Saturday, January 01, 2011

New Years Day!

The new year is here, how quickly 2010 passed by! I walked in the muddy yard/garden this morning and found a Crocus speciosus had bloomed. I think I planted 24 of these and 4-5 of them bloomed in fall, see my last crocus post. We still have a little snow on the ground from last weekend, it is going to be a high of 60 degrees today! Who knows if the sun would come out we might see a butterfly.
The camera was fogging up when I shot this, but it made a nice effect. Notice my new copyright for 2011.

Been wanting to share these photos taken in August of 2006, they were featured on my old blog that nobody was able to find. I had a small pile of left over lumber that grew into the weeds along a project I was working on. This happens doesn't it a mess that grows into the landscape? Anyway I decided to clean it up and lifted up this scrap of 2 x 6 about a foot long and found a Five-lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus nest with eggs. I placed it back to let her nest in peace. Everyday afternoon I would check quietly to see if the eggs hatched, after 2 weeks here is what I found!
Two skink babies, notice the mothers tail for a size comparison.
Newborn skink struggling to exit the egg.
The mother skink protecting her newborn babies, some are still hatching.

What is new for this year? Well I have found a dead Eastern Red Cedar tree on our property and we are cutting it down and making it a bottle tree! I have gathered somewhere around 40 blue bottles and think that 20 or so blue bottles would be better displayed entirely on a bottle tree than inside the bottle wall we are going to build. My hope is to have no two bottles alike on the tree.

We bought a wood stove, something that was on the renovation plans when we remodeled but omitted it due to budget restraints. Meg will be very happy when and if the power goes out we will have heat and it does have a cook top also. This house is pretty green anyway.

21 comments:

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Those skink photos are so cool! She looks huge next to the babies.
It is 66 here today, enjoying the warmer weather by opening up the house. We are getting a few droplets of rain.
Happy New Year, enjoy this wonderful spring-like weather.

fer said...

Amazing photos!
Happy new year!

NotSoAngryRedHead said...

Very cool finds! From garbage in the yard to baby skinks. From snow and mud to crocus. From a dead cedar to a flashy bottle tree. Pretty cool.

Victoria Williams said...

60˚!!! We'll be lucky to reach our high of 26˚ today. So cold.
Love those skinks!

Carol said...

Fabulous photos Randy! Love your crocus! Happiest of New Years to you. May 2011 be a great gardening year! It has been fun and inspiring to visit your world over this past year. I hope you got to see a butterfly! We were in the 50's here today.

Southern Lady said...

I was walking in the yard yesterday and couldn't believe that I had a couple of crocuses that look as if they may bloom in a couple of days. Our crazy December weather must be to blame. I wonder what January and February will hold? Carla

Roslyn said...

Just love those photos of the skinks. You projects for 2011 sound great too. Have a great year.

Hazel said...

Thank you so much for those skink photos. Isn't it wonderful to be able to watch nature?

Nature Rambles said...

Wonderful skink photos! Haven't ever seen a sight like that...the crocus is pretty! Looking forward to seeing your bottle tree later.

Hope you have a wonderful 2011!

Town Mouse said...

Happy New Year! Love that clever copyright, I really need to do that myself.

ryan said...

Those skink photos are great. Wonderful timing. The crocus is a cool find too.

Shirley said...

Hello again Randy, wow what an interesting capture from your garden! I’m not familiar with skinks so this was very interesting for me to see. Thank-you, great images :-D

Gosh… butterflies on New Year’s Day… now that would be an amazing sight (albeit worrying) here in Scotland! Wishing you all the best for 2011 - from a more chilly garden ;-)

Jan said...

The weather has been so unpredictable! We never got the snow that you guys received, much to our chagrin--because we really wanted some! Now it's raining and unseasonably warm...guess I 'could' go out and do some garden clean-up. On 2nd thought, I'll read blogs! Love the photo of the skinks, so cool! And in the previous post, that Pine Warbler is so cute. Don't think I've ever seen one here (yet. there's always the future...I'll keep my eyes open!). Happy New Year to you and Meg;-)

sweetbay said...

Fantastic shots of the Skink with the babies!!

Unknown said...

Great shots!!! I'm always so excited to find little creatures under garden piles of the forgotten. lol

Shady Gardener said...

Flowers and snakes at THIS time of year? You are definitely providing me with extra entertainment!! :-) Happy 2011!sa

Andrea said...

i dont know skinks, but we have another reptile here which also mimics the surroundings, though i havent seen them with youngs or with eggs. I dont know their habits or what they eat, we just tell kids that they help the environment, might eat harmful insects! I dont know how true that is. I am waiting and excited with the fate of your banana! Please dont forget to visit it.

Just Jenn said...

What a great find! Amazing photos.

Kerri Farley said...

Oh I LOVE seeing the skink babies! And how cool to have the crocus pop up :)

eileeninmd said...

Wonderful photos, love the crocus and the skinks are really cool.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Hi Randy, These photos of the skink babies are marvelous. I have never seen such a thing. I would just be thrilled if I found a skink in my garden. Happy New Year.