Front Door Light Moth Series, Part X

So the nights are a bit warmer now - more moths are spotted circulating the front door light in the early morning, and the entire garden is abuzz with activity.  So far today:  A headless snake was found curled up by the coral bells, Stanley and Wood had a large and unfamiliar grey cat trapped (safely) up in the water oak, a female painted bunting (oh - that gorgeous shade of green!  I want my house painted female-painted-bunting green) was spotted at the feeder (tip:  try white millet;  I'm hoping this is the female of the pair that has nested here for several years in a row - I always spot the female first, then the male several weeks later).  There are three LOUD baby bluebirds in the lower right apartment of the purple martin house (I've mentioned their parents before), the hyacinth beans ('Ruby Moon') are starting to germinate from seeds that I collected last season (I know, I know - I'm late in getting my seeds started this year), and it looks like I'll have five phillipine lilies make it.  It generally amazes me how on such a little piece of land that there can be so much going on at once - at any one moment - the key is just to look I suppose.

But today I need to not be too horribly distracted by the garden.  I have a draft of a manuscript that I desperately need to get started.  Someone else is depending on me for this one and it's already late, as they all generally are.  I've become the bottleneck in my own life with respect to manuscripts:  I can't blame my students or collaborators or anyone really.  So today, I'll take little breaks and weed the fall-blooming salvias and plant some sunflower seeds where I took up the brocolli and perhaps I'll even mow outside of the front gate.  But I really also need to write about the microorganisms associated with the bottlenose dolphin respiratory tract...the data is in front of me, I've even done a decent literature search and have the needed references stuffed into my bag.  I just need to make myself stay inside.  Yeah, right.

Comments

[anna maria]

Thanks for your visit and comment.
I read it then came back here and had to laugh because 1) early yesterday afternoon I found a large dead rat in my backyard (wedged in the bottom of a jasmine vine) and I was too grossed out to go out there and do any gardening until just a few minutes ago when I was finally able to deal with it, with the help of my downstairs neighbor; and 2) I'm supposed to do "homework" for a sewing class and housework, but I just keep moving plants around. My deadline can be ignored, however. Yours, probably not.

[Pam]

Anna Maria: I have two large dogs, and well, things just happen around here - yesterday, after removing the one headless snake, I was working in one bed and my dog Stanley got a snake, picked it up, shook it and it got split it two and both parts went flying - with one flying onto my head. It wasn't pretty. I'm trying to forget the event, but I fear that I might have a mild case of post-traumatic stress over that one! Hope you got your 'homework' done.

[Annie in Austin]

That is some moth - it looks pettable and furry like a guinea pig!

My heart practically stopped when I saw one painted bunting for a minute last summer... how I hope you have your pair back in your garden!

Pam, a while back I picked up a book at a used-book store, recognized the title as the title of a movie, and put it in my stack. It sat here until today, when I finally started reading "Rich in Love" by Josephine Humphreys.
So what did I learn in the first few pages? It was published 20 years ago and is set in Mt Pleasant, SC. The main character is already envisioning her part of the coast being underwater due to global warming. Did you ever read this book?

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

[Pam]

Hi Annie - yep, I think I've read all of Josephine Humphreys books - she doesn't live all that far from me - I think I heard she lived on one of the islands just off the coast here, so just over the bridge. I like her books, interesting that one found their way to you!

I've had a painted bunting pair nest in my yard for the past three years. I was worried that this year they wouldn't come - but on Sunday I saw the female at my feeder, and yesterday I saw the male. So my fingers are crossed that they are back again. For the last few years I've been so lucky - I literally see them every day.

[Glenn]

What is the moth's name??

[Pam]

Glenn, the moth has no name - other than it's scientific one that I don't know either!