February 5, 2023

Martha O'Kennon

This week Groundhog day came and went. That means the AVERAGE LOW temperature began to go back up. We didn't notice much rise though. But we know to wait and watch. There were only a few sunny hours in the whole week, so not too many Creatures ventured out (live ones at least).

No Ants this week. No Aphids. No Bees or Beetles. No Barklice for a change. But thank goodness for the friendly Boxelder Bugs! This one was in the house. They love to race around near the computer, probably for the warmth!



We're still watching Jadesy to see if she will make any buds - leaf OR flower! I'll wait - if she does flower, it will be worth seeing. Look closely at the center of the "X" made by these four leaves. There is the tiniest little black dot in there. It could go either way. In the lower right of picture 2, the dark mark looks to me like the bud of a leaf. Picture 3 shows the start of a Christmas Cactus - a leaf must have fallen off an old plant.



Remember that there is information in the name of the file for each image. You can see it by mousing over the image - look at the lower left of the screen. Or you can click again on the image to get to the (usually) larger image. Then the info is displayed in the address line above. Sometimes the second click will actually display a different view of the original image.

Out back, doing my usual daily walk around the woodshop, checking high and low on the siding, this nice green piece of lichen greeted me. Don't worry, one day it will be a Pale Green Assassin Bug - just not today! Out front, the Coral Berries still stand. In the distance, a huge Maple (if I recall correctly) Tree is showing a pinkish tint, making me think that some changes are taking place up there - the sun is shining right on that big tree.



This "thing" looks somewhat like a former Graphopsocus cruciatus Barklouse. And the next picture seems to be of the moult (what's left over from something hatching out) of one of those. Third is probably the pupa of some Moth, according to @k8thegr8 of iNat.



This looks to me as if it shows a pale yellowish-pinkish caterpillar (across the middle of the picture), with two really tiny nymphs of some Creature (Top). I have to admit I don't recognize the bottom row at all!



Oh, in the midst of all this paucity of Wild Life, I sometimes forget that Cats Count Too! Here is Spooky in the living room, Tripper in the Cat Tower, and one of the neighborhood Felines.



Here you see fresh Cat tracks both inside and outside the Pond. The neighborhood Cats depend on the heater to get fresh-ish water to drink year-round. On the South side, here is the ice melting on top of the porch.



Well, Friends, that was about it for the week. It was frustrating not to be able to post this blog but now the problem seems to be fixed. Thanks for hanging in! I believe I'll have the blog for February 12th on time!

Love, Martha

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