So much to explore

Hello, Readers!
See old Sidekick Cat checking out the windows? This place has a view!
He's stuck on the bird action out there in the bird bath for most of the morning.








Then he checks out the comings and goings of me and the Original Inhabitant. And anybody else going out and coming in.







I like looking out as well as the next guy but give me the open door and I'm a happy camper.







Now the Original Inhabitant seems to enjoy going out too, but she's pretty boring. Has a drink, lies around in the sun, you know the type.








When she goes, she's a little slow - well, look at those legs. Or lack of 'em.
Still, I got to give her credit, she's a game old gal and she makes the effort.




Of course she can't keep up with me - hey, I'm movin'! I'm motoring on. I've got leaves under my feet and scents in my nose.

Speaking of scents - wow! Did I get a fantastic one here!

More tomorrow - gotta run now.

And run and run and run.

Guest Blogger Begins

Hello, Readers.

You are in for a treat, if I do say so myself.

Oh, Old Wren does a fine job blogging (only a little slow lately) but I expect my blogs to be quite a bit more interesting.

And to involve many more handsome pictures of me.

Like this one. Here I am, accepting the charge to take over blogging for a while.

I am already hard at work thinking of interesting topics.

Like the allure of the blue ball.

Or dinner.
Of course I'll include the adventures of my sidekick, The Cat.

He's always good for a little comic relief.

He acts like a cool dude and he's a good bud, but I tell you - the cat is not as cool as he thinks!

Like, I wasn't the one who got himself trapped in the shower, was I?

I know better. You jump in someplace you better be sure you can jump back out, that's what I always say. Good thing I was around to alert the Servant.

And I wasn't the one who got into the sack of cat food and pigged out all night and threw up all over the floor, was I? Not that I'd rat on a buddy, but that one was pretty obvious.
See - isn't this already more interesting that that Old Wren nature stuff?

This is the real deal, friends, and I'll be dishing it out every day.

Stay tuned.

Out on a walk

What is this? We don't have anything like this in our yard.

I have been away from my own little yard for a while. I have been staying at a special place, a restored old time village and farm. The people who settled here found lots of rocks in their fields and in the creeks that ran past them. They used the rocks to make long stone fences. As I walked along this fence little creatures jumped and flew in front of me. They made a rustling noise as they flew short distances and hid in the grasses.
I watched one carefully find a niche in the stone fence. It backed in and held very still. Now it wasn't afraid of me because the rock protected it.

I was able to get very close to it and admire the stripes and patterns on its legs and body.

This is a Grasshopper.

Its great long hindlegs are folded up. It can jump long distances with those legs - and it can fly as well with the wings that are folded along its back. But the thing I like best about Grasshopper is that it can sing with its legs. All around me I heard the music that grasshoppers and crickets make in the Fall out in the country where long grass grows.

Shall we go for a swim?

The water was clear in the pool this cool morning.

I was surprised to find that someone was in swimming.

I was not tempted to join them.

It was fascinating to watch Garter Snake swim.

Did you know that snakes were such great swimmers?

After a while I had to dip it out and turn it loose down by the pond.

The pool really isn't a good place for snakes.

Where are the butterflies?

Are you looking for butterflies in the garden, on the flowers?

I found them in some different places.

Look at this one - in the garage.

We can see it up close while it tries to go out.

Shoo! Go over to the open door, butterfly!
Fly away!

Go find a flower.

That's not a flower!

That's the little sand wagon.

I think the butterfly is confused because it is a bright color.

There aren't any flowers up in the apple tree either.

But look! The apple tree is full of butterflies.

Are they eating apples?

I think they are drinking the sweet juice from the bruised or rotting apples.

Strymon melinus

It is a windy day and the flowers are tossing back and forth.

This doesn't seem to bother the little grey butterfly with the bright orange dots.

I walked right up to him to take his picture.

If you enlarge it you can see the thin black-and-white bands edged in red along his wings and the wonderful orange spots that make him noticeable. This is the Gray Hairstreak.

Really, I'm not making up these names.

The mystery plant identified.

I noticed a sturdy plant coming up in the rocks by the pond. I thought it might be corn by the leaves that came out first. Then it put up a short stalk and began to bloom. Clearly it was not corn.

I didn't know what it was. Now it is making seeds and ahhh! I recognize them! The little round seeds are ones I see in birdseed mixes all the time.

This is a Millet plant!

Who do you think planted it here?