HAPPY NEW WEEK!
I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
I was sitting on my porch last night, and I saw an ant crawl lethargically across the floor. It was the first one I'd seen since last autumn. I was glad to welcome the little fella. A few minutes later, I smelled a ghastly awful odor. It was the skunk, and it must have been close to the house! The hibernating creatures are beginning to stir here!
The skunk must have woke up in a bad mood, because it had sprayed some unfortunate critter with the full force of its stench accumulated over the winter. My eyes were watering, but my heart was joyful.
Some years, February can be the most savage of our winter, but the forecasts are saying that it will be milder than usual this year. The days have been warmer this past week, and we had sunshine! We don't have any beautiful flowers yet, like Lindy posted, but I was so happy to see (and smell) the first hints of spring!
Love to all!
OG: I so hope you are recovering at home now and feeling better. I will send you an email tomorrow. Please know that I'm thinking of you and EE. I am so very sorry you had to be hospitalized. Very best of wishes for you, my friend.
By the way:
Technically, skunks don't hibernate. They huddle in their burrows during the coldest part of winter, and they enter "torpor," a sort of lethargic, inactive sleep state. I feel like I've also been in torpor since winter began. LOL!
Striped SkunkPhoto labeled "Public Domain" (Copyright Free)Photographer Bob Kuhns, U.S. National Parks Service
Diane - once again you paint a perfect picture with words of your patch and so pleased you are hopefully having a milder few months.
Also wishing OG and family all the best for a quick recovery at home.
No time for anymore as have to get ready for Church but I do read every morning.
Have a great week all.
I'd have welcomed the little fella too Diane. I have four hibernating spiders (just little fellas) in my home and I keep shallow small 'dishes' of bottled water with drops in so they , hopefully, don't get flash flooded in one on my sinks inadvertently. . Dunno about the US but over here ''they'' (the bad guys) have recently greatly increased the chlorine in our tap water. All for our good of course. It makes me want to wretch when I turn on a tap. I really can smell it and don't understand why some can't !
Sorry about the skunk - ye gods ! and I really hope the rest of February is mild and even sunny for you
Morning all. Didn't get on here last night but thank you to Dear Dependable Diane! (It's okay not to be so dependable you know, You can loll on the sofa eating bonbons and let me or someone else do the job!). I do hope you have a good February; I know it can be nasty in the UK sometimes, just as everyone is looking forward to spring. Eau de skunk? I know it well Meanwhile, lots of twittering among the birds around our house; both at the feeder and in the tree behind the fountain. We have a big nest at the top of the Chinese Elm and are wondering if whoever built it will be back this year....
Rusty/Lindybird: I love the idea of those neighborhood markets (Wonder what the option might be for Lindybird's neighbors awakened so early on Sundays; I wouldn't like that either.) We have farmers' markets a couple of times a week here, but no clothes or knickknacks; just produce, fruit and the odd musician (not for sale, but some of them do have business cards they'll hand out). Rusty: I'm impressed that you have buses that apparently have such a reliable schedule. Very handy!
dibnlib: Fingers crossed those swans will organize some offspring.
Cirrus: How accommodating you are to provide water for the spiders. I try to escort them out of the sink/bathtub before I turn on the tap. Was never so helpful in my younger years, but life gets ever more precious.
OG: I'm piggybacking on Diane's post; hope you're doing okay. Hugs from here.
Off to conquer the world!
Oh, we went to a Garden Centre yesterday for a warming coffee and to get some seed potatoes to start off ready to plant out later. I bought bird peanuts etc. as I'm enjoying watching our little garden visitors every day.