Soggy May

[lavendertook]

Life's been calm the past few weeks. I could do with some more of that. I saw a scarlet tanager out my living room window twice in the past week, and saw some Baltimore orioles down by the lake. The skinks came out when the sun peeped out today, and the mountain laurels are just starting to open up. Some of my hobbit posse here is coming out for a moot in a couple of weeks and I am very much looking forward to that.

Here's some pics from around the lake the past week in between the rains:


Lady slippers by my favorite mossy stump in the woods outside my apartment leading down to the lake.


American bullfrog down by the entrance pond of the little creek that leads down to the lake.




Water snake hanging out by the lake in the usual spot.


Turtle happy there's a little bit of sun. I think it's a red eared turtle.

Comments

[zlabya]

Such beautiful nature photos!!! I look forward to walking again with you (next Saturday is out, but I'm hoping for Sunday!)

[lavendertook]

Thank you, bb! Right now, the forecast for next weekend is looking like a washout, but we shall see.

[untonuggan]

such pretty pretty pictures!

[lavendertook]

Thank you, bb!

[saraqael]

You sure that was a water snake and not a water moccasin? I can't really tell from the angle of the head in this picture.

Love the frog and the turtle. :)

[lavendertook]

Positive. A family of water snakes has been hanging out in this spot for a couple of years now, water moccasins are not native to MD though some people have claimed to have seen them, and, definitively, water moccasins have slit pupils, unlike the round ones of the water snake you see here. (-:

Glad you like them!

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

You get the best snake photos! Seriously impressive. I like that little turtle.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Snakes are so mellow when they're sunning themselves. It helps that I know where a family of water snakes hang out to sun themselves by the lake so I see them regularly there once they come out of hibernation--most people walking by don't even notice them.

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

That little turtle looks like she's doing Cobra pose :-)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yoga turtle!

[shirebound]

Sweet turtle!

I'm so glad you've had some peace as well as some sun.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, bb. (-:

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I'm loving that mossy stump. Moss always looks such an impossible shade of green. If you saw that in a painting you'd not believe it.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

It's like the prettiest velvet.

[romeny.livejournal.com]

Sun already peeping out here so looking for a non-rainy day to do some meat on the grill. Hopefully your moot posse will have a good weekend weather wise so you can enjoy outdoors.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I hope you got that grilling in. It was pretty yesterday--the wind gusts today and the changeability have been rough. Hopefully tomorrow will be nicer. The forecast for moot weekend is starting to not look good--we shall see.

How is your recovery going?

[addie71.livejournal.com]

The lady slippers are lovely. I'm glad you've been enjoying and nice stretch of calm.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

They come up every May and have been spreading little by little and I am grateful no-one has plucked them. Thank you, bb!

[jan-u-wine.livejournal.com]

what a nice lot of pics. I love that mossy stump.....as though it's always been there, always will be.....and....of course, I've a soft spot for frogs. And turtles. Hurray for those ....moist.....days! Have a good time at the Poss-moot!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of you when I was uploading the frog. I hope all is well with you. Thank you, bb.

[jan-u-wine.livejournal.com]

thank *you*. Things are status quo here.....what is it that SNAFU means? Ah, yes, I remember, HA!

Love seeing those frogs! Danke!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

And they are glad to be seen by you!

Bleh--I wish things were calmer for you for a while.

[jan-u-wine.livejournal.com]

me, too. :)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

(((((((((Jan)))))))) I will get out to LA and San Diego one of these days soon and hug you again in person.

[jan-u-wine.livejournal.com]

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((LT))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

that would be lovely!

[julchen11.livejournal.com]

Wow! Great photos, my dear. The water snake... so beautiful... and scary...

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Water snakes are not very scary--they're not poisonous, don't move a muscle when they're sunning themselves, and I'm not quite as close as my micro lense makes it look. (-:

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I've never seen lady slippers. They're lovely. And the little snake is beautiful.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

They bloom in the woods here every May and spread a little more each year--I just pray no one finds them and digs them up. I love snake spotting. (-:

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Really awesome snake! That turtle is so cute!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

:-D

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

Beautiful! The wildlife there is so much tamer than in the Pines. Looking forward to seeing it for myself in a couple weeks! :D

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Maybe because they have no Jersey Devil to worry about. (-; I'm crossing my fingers and toes the weather will cooperate.