Thursday we went to get the newspaper and found the most amazing spiderweb in our front yard. It was huge and beautiful. We spent a while looking at it and taking pictures. H really liked it and didn't want to go inside. I really encourage you to click on the picture and enlarge it so you can see it better. It was almost perfectly symmetrical, and stretched from the tree down to the shrubs that line our front walk. Sadly, it was gone by Sunday. (Probably the lawn mowing on Saturday or something disturbed it.)
Saturday we worked in the yard moving the garden box (box o' weeds really) off the patio into the yard area. Digging up the dirt in the box was heaps of fun for the boys, they said we were making "dirt castles." They dug for quite a while, moving the dirt mostly to the wheelbarrow... only a little ended up on each other! I had no idea digging in the dirt would satisfy them so much, I would have let them do it all summer. Kids have such awesome imaginations. Digging up the grass was much more fun to DH & I, but not to them. That wasn't nearly as cool as making dirt castles. They went and watched "The Brave Little Toaster" while we did that. Haven't watched that in ages? You should. It's fun. :)
But we did find TONS of these interesting little larvae in the yard. Totally funky looking. Turns out they are stag beetle larvae that feed on decaying wood, so apparently we have that in our yard? Anyway, they aren't considered a pest, which is good, because we have an army growing in our yard!There were some other interesting bugs too, but this one won my interest because it had the little legs and was so long. Total ick factor!
Our little garden box is now full of good quality dirt, 6 pepper plants, 15 bean seeds and some onion seeds too. I plan to add some cool weather crops soon too. One of the bonuses of the Texas heat (yes it was 95 today) is that there are 2 full gardening seasons almost, and we will basically be able to garden year round without any special equipment. Woo! Now I just have to develop my gardening skills more!
4 comments:
Okay. I like your blog on gardenign and knowing what you are up to. It is fun to read how your day went. I'm sure the boys had fun. I remember when you were just a tot and you picked your first big basket of greens from our garden. I will have to dig up the photo. anywho... we are winding down with gardening here in Wiscons b/c of the rain we had. I really think next year I will have a box garden too. It makes alot more sense.
Be sure to put chickenwire at the bottom of your box to keep the critters from burrowing upward.
Love Mom.
cool bugs!
total creep factor going on with those icky beetles. I find them facinating as well. Thanks for NOT included a spider close up though, that would have done me in! Why is it that spiders and scorpions are just too much for me, but snakes and everything else are just cool!
I can't decide if I'm jealous of the year-round gardening, or thankful that I get a break, and can Not feel guilty about (not being dedicated to maintaining) it for a few months.
Alas - I do love the beautiful snow... provided that we get a lot of it, and it's not just gray for three months....
Steph
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