Toad-ally Worth the Drive

Leaves are falling in great numbers now, and that means full gutters everywhere. We have mostly pine trees around our house, but my mother lives in a valley of deciduous trees and needed our help. So, one sunny afternoon, we made the drive to the small hollow where I grew up.

I remember great swatches of wild heather from my childhood. They made small, pretty bouquets.

My mother has the greenest thumb in the family, in a family full of green thumbs. She's notorious for bringing flowers back from the brink. She's revived an entire army of chrysanthemums.

Todd got to work on the roof...

...but quickly discovered that he wasn't alone there. Small tree frogs had jumped or fallen from the surrounding trees and gotten trapped in the gutters.

Indiana has two types of treefrogs: Cope's Grey and the Eastern Treefrog. This little fellow is the Eastern variety. He makes a very pleasing series of croaks and trills. Listen for yourself:

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/treefrog.WAV

If you examine his toes, you'll notice bulbous knots at each end. This differentiates him from toads, which have smooth, tapering toes.

It didn't take long for me to find a toad to make the comparison!

Another big difference between frogs and toads is their skin. Frogs have smooth skin, while toads have a "warty" appearance. Those bumps aren't warts...they're glands that can secrete toxins when the toad is threatened.

The large bump behind the toad's ear is the paratoid gland, which also contains toxins. North American toads can't harm people, but some varieties can be harmful to pets, like dogs, that agitate them. Only the Cane Toad in Australia can harm humans. They secrete a milky white fluid that can cause serious problems if somehow ingested.

Toads are quite good to have in the garden, since they eat pests.

I also found a large assassin bug, which is one of my favorites. All assassin bugs have the long rostrum and segmented antennae, but this variety has a curved, spiky protrusion on its back. It's not for nothing that this insect is known as the "wheel bug."

Assassin bugs are wonderful to have in the garden, and they can add to the auditory pleasure, like crickets, by rubbing their rostrum against bony ridges on their chest.

It's always good to go to the country, but we had to return to the city and our responsibilities there. Bosewichte wanted out, to enjoy the last gasp of warm weather before the frost set in.

Another fall treat that tapers off in colder weather is our morning walks. A few times a week, we get up early and meander through the local park.

There are plenty of winding paths...

...and cheerful trees.
The squirrels are busy building ever-thickening nests in the trees. The dark bundles of leaves are called dreys, built (and inhabited) by a single squirrel for the purpose of winter shelter. Squirrels don't hibernate, but they can sleep for days at a time.

Sometimes that sounds nice to me, too, in the wintertime!

A kitten update...those little guys are growing quickly! They're five, almost six weeks old now. Still nursing...

...although Cookie looks like she's nearly had enough! They, en masse, are nearly her size!

They've learned that the litter box is a place for play, and, well, other things.

They're all playing now. Chewing on socks...

...on strings...

...or each other.

Kittens go through teething, just like babies, and love to nibble on anything and everything!

I love visiting the kittens every week, but I'm more confused than ever. Should I get the sweet, quiet tabby, or the rambunctious buff, or maybe the little black kitten that snuggles in my lap at every opportunity?

Stay tuned!

I got a delightful package in the mail this week from my Ravelry yarn swap partner. I love learning about different types of yarn, and this particular skein came from Solstice Yarn's etsy shop. It's called John Barleycorn and I am in love with the amazing fall colors and soft, squishy feel. I couldn't have picked a better yarn myself!

After two weeks of hard work and constant cabling, I finished Caulfield. However, it's (sob!) much too small for me. It's my own fault for not knitting a gauge swatch, which I typically don't do with hats (or anything else I can get away with). The pattern called for a US3 needle size, but for some unremembered reason, I chose a US2. Oh, well. I'm now nearly finished with my third attempt at a winter hat, Azul, which is much easier.

With the weather turning colder, I'm breaking out the bread molds! I absolutely love them. This particular one is Nordic Ware's Pumpkin Patch. Unfortunately, the recipe I used didn't produce a tasty bread, so I'll have to try again with a different recipe tomorrow. Different recipe...same cake mold!

With some cornbread miniature acorns scattered around the edges? I can't wait!

Have a great week!

Birds of a Feather

Todd and I took a chilly walk this morning to our local park, where our polling place was conveniently located. It might sound silly, but I love to vote. We didn't always have the opportunity to do so. Our Revolutionary War came about because King George III refused to allow delegates from the colonies to have their say in parliamentary sessions. This lack of basic representation galvanized the colonists into action, and after much bloody conflict our independent nation was born.

I'm proud of our history, and I try never to take our freedom for granted. Voting is one way I honor those who died for the privileges I now enjoy.

Of course, I couldn't resist picking up this little piece of vintage fabric when I had the chance. It's in a small wooden frame, hanging in our bedroom.

Voting complete, I was able to spend a little time in the yard. It's amazing, the changes that autumn brings. Our pokeberry bush has kept its leaves, and they're turning a brilliant red.

It's another added bonus from these amazing plants.

The birds have eaten nearly all the pokeberry seeds. The five-petaled bases that held them for so long look like waxy flowers. They're quite pretty.

I love the deep greens and purples that develop in my hydrangea leaves. They're so pretty that I bring them inside for bouquets.

The lilac bushes are changing, too. Their leaves are small and stiff, but the color changes are amazing!
Bosewichte feels like an intrepid explorer beneath their cover.

I was absolutely amazed to see a female praying mantis in the yard last week, despite our nightly frosts and the lack of active insects for her meals. She seemed stunned by the cold air, and I haven't seen her for several days. Praying mantises die when the weather turns cold.

I found several more ootheca, or praying mantis egg sacs, in the lilac bushes. We are going to have a bumper crop of them in the spring. There can be up to 400 mantises per ootheca!

The birds have been enjoying our full feeders. They say that birds of a feather flock together, and it's true in our yard, at least. These sparrows can clean out a feeder in two days! I'll also see an occasional chickadee and cardinal.

The birds also flock to our empty container gardens and take "dirt baths" in the soil there. Rubbing their feathers in dirt can help dislodge pesky parasites, and even soothe irritated skin.

The neighborhood squirrels also take advantage of the container gardens to store their winter nuts.
We've got a new squirrel that's moved into our big pine tree. He's a young, feisty squirrel that we've named Peabody. We love to watch him frolic around the yard, hanging from fence posts and chittering at the birds.

Strangely, he's on his hind legs a lot...more than any other squirrel I've seen.

We're still enjoying the beautiful leaves.

I never get tired of looking at them. I love to bring colorful ones back for our dining room table, or to press in books or letters.

The leaves are really starting to fall now. We won't have many more weeks of this beauty.

But we'll always have next year!

The kittens are getting much bigger! I love watching their progress. They're definitely more aware of their surroundings now. Let the hijinks begin!

Their feeding time scrambles are miniature dramas. Outraged meows come from all directions if one little kitten takes more than his fair share of space...and food!

They're playing together more, which is always fun to watch.

In the course of my time there, one little kitten has begun to stand out from the rest. His chubby little body tells the story...he's the biggest eater of the bunch.

He's positively gleeful at mealtime, kneading his mother mercilessly and curling his toes in delight.


He's also the most playful, rolling around with anyone who comes near.

He's the most adventurous, the first one to climb out of their box.

He's very alert!
He's got a very appealing face. I'm not sure, yet. But I've very attracted to this jolly, exuberant kitten.

I've been putting in a lot of time with my knitting this week. I'd hoped to have Caulfield done this week, but it's a remarkably complex project.

Nearly every stitch is cabled, created an elaborate criss-cross affect. So much work is involved that I nearly frogged it halfway through. Todd convinced me to keep going, and he's right...I think I should see this through to the end.

I've been doing a lot of cooking this week - spicy squash soups and casseroles, thick and hearty beef and vegetable stews, all with fresh, hot french bread for dipping. This is truly the best season for baking! I can't wait for tomorrow's homemade french onion soup with a zucchini tart, and peach crumble for dessert. Yum!

Have a great week!