about an inch of moist, white cupcake, and about two and a half

inches of icing. 

Yes.

Totally worth it, though now I have to be "good" for a while...

so difficult at this time of year!

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Guess what?

My tuberoses are on round two of their blooming...so surprising!

Our temperatures have been in the 70's, only dipping down a couple of

times...we'll see if the warm temps hold out long enough for these buds

to all open...

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Looks like mid-summer again!

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Look at this: Cyrus got IN, not on, Jon's duffle bag when he was here

for my birthday last weekend...

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Then Leo joined him... but Cyrus said there wasn't room for both of them inside... ;)

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There are still a few little creatures hanging out in my garden!

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This kind-of-ragged little butterfly ~ a Gulf Fritillary ~

was still flitting between the flowers, slowly...

It managed to land in my hair a couple of times!

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I didn't mean to *water* this Asian Lady Beetle,

but I did...

So then of course I had to take a photo!

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This little fellow is a Western Slimy Salamander!

I had never seen one until now.

Ever. 

In all my life of actively looking for little creatures.

They exude a sticky substance and are most often NOT seen because

of the leaf-litter and such that is usually sticking to them...(I read this).

This one was surprisingly litter-free (or maybe not surprisingly,

as I had been watering... just ask the Asian Lady Beetle... ;) )

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Acrobat!

A Gray Tree Frog...(I also read that these were once commonly called

"Tree Toads", and I can see why!)

No matter what color they are, gray or green or a mosaic-y combination

of the two colors, they all have the white under-eye patch, and the brilliant-yellow

nether-regions that they can display to *surprise/distract* predators.

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The rare Tongue-Out Persian!
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This one is guarding my paint brushes.

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Brush-guarding is tiring work, I tell ya!

More soon!

Hope everyone has a wonderful upcoming week... stay well!

Love,
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12 comments:

  1. Anne hope you r all well now, love your photos!, love, Diana

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  2. sorry you have not been feeling well, praying for you. happy belated birthday, hope you enjoyed it. that cupcake looks very yummy. your tuberoses are beautiful. love all the pictures.

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  3. Hello Anne! How I love your photos!! I think that if you're still under the weather a bit, look at your photos, and have another cupcake! If that doesn't do it then "your boys" two and four legged I know will do the trick! :-)!

    On the flip side, I can't believe it's November either, my Mom used to tell me the same thing about time flying, I wish I could slow it down.

    Take care, and I do hope you're continuing to feel better!

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  4. Oh! I love this post!!
    I will do a post about my gulf fritillary, if I ever get around to it. LOL.
    AND I adore your birthday flowers, they are gorgeous!!
    Happy belated birthday to you, my friend! xxx

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  5. Hope you are all better. Great post of flowers and critters. In Ontario, we have a blue and white spotted salamander similar to yours, but it is also unusual to see them. We have tree frogs, too, that can make quite a noise in the warm weather. Cats can spot a cozy place a mile away:)

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  6. I hope you're on the mend Anne, your photos are always so beautiful. I love those Tuberoses. They are breathtakingly beautiful.
    Hugs,
    JB

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  7. Hello Anne!!! So glad to find you here! Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday! Glad to hear that you are feeling better too!
    I'm still enjoying my cypress vines! I have been collecting cypress seeds for planting again next year. I always love to see what your up to and all your lovely pictures! I especially enjoyed your sharing of Cyrus climbing into your sons duffle bag! Very sweet! Enjoy every precious minute dear friend! : )

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  8. Cyrus and Leo are gorgeous..as are your pictures..Your flowers are pretty as well..Hope you had a Happy Birthday..Hope you are feeling better..

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  9. Wonderful photos Anne. Your kitties are just adorable :-) Happy belated birthday and I wish you a happy November too.

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  10. Dear Anne-I am so late in reading your lovely post. Sorry you were ill. Glad to read you are mending. What interesting creatures you found. That Salamander.and tree frog are awesome. Do you think your warmer weather has brought them to visit? Speaking of a visit sure would love to have Cyrus and Leo stop by. Take care sweet friend.

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  11. Happy belated birthday, glad you're on the mend. Superb photos, Ann.

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I love your thoughts and comments, and I read each and every one! Sometimes life gets in the way, though, and it takes me a while to respond...Thank you for understanding! ♥...Time is precious, and the time you have taken here is truly appreciated!