Just a Little Gem

Piper and I were walking at a nearby historical site and spotted a few of these little gems hidden among the new grass and dry leaves. 

Even thought this picture was taken a couple weeks ago, I figured I needed to post it so BetsyLee could get her mushroom fix. :)

I made a nice pan of crispy fried morels to enjoy with my sister for an appetizer before dinner. Only fresh morels are good for that particular purpose. When we have an abundance, we dry and freeze them for other culinary adventures, but I look forward to a pan or two of crispy ones when we're fortunate enough to find some. 

Looney Tunes

While the days are starting to get warm, nights are still fairly chilly, so I keep the window open to cool things off. There's something so nice about the fresh air wafting through the room when I'm sleeping (except, of course, when the skunks walk by with their distinctive perfume). 

As a bonus to the (usually) fresh air, Piper and I have been awakened by the pre-dawn call of loons from across the bay. It's a perfect prelude to an early morning walk. 

We typically don't see them, since they're way on the other side of the water, but we occasionally get a glimpse when we're walking along one of the other nearby lakes, which is where these pictures were taken. 

Bald is Beautiful

These pictures were taken a couple weeks ago, when the trees were just beginning to put on their summertime finery. 

On the hillside behind my sister's house is a favorite perch for the eagles to survey their territory. 

When Piper and I take our early morning walks, we frequently see them gliding overhead, looking for hapless fish, squirrels or rabbits as they hunt for something to feed their youngsters. 

This handsome pair must have a nest nearby, since they are in the neighborhood almost every day. 

Now that the leaves are on the trees, it's impossible to get a good picture, since they're hidden by the foliage, but they can still see all the hunting possibilities. They do have the eagle eyes, after all! 

Oh, Deer!

Piper and I discovered this little sweetheart hidden in the grass very close to the road along which we were walking a couple mornings ago. 

It did an excellent job of staying put and hardly twitching a muscle, in spite of Piper's interest. I told Piper to leave it, took a quick picture and kept walking, so we wouldn't disturb it. I think I might need to lecture its mother about leaving her youngster quite so close to the road - there were much better places nearby to park the baby while she went to find her breakfast. 

Piper remembered where it had been and took me by the same spot the next morning. Needless to say, she was disappointed the interesting and unusual creature was no longer there. 

A Puzzling Solution...

Here's the original puzzle picture again, so you don't have to back up to the last post to see if you can find what's hidden in it. 

If you click on the image, it will enlarge and you can poke around the bigger version for a closer look. 

Fairly close to the middle, sitting on a little branch next to a clump of grass is this tiny little creature. 

It's about the size of a quarter, as you can see by the size of the grass blades behind it. I'm not sure why I even saw it, but something about seeing the that roundish shape on the long stick in my peripheral vision snagged my attention and made me look again. Isn't it a cutie? Piper wasn't sure what the big deal was, but she waited patiently while I knelt down on the trail and took some photos. 

A Puzzling Post

I haven't posted in quite a while. It's been a rough winter, but I'm hoping for a more promising spring and I'll try to be better about showing up to report on small adventures. :)

So, here's a little puzzle to start things off. 

Piper and I were walking in the wetlands and something caught my eye as we were going along our way. 

Can you see it? 

A Notice from a Cute Observer

This handsome red-bellied woodpecker has been coming around to the bountiful banister of treats. Peanuts are a particular favorite with him (and many other birds). He was a late nestling last summer and my sister has been watching him figure things out for quite a while. 

He's definitely out of his awkward adolescent phase and has come into his own. These guys are favorites around here and it's especially fun when one becomes a regular visitor. I hope he finds a sweetheart and sets up housekeeping close by.

(Check out the lovely blush on his breast and cheeks.)

And the notice? Spring is coming! Things are looking up! (I know - I just couldn't resist!)