Pitchfork Snake

The day was June 13th 2010, remember the date well because it was my neighbor Bob's birthday. I was carefully turning the compost pile with a pitchfork because knowing there are snakes and toads in there sometimes. As I "slowly" lifted up the fork I had this snake on it. I laid the fork on top of the pile waiting for him to leave. I waited and waited. Oh what a horrible thing when I realized that he was speared. I of course was so upset, not being able to deal with anything hurt. I was home all alone, and since it was by neighbor's birthday and he hates snakes, I couldn't go and ask for help. So I went in the house, not wanting to view this. Later my son and grandsons came and all I said was "Please go down to the compost pile and take care of my mess." Standing way up at the house, I could see through the window my son Matthew holding up the snake he released off the fork. Come to find out the snake was not dead, and Matthew threw it over in the apple orchard, which was quite a distance away. I have a lot of garter snakes, which I like to relocate because they eat my toads and frogs. About a week later I was at my frog pond and saw a large garter snake coming out of the water. I ran to get him because I will not let them eat my frogs. When I picked him up he seemed "waterlogged." It was "Pitchfork Snake!" Of course I knew this because of two large holes in his side. Carried him up to the house and had my son Kyle take him about ¼ mile into the woods where there is a small creek. A few days go by and I see another large garter in the grass near the garden. I went and caught him, just thinking he was another snake..........NO......it was "Pitchfork Snake!" So this time I held him as my son drove us over 2 miles away, across a lake, and then down a long road to a large pond which is game property, a beautiful nature reserve. So "Pitchfork Snake" would have to swim across a large lake to come back. Snakes are truly an asset for the garden, eating the slugs, small rodents, etc. But I had witnessed them twice trying to eat a toad and frog, which upset me. I will never kill a snake, just help them find a better home.

 

Elderberry Blunder

In May I planted 2 Elderberry bushes, which they grew quite large over the summer. About the end of August I noticed "berries" starting to form. Checking them later, the berries were getting too large to be elderberries and they were green oval shape and very hard. Took a picture of the bush and the exposed berries to the nursery where I purchased the bushes and they were stumped. Only thought they had was perhaps they were gooseberries. They offered me a gift certificate to use the following year to purchase "elderberry bushes." Well, days went by, and the berries kept on growing and pulling the foliage of the bush down to the ground. Finally took the time and really investigated..............."They were tomatoes!" The tomato grew there because of spreading compost around the bush. The tomato plant was completed covered by the leaves of the elderberry and just the tomatoes were peeking out. They were a variety called "Health Kick" which stayed hard. I did go back to the nursery to tell them of the blunder and give back the gift certificate which was about $30. They laughed and told me to keep it. A few weeks later I discovered another tomato plant growing under the other bush.

 "Berries" hanging at bottom on left.

 Now they look like tomatoes!

Sunflowers

The birds truly enjoy the seeds. I never have the time to get seeds picked for next year's planting, so have to purchase more each Spring. This year I had to keep replanting because of something that keep digging up the seeds (most likely chipmunks), then the little seedlings were eaten by the rabbits and slugs. But I did manage to have a large selection. The leaves of the sunflower were my donkey's favorite.

 Mexican Sunflowers on the right, were one of the favorites of mine and the birds.

 I don't know how these Mammoth ones didn't blow over.

Grasshoppers & Bee

All sharing a sedum. Hope these beautiful little creatures were not a treat for the birds.

 So photogenic as they posed for the camera.

 This one looks like an alien.



Bluebirds & Robin

This is a picture of the father bluebird & baby eating mealworms I placed in a dish. I usually put the mealworms in the bluebird feeder but it was located a distance away, and the new babies were not used to going in there to get the worms. The feeder keeps the Robins and Northern Mockingbirds from hogging the worms. The Robins always chase the bluebirds away when the mealworms are put out.

Keiser & the Skunk

Last night dear Keiser aka "oh so sweet" took off in the dark fast, but ran back faster after getting sprayed in the face by a skunk. The dogs are never on the outside of the fence at night, but my husband was just letting Keiser out of the car when he spotted the skunk. Skunks are the best little critters for helping with Japanese Grub control. I love to see the pits in the yard they make, it is much easier to tamp the grass back in place, then to let the grubs eat the roots of the grass and kill it.

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth & Verbena Bonariensis

Today I picked two shopping bags loaded with flower seed heads of the Verbena. To share with friends, but to also prevent a mess like I had in May with hundreds of the Verbena that reseeded. Bees and butterflies love this hardy plant.