Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Walks, Wild Things and Pretty Things



A pleasant morning greeted us today.
A perfect morning for a walk.
It has been HoT & HuMiD here for several weeks, so when there's a break in the humidity, it's time to get outside and do something.
Peanut was happy to accompany me.
As we walked around the block we counted flags. 
If you live in America, you will know that today is Flag Day.
You did know that, didn't you :-D  ?
Anyhow, we counted 8 flags. 
When we got home, we hung up our flag, so now if you walked around our block you would count 9.


After hanging the flag, I noticed this pretty row of impatiens smiling up at me from the crack where the porch meets the house.  They planted themselves there and seem to be thriving.


Once we got back from our walk I decided to check out the yard and garden.  I found some other things thriving.  They didn't make me quite as happy, however.



Exhibit A

Good Lord, what is this??
I've gotten used to a lot of things since moving to the south, but the reptiles still make me cringe.
We often see little chameleon, lizardy types of things and they are kinda cute.  This guy looks like a mini gator to me.  Look at the scales, claws, tail... 
After discovering him I went over to water some plants under a nearby tree.  Earlier in the spring I had hung a gourd bird feeder from the tree and was excited to watch a bird make a nest in there.  Recently when I would water near there I would hear the little chirps of the babies.  Today I heard no chirps.  As I looked at their little home  I saw someone looking back at me. 


Eeeeeeeewwwwww!!!
Now this is something I will never get used to.
I know they are one of God's creatures, but they give me the creeps.  Big.Time!
Not to mention that I think he ate the bird family. :-(



On a happier (and prettier) note, I have some light purple hydrangeas blooming  and ...




the cone flowers are making their first appearance in the perennial bed and best of all ...


the crape myrtles are blooming.  Unlike the reptiles, they are one of my favorite things about living in the south.  I guess no matter where you live there are good things and not so good things.
The important thing is to take a lesson from those impatiens and ...



~ ** Bloom Where You Are Planted ** ~



**Enjoy your day and raise your hand if the flag is waving at your house. **

24 comments:

  1. Wonderful post, Kim..except for the jeepers creepers lizard and snake...lol! I love the flowers and that everyone remembered flag day!

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  2. I do know it is Flag day...I have 3 little flags waving. I really want to get a big flag....someday!

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  3. Oh no! Why did that slimy snake have to eat the bird family? And that lizard. Egads! We had a search and rescue over here the other day when it seems a gecko made its way in the nite before and was residing in our bedroom - yikes! The next day, it was on the curtain to the sliding glass door and Jingles chased it down. I did the rescuing bit as she just kept wanting to play and toss it around. Ugh! I managed to get it out, although with a missing tail. :/ I didn't know it was Flag Day until I saw it on someone else's blog. Guess it doesn't make the news like other occasions do. Those impatiens are so pretty. I love seeing anything that makes its way into a crack and starts to bloom. Just shows you the tenacity of a living thing. Best wishes to you, Tammy

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  4. Yes, it's up. The big one outside and smaller ones inside.

    Oh my! Was that a snake that ate the bird family? *thud* I don't know if I could get used to the south even with the trade-off of those lovely crape myrtles.

    Thank you for a fascinating post. I'll just stay on the porch rocking in the rocking chair and looking at impatiens.

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  5. I enjoyed going for a another walk today - this time with you. : ) What an interesting walk you had.

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  6. Vee,
    Yes, it is a snake. Ugh! Believe it or not it's one of the smaller ones I've seen around here.

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  7. My hand is raised because my flag is up!
    If I saw that iguana or whatever it is, I would scream. If I saw a snake in the birdhouse, I would shriek and run.
    But everything else was lovely. Love the volunteer impatiens!

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  8. Oh yes, I love the "bloom where you are planted!!!!!"

    I love this post.....except for the snake..... YUK! Sorry he ate the birds, however.... he needs to eat too.

    Hugs,

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  9. Hi Kim, okay I'll confess. I forgot it was Flag Day. I left the house fairly early to run some errands and noticed the flags and then remembered. By the time I got home, I decided that I'd not put my flag out. Oh well. Shame on me! Your photos of your walk are great, but you have some slithery little guests lurking around that I wouldn't want to meet. We do have them once in a while, but I send Hubby to slay them for me!

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  10. What an interesting morning you had....full of surprises!

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  11. I love my yard critters but yours are pretty terrifying! I'm dying to know what that lizard-gator thing is (and your beautiful flowers make up for the scary parts!)

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  12. Absolutely refreshing! Wonderful!
    The snake and " mini gator" are pretty scary... :(

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  13. Thanks for sharing your morning walk! Creepy lizards are in abundance here too this year ... seems to be more than ever. I'm not a fan either! (Do they really eat birds?) The impatients were lovely! Enjoy your day!

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  14. Love this post...but I could never live where there are snakes right in front of my face! I don't like them one bit either. Amazing that the tiny flowers do that, must be the humidity. You have a beautiful place. :D

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  15. Hi Kim,
    Can you see me, I'm waving my hand as high as I can...
    Oh my goodness, I would have screamed when the snake popped his head out of the bird nest...I think you are right that ugly old snake feasted upon the bird family...yuck.
    Your garden is blooming so beautifully..I love hydrangeas.
    Have a sweet day and hugs,
    Elizabeth

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  16. I always thought I would like to live in the South, but how would I get used to your uninvited creatures? I am not sure that they entire neighborhood might not have known what I discovered:) You supply the most beautiful flower photography, I especially favored the hydrangea. Not sure what I would have done upon discovering that. The tiny impatients growing in the cracks by the brick wall, were so pretty.

    Wishing you a lovely day! Thank you for the beauty you added to mine.

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  17. OH NO!!! The poor little bird family!!!
    Your flowers are really pretty though. And I love a neighborhoods that have lots of flags flying. We try to remember to hang ours every day during the warm months. Speaking of snakes, my husband has a "Don't Tread On Me" flag and it has a rattlesnake on it... I don't like that one very well.

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  18. Thanks for letting me walk with you Kim. I agree about the eeewww's for the dinosaur looking lizard and the snake. Well with the snake I would be screaming RUN...lol. And how dare he go in and eat up those sweet little birds!

    I love it when nature surprises us like with your imaptiens growing between the cracks. So sweet seeing that burst of color there where not expected.

    Happy weekend!

    Hugs from Holland ~
    Heidi

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  19. We fly our flag year round and so do a lot of our neighbors! We have a place for a flag on our lamp post! Love some of your photos! heehee! ♥ Not sure about the others! But I've been guilty of posting alligator photos so there! lol!

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  20. What a beautiful Blog you have!

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  21. Hi Kim! Yes indeedy our flag flew on the 14th.

    I know what you mean about the reptiles. That lizardy thing would have freaked me out. We have those bird-eating snakes, too. I really, really, don't like them.

    Your flowers are gorgeous! Love your blog photos.

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  22. Love the blooms! The creepy crawlers...not so much.

    And thanks for the reminder to 'bloom where you are planted'!

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  23. Hi Kim
    I stopped putting up hanging ferns because evry year the little house finches would lay egss and the snake would come and get the babies:(
    I'm having a porch party tomorrow. I hope you can stop by.
    Rhondi

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  24. Lovely flowers... Love the hydrangeas... One of my favorite flowers.. !!

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