in the yard

Trouble in the Yard

Rae Spencer6 Comments

I believe these are Eastern Tent Caterpillars. This afternoon, I found three of them roaming through the irises at the foot of the pear tree. I can’t find their tent, but I did find a trail of damaged leaves that extends well beyond ladder-height. And since I’m not in the mood for tree climbing, the rest will have to wait. Seems like a weekend kind of project, anyway…

I would love to be corrected, because there’s not really room in my weekend for a caterpillar hunt. If these aren’t tent caterpillars, please let me know!

From the Unknown Bird Archives

Rae Spencer2 Comments

A photo from August 2010. I believe this is a blue-gray gnatcatcher, but I’m not convinced enough to move the photo out of my “Unknown Bird” archive. Any ideas?

Irises and More

Rae Spencer4 Comments

Today’s survey of the yard found an abundance of irises, a few sleepy roses, and a single amaryllis.

There’s also a new species of dragonfly–one made of spoons. (Thank you, Sharon!)

And, ruling over it all, a grumpy robin. I’ve been attacked by nesting blue jays more than once, but today’s robin attack was a first. The irony is that I never would have found her nest, had the robin ignored me. Instead, she chirped and complained and tried to pull my hair as I knelt in the irises, which made me very curious…

Publication note:  Poetry Breakfast posted my poem “Rinse and Repeat” today. Many thanks to editor Isabel Sylvan!

A Quiet Day

Rae Spencer4 Comments

Today has been almost summer-like. Very warm, very breezy, and very sleepy.  A paper wasp worked under the eaves, a damselfly hunted in the irises, and something mantis-like prowled through the hydrangea. I did small, invisible chores in the house and in my office. Now I’m ready to find a quiet corner, curl up with the cats, and open the new book on my nightstand. Page one…

In case you’re wondering, the book is Rocks of Ages by Stephen Jay Gould.

Cold Again

Rae Spencer3 Comments

Winter made another run through the yard last night, and today finds me yearning for the sun-filled, dragonfly days of summer. This photo, from last July, was one of the first I took with my iPhone camera. I was experimenting with the Photoshop Express application…