Various Flowers

These red berries look pretty tasty...don't know what they are.  They could be Red Baneberry.

 

Spotted Touch-Me-Not; Jewelweed

Pokeweed

This looks like some type of Aster, but not sure.

I know this next picture doesn't look like much, but it was a very pretty little pink flower.

A Collection of Various Kinds

The following are various shots from along different trails in different parks.  Below one of the bridges on Kingfisher Trail in Winton Woods.

Another bunny in Winton Woods.

I didn't have a lot of time to hike this day, so I headed over to Farbach Warner Park where they have a shorter trail.  They have a pond where signs are posted not to feed the wildlife in the pond.  There was a couple there throwing bread to the turtles.  Note:  I did NOT feed the wildlife, but since they were right there enjoying their meal, I had to take their pictures.

Some pretty purple flowers.

Several different types of fungi.

More Pictures From the Last Weeks of Summer

The days of summer are on their way out.  We have a few warm days here and there, but the cooler days outnumber the warmer ones.  On the trails the leaves are starting to cover the trails and we are able to see through the forest a little more because the branches are becoming bare.  However, I still have lots of pictures to post from the last weeks of summer, so until I get those all posted, it will still look like we are enjoying summer.

Some beautiful shots of the sun...soon it will be replaced by gloomy dreary days.

 

This is one of my favorites!

Fungi peeking through the ground ivy.

More bunnies!

Update on My New Little Girl, Frances

In case you're wondering, my new little girl Frances is settling in to her new home quite well.  She is still sequestered in her own private room because we have 2 other cats and 3 dogs who she needs to be introduced to gradually.

At this point, she's only in her cage at night.  I'm sure she'd be fine out of the cage, but right now I don't want to be lying awake at night wondering what she could be getting into.  So, for my peace of mind she is caged at night. 

Frances, bright and early in the morning.  Looking still half asleep, but she wastes no time coming out of her cage.

Relaxing...not at all afraid any more...wait until she meets 2 of the dogs in the house.  Idol, who is very large and intimidating (the last one she'll meet) and Willow, a miniature wirehaired dachshund who likes to chase any critters.  Willow will be one we have to watch closely too.

When I first come into the room, I usually catch Frances sitting on the "Big Comfy Couch".  Anyone remember that show?  She is very tiny on the Big Comfy Couch.

Posing like a typical Halloween Cat.  Frances has such pretty eyes.

"You can't catch me!"

The window in her room is long and the sill is low to the ground.  It gives her a perfect perch to watch the cars on our busy street and the birds and other critters right out side her window.

We've had her out of her room twice just briefly.  The first time she was a bit nervous because Willow kept trying to jump up on the couch to see her.  Willow cannot jump that high, but of course, Frances didn't know that. 

We had her out again this morning.  I was sitting on the couch holding Willow, while my husband Herb held Frances near the floor in the kitchen.  Bandit, our 15 1/2 year old dog who is very feeble just looked at her wondering what she was and turned and walked away.  Our two cats, Magnum and Sedona just sniffed her briefly and then we returned Frances to her room.

Hopefully, later today, we will bring her out again while all the dogs are outside and let the cats get a longer look at each other.  So far, everything is going well.  So happy with my little Frances!

More Pretty Postings

New York Ironweed?

 

Pretty little white butterfly.

I have several wildflower books but still cannot identify a lot of flowers I'm seeing.  So many of them look similar, I'd just as soon not label them as to label them incorrectly.

Don't know what this is, but just thought it was unusual looking.

Spotted Beauties

I love to get pictures of deer!  Dusk is the best time to see them, but not the best time to get pictures!  If you have a hard time picking out the deer in these pictures, just look for their eyes glowing out from the picture.  These two were so sweet, you can even see the white spots on the little guy.

Love the details on this Teasel.

Fungi, Critters and Blooms

Pretty little white toadstool

Love this lacy looking flower.

This fuzzy little guy looks like a brush among the gravel.

More pretty purple flowers.

A friendly little insect who let me take his picture.

Trailside Beauties

A fuzzy little guy.

A beauty of a pink flower growing in the woods.  Wonder what it is?

A common white butterfly.

Cute little umbrella like fungi.

Francis, Frances or Cisco? It's yet to be determined.

In my previous post I mentioned a little black kitty that my husband and I were trying to catch.  We spent about 10 days trying to catch him or her.  We would go over to the woods sometimes twice a day and sit for 90 - 120 minutes at a time with various traps and enticements.

We first spotted him on a slow drive by looking for raccoons or other creatures.  When we spotted him he was eating someone's left over picnic trash.

Here is one of our first traps.  Just a kittie carrier with goodies inside. The first time I "almost" had him I was close enough just to slam the door once he got inside.  However, my BIG feet got to the carrier before my hand did, and I ended up kicking the carrier and the kitty just darted away!  Drats!

Later on we added a cord to the door so we could sit further away so he would feel safe to approach.  One time he got inside but when my husband pulled on the cord, the door just bounced off the carrier and flew back open...and the kitty darted away again.

After each failed attempt we always left a little food behind so he would have something to eat until we returned.  Sometimes he would come out to eat other times not...maybe the raccoons got it then.

At one point, I found kitty sitting under this huge pile of tree debris.  At least it looked like it would keep him warm and dry at night.

 One evening while I was laying in watch by myself.  Kitty was around but so was a raccoon.  Kitty didn't know which one of us to stay away from most.  I kept scaring the raccoon away and at one point I found him above my head in a tree!  Needless to say, I didn't stand under that tree for long.  I had no idea what his plans were.

My husband has the patience of Job.  I'm more like Barney Fife!  I just couldn't stand the waiting around any more and missing him every time we tried to catch him.  So I decided to go and buy a Havahart Live Trap for Animals.  The first time I tried, I couldn't see the kitty anywhere, but I was visited by my friend the raccoon.  He wanted to get into my trap for the goodies.  I kept scaring him off but unfortunately, he kept coming back!  So I packed up my stuff and went home defeated once again.

On Saturday, September 17, 2011 my husband set off ahead of me to set our trap again.  I stayed behind to make his lunch (he had to go to work in about an hour and I wanted to make sure his lunch was ready).  I followed within a few minutes after he left and drove over to our spot.  He was already packing up and ready to leave.  He claimed the kitty had sprung the trap but ran off before the trap closed.  He then opened up the back of the car and showed that he had actually caught him!!!

We are keeping him/her isolated in a separate room away from the rest of our pets until the vet can check him/her out.  We will give him/her a couple of days to acclimate before we go to the vet. When I peeked in at him a little while ago he was all curled up in his makeshift litter box.  How sweet!

 During my quest to capture kitty I kept praying to St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals.  His feast day is coming up and that's why I am naming kitty Francis or Frances.