Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below photo?

This is an easy one for you to start the week -

Find The Critter

Can you find the critters, two of them, in the below pic -

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the first picture below -

This Garter snake was peacefully coiled and staying cool under a large piece of cardboard in the trash pile.  Was a bit covered in this beautiful East Tennessee red clay and seemed a bit disoriented -

There was no aggression when I first picked it up but got embolden once I put it down on the green septic tank cover.  That's when it flattened itself out and started striking towards me, big toughie.

The dude was missing the end of it's tale - 

It slithered off under a pile of straw that was out of the way of being stepped on or disturbed.  Perhaps, we'll meet again once I'm official in our house.

Can You Spot The Difference?

It's not a children's Highlights magazine fun activity, but can you spot the difference between the two pictures below? 

Before -

After -

And it's not the two black triangle pieces leaning against the end in the below pic.

About 1 In Every 100,000 Birds

Driving down to the far end of our property the other afternoon we spotted a rarity trying to hide in the tall grass.  However, due to it being all white, it stuck out like a sore thumb, so there was no hiding.

She was allusive and stayed low and hidden well. That's her circled in red below -

Eventually she popped out of the tall grass along the fence line, which allowed for the perfect photo opportunity below -

Certainly seems like a rarity to me, an albino wild turkey. I even asked the Google machine if a white turkey was rare and here is the response - "White wild turkeys are extremely rare, with estimates suggesting they occur in about 1 in every 100,000 birds", so there's that...

Perhaps, there's something in the Limestone water, as the Bright's Zoo, just 4-miles up the road, had a female giraffe give birth to a rare pattern-less baby giraffe back in late 2023.

Hoping this is a good omen and that we'll see more of the her once we get moved in.

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below photo?

Actually, there are (3) critters!

Find them and name them in the comments -

Find The Critter

A slight variation in my "Find The Critter", as there is no critter in the below pic. Instead, do you know what critter did the damage to the trees shown -

Hint - They're the second-largest living rodents...

Find The Critter

Can you find the critters in the below pic -

These ladies we're hiding out along the fence line of our farm this morning.

Guessing they're a bit confused as to what's happening to their once private and untouched area.

Hoping we can all coexist.  It's nice to see and watch them and I'm looking forward to doing more of it from our front porch, once we're in and settled -

However, consider yourself warned that you all need to mind your Ps and Qs and stay out of our gardens, when eventually planted...

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the first pic below - 

Believe it or not, he gave himself away by the crunch, crunch, crunching from the nut he was gnawing on. Clearly, he was not concerned about hiding, rather his focus was on filling his belly and who can blame him -

A Red Squirrel, one of my favorites!

I'm Thinking Cold Feet, Brrrr

Can you find the critter in the first photo below?!

The last stop on route 10 sits next to a section of the Charles River in Norfolk, MA. I made my last delivery and was crossing over the bridge heading back to the PO, when I spotted this beauty, so I hit the brakes.  Suppose one of the benefits of being in a mail truck with flashing lights (fyi - there was no one behind me when I stopped), at least in my mind, which allowed me to capture these couple of pics.

From my experiences and observations, Grey Herons seem to be a bit skittish, so I was a bit surprised this dude stayed stoic and didn't take flight -

However, once I started moving about and making noise, off he went. I thought the pictures of him flying off were better than they turned out, alas.  I need to work on my transition from photo to video, maybe that would have been a better visual.  He's tough to spot, so I circled where he is in the two pics below -

They seem pretty agile and quick for such a big bird.

I think I need a better camera, as these photos just don't justice or could just be me and that my picture take abilities need some work. Perhaps, it's time to upgrade my iPhone.

Either way, enjoy!

Well This "Stinks"

Green vs Brown -

Can you find the critter in the first picture below?!

** GREEN **

A green stink bug -

And how about this next picture, can you find the critter?!

** BROWN **

A brown stink bug -

There's no real difference between the two, except for their colors.

Just like in past years, this time of the year is when these pests appear in BIG numbers!  They're ALL over my house, windows and screens; they're everywhere.

I swat as many as I can but honestly, that makes a mess and a squashed stink bug truly stinks, UGH!

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below picture  -

I pulled the LLV up the long driveway to deliver a package to the front door this past Saturday and this Montauk Daisey was the first plant along their walkway.

I always check out the plantings when delivering up to houses.  Call me nosey but I like to see how and what others plant and how it all flows. This Montauk Daisey caught my attention because of how full and symmetrical it is, as mine are long, leggy and sagging. Mine kinda look pathetic this year but for sure the wild rabbits eating them isn't helping...

Anyway, I spotted this lady almost immediately! She just stood out.

Perhaps, a bit like Ray from the movie Rain Man, where he quickly counted the toothpicks that fell and scattered on the floor, sometimes I possess a similar ability when it comes to spotting critters, like this beauty -

I had another package to deliver to the same house yesterday but this lady had moved on.

** UPDATE **

Here's another "Find The Critter", that I came across yesterday and under the same conditions - walking a package up to a front door.  This one too, I spotted immediately -

This lady was on the hunt! There were bees coming and going on this sedum and her head was moving about trying to select her meal. She noticed me and my camera, turned her head as if to say "buzz" off, I'm working here, so I let her "bee" and off I went -

I wish these ladies were in my yard.

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below pic -

This piece of property is a tree farm according to a sign at the end of their long driveway.  A quiet peaceful area, which I'm guessing is why this doe was out and about without a concern in the early afternoon -

Although, I sat and watched her for a couple minutes, she stayed there in the roadway unfazed by my presence. I was hoping to see some littles pop out and join her but I was in the last hour of delivering my route, so off I went.

Another beautiful day! Here's another similar find the critter from a week earlier but in a different location on the other side of town.  This looked like a loan young'n just slowly walking about without a care in the world.  This area is where the exclusive homes are, so plenty of open space and relatively quiet from what I've seen -

It's always nice to see these critters out and about, especially when they're NOT in my yard eating my plants.

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the first picture below?!

This is an easy one but let me help you some -

Ta-da, a Laurel Sphinx Moth pretending to be an apartment number.

Here's what the Google machine has to say to the following two questions -

What does a Sphinx Month symbolize?

"Sphinx moth symbolism centers on transformation, spiritual growth, and wisdom, representing the moth's life cycle from a simple caterpillar to a winged adult as a metaphor for personal evolution and awakening consciousness."

What does it mean when you see a Sphinx Moth?

"Encounters with a Sphinx moth often suggest an invitation to embrace change, release old habits, and connect with one's spiritual journey and inner self."

HA, the road I've been on!  Weird how these things work, eerie really!

Find The Critter

Can you find the critters in the below photos?

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below photo?!

Unfortunately, I was only able to take this one pic to successfully capture this critter.  As I stopped the truck and reached for my camera, another car came by and scared these adorable littles off, ALAS.

There were two of these still spotted fawns, which looked like twins to me, but spooked off they went with their white tails held high.

After delivering the mail to this dead-end road, I slowly crept as I drove out looking for these dudes but I was unable spot them again.  They blend in SO well in that environment.

Find The Critter

Can you spot the critter in the below picture?

Clue and apologies - my watermark is kinda in the way...

A very chatty Red Squirrel -

That remain extremely calm and still as I neared and took these pics -

Admittedly, I am NOT a fan of the Grey Squirrel but luvs me the Red Squirrels!  I hope this doesn't make me as an animal bigot.  The Grey Squirrels are nothing but a nuisance, digging holes everywhere, raiding bird feeders and there are just too many of them.

** UPDATE - Red Squirrel Alerting, listen

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the first picture below?!

Be Still My Beating Heart...

It's been a couple years now since I've seen one of these beauties here at the ole homestead and I was shocked and extremely excited to spot this male praying mantis!

Up on my deck no less, some 15' high.  With all the flowers in bloom just below, why this dude was up there by the mint plants is beyond me.

Where there's one there are more!

I need to step up my I Spy game to see if I can spot others.

SO exciting!

#Blessed

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below picture?!

A lone doe grazing her way along the far side of the soccer field.  With school being out for the summer, I supposed she's able to wander out a bit farther than normal -

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the first pic below?!

This is the area where I store my trash and recycle barrels and this dude is hiding either under the barrels or in this case, tucked neatly into the corner. I luv having him around and am extra careful when needing to move the barrels but if it gets any bigger, there's no way he'll fit into that corner -

I took these pictures on Monday, my trash day.  Yesterday, Wednesday, following the torrential rain we had overnight, I pulled this same toad out of the pool!  Not sure how long he was in there but looked exhausted when I grabbed him, and of course placed him behind the barrels once again.

ribbit!