Uugh that's horrible Dooley! I have never had the displeasure of finding out what a skunk smells like, and I never want to... Let's hope something doesn't come along and dig it up now
Oh how horrible! I can't believe that no one would come ... there have been recent cases of rabid animals here in VA. I wonder if the 'stuff' it spread on your yard would be at all contagious?? EEW! At least I have to think that if you live in AZ that the windows would be closed anyway from the heat ...
Skunks were a real pest when my dad had honey bees. They would come in at night, tap on the hive and then eat the bees that came out in investigate. We always had a trap set and it was my daily chore to go "check the skunk trap." One summer there were so many of those varmints that there was one in the trap every few days. I dug lots of holes that year burying them. At first when dad had bees and we got a skunk all we had to do was call up this old trapper who would come and get them. He would take the scent out of them and use it for bait. That was nice till he retired.
The smell was basically gone when I covered the yard with dirt. I had to have the windows closed so it was hot. We do not use A/C or cooling, only fans. My husband has an inner ear disease that prohibits adding humidity to the air. Dooley
We dont have skunks in the UK, and only know about them from Peppy Le Peu! so when visiting friends in California, we were in a delightful outdoor rstaurant and this really exquisitely cute little animal sauntered in, all bright eyes and (believe me fellow UK readers!) very attractive, all the Brit diners were oohing and aahing. So were the US ones, but not quite in the same way. Mutters of 'keep calm, dont frighten it, dont move fast!' It hid under the console and was still there when the restaurant shut - rather earlier than planned!
Even my 9 year old told me yesterday that I am a good gardener ... praise doesn't get much higher than that! My great nephew told me I was a good cooker, he was 2 and I had made punch from sherbet and 7-up. My brother told our mom she was pretty except her face. somehow that doesn't sound as nice as you have a nice figure. My cousin told her mom she loved her because she was soft and squishy. I love how little kids give compliments. Congratulations on your high praise.
I find there isn't just one answer to the question. Deer can bee very damageing to a garden and many people I know would just as soon not have them about. We on the other hand have learned just how to keep them at bay with fishing line and hair from the doggies, most of all the places where they are allowed kept growing food for them. Twins along the creek and the travel route. The different little froggies we just love having around. We try to provide them with safe houses but they tend to chose there own hang outs. These are all the same brand, they change colors depending on the thing they are resting on. Al
Some one here said they needed a place to put pictures. May I recommend www.imagestation.com I have hundreds of pictures there, as well as some other sites not half as good. Another froggie, there really Whites Toads. we have a dove that nest in our flowering crab tree every spring and some times well into the fall. A robin nest in the timbers of our screened in porch many years too. Does one consider a butterfly a wild life critter or are they some thing else. Did you know butterflys taste with there feet? Al
We have wooly worms, the saying is you can perdict the winter by them. Long black parts with just a small amount of red meens the winter will be long and hard. short bits of black with a long streach of red meens a warm winter. Doesn't seem to work for me as I may not be readding them right. Stick bugs help control those bad ones. Love to watch these girls during the winter. I refuse to take a picture of a rabbit as I consider them pest. they chew the bark off shrubs even though I have provided them with better foods. Al
I must admit I have this thing with deer. Mom said I got so excited when I saw my first one that is all I talked about for weeks. Now 50 some years latter I still get a racing heart when they come to dinner. Al
Well what can I say Al but WOW!!!! Your photographs are gorgeous. I admit to having a rather 'soft spot' for deer myself and, like you, I feel my heart pound when I see them in the wild. They are such graceful animals aren't they? We have Red deer, Fallow, Roe and munjacks around here. Your butterfly and stick insect are great and, yes, we do consider them wildlife too. Those frogs and toads are great!! At the moment I have lots of young frogs leaping all over the garden. Hope our resident hedgehog doesn't eat them all as I need them to keep the slugs and snails down. We have doves similar to the one you posted Al they're called collared doves and have a black band around their necks - what type are your ones? Thank you for sharing your wildlife with us.
Our Doves are Morning Doves, they have this mornful coo in the evenings that send shivers up my spine I must admit. Our deer are white tails. They love our burning bushes and come almost inside the house to get a meal to chew on. We have Great Blue Herons that come to our creek along with wood ducks (sorry no pictures of them YET) Many different dragon flys entertain us with their flights. This fat toad kept our intrest for nearly four hours(retirement is great for wildlife watching). Al
Kare keeps milk weed in the front door garden, it is over five feet tall. It is for the catipillers that turn into beautiful butterflys. This year we discovered the honey bees just love the blooms too, it will remain. Kare watched this one for days. then one morning she gave a blood curdling cry and swore vengence, now kills soldier bugs with glee. Yet life continues. Al
We have butterflys come to the gardens of all shapes and colors. We have been knowen to sit in a garden for hours just waiting for the right one and take many pictures then run in to thecomputer to see if any of the forty came out good enough. Al
