Planet M Files » Wild Critters http://planetmfiles.com Welcome to Our Planet! It's filled with kids, dogs, and crocheted guinea pigs! (A real guinea pig, too!) Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:09:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Wildlife Week, Day 5: Pet Parade Memories! http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/23/wildlife-week-day-5-pet-parade-memories/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wildlife-week-day-5-pet-parade-memories http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/23/wildlife-week-day-5-pet-parade-memories/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:40:42 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7717 I thought that since the Pet Parade is coming to ELK’s blog, red or gray, on Friday, July 30, 2010, a little walk down memory lane might be fun today!  Below is the first Pet Parade that ELK and I hosted back on April 28, 2009!  If you have a little time this weekend, stop by and visit some of last year’s participants!

Reprinted from April 28, 2009:

Welcome to the Pet Parade hosted by ELK of red or gray depends on the day and myself!

Here are my pooches. They make my world a happier place!

Timmy
Timmy
Polly
Polly

It’s time to get marching!  The more, the merrier!  Enjoy the Pet Parade! Oh, did I see a vendor walk by with cotton candy?!

Pet Parade Participants

1. Toni | Daily Vignette
2. Puna @ Life Signatures
3. E L K
4. Se’Lah
5. Alpaca Farmgirl
6. autumnsun
7. Jennifer
8. betsy
9. margieandkath
10. Angela @ PeonyPatch
11. Pixels-n-Pen- life in the freelance lane!
12. DesignTies
13. Angel Tree Farm Alpacas
14. Meryl : My Bit of Earth		 15. traceyclark
16. Caplin Rous, the pet capybara
17. Mama of Letters
18. Mama of Letters
19. Leigh Thomas
20. Leigh Thomas
21. Leroy of A.G. Out Loud
22. Zoey of A.G. Out Loud
23. Stella of A.G. Out Loud
24. Kath
25. Hilary
26. Diane Schuller
27. Maya (Beach Lovin’ Dogs)
28. Vchelle		 29. Sunnymama
30. Chookooloonks
31. elizabeth @ retinal perspectives
32. Jewels
33. maya | springtree road
34. Country Girl Kate
35. Lori Forester
36. Kim Andersen
37. Teri
38. Shalet
39. Monkey’s Momma
40. Donna
41. Joy (Siamese Baby)
42. Donna

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/23/wildlife-week-day-5-pet-parade-memories/feed/ 6 Wildlife Week, Day 4: More Frogs! http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/22/wildlife-week-day-4-more-frogs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wildlife-week-day-4-more-frogs http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/22/wildlife-week-day-4-more-frogs/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:19:46 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7700 I’m being nurse/mom today for my son.  His surgery went well yesterday.  He’s in a fair amount of pain today, even with the pain meds., so it’s a day spent on the couch with ice packs on his face.  Hopefully by tomorrow the pain will have eased up.

The Pet Parade is coming to ELK’s blog, red or gray on Friday, July 30th, 2010!  Click on Sam’s photo for the details!

Today Wildlife Week continues with more frogs!  I hope it’s not cheating to have frogs again, but I think they are so darned cute!

Look how tiny they are!  This little one is smaller than my 12 year old son’s knuckle!

Oh, hello, where you just a little tadpole yesterday, too?

Frogs in the wild!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/22/wildlife-week-day-4-more-frogs/feed/ 3 Wildlife Week, Day 3: Tadpole to Frog http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/21/wildlife-week-day-3-tadpole-to-frog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wildlife-week-day-3-tadpole-to-frog http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/21/wildlife-week-day-3-tadpole-to-frog/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:47:22 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7686 My son had his oral surgery this morning and is home now recovering!  Yippee!

Wildlife Week Continues!

This first image shows two tadpoles, one is quite small and is under the larger one.

Below are a few tadpoles.  One of them has grown his/her back legs

Here is one that has all four legs!  He/she has also begun to change color.

And…frog!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/21/wildlife-week-day-3-tadpole-to-frog/feed/ 7 Wildlife Week, Day 2: Cute Red Squirrels! http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/20/wildlife-week-day-2-cute-red-squirrels/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wildlife-week-day-2-cute-red-squirrels http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/20/wildlife-week-day-2-cute-red-squirrels/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:53:16 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7665 Totally unrelated to the photos, when I was in grade school I was in a school spelling bee.  I don’t remember which grade I was in, but I was pretty good at spelling, I thought.  The word that got me knocked out of the competition was, squirrel.  Grrr.

Also, thank you for all the well wishes for my son!  Tomorrow, 7/21, is the surgery day.  He’s not nervous and I’m trying to keep myself busy today!

These little red squirrels love our apples and also the apple tree seems to be a favorite spot for them to have afternoon naps!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/20/wildlife-week-day-2-cute-red-squirrels/feed/ 3 Wildlife Week, Day 1: Big Green Caterpillar http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/19/wildlife-week-day-1-big-green-caterpillar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wildlife-week-day-1-big-green-caterpillar http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/19/wildlife-week-day-1-big-green-caterpillar/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:35:11 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7653 This week will be a bit stressful for me.  My seventeen year old son is having four impacted wisdom teeth surgically removed on Wednesday.  He’ll be asleep for the procedure, but I think I’m the one that needs sedatives!  Each time I think of it, my heart starts pounding.  A mother’s heart works hard, doesn’t it?!

This week I’ll be showing you some of the cool critters we’ve been seeing around here this summer!  Today is an unidentified caterpillar!  My husband and Timmy found him/her in a bunch of tall weeds.  Does anyone know what this caterpillar is?  I haven’t been able to find any image that is just like it on the internet.  It is hairless, about 5 inches long, and has one false eye at the rear end of it.  Edited to add: Thanks to the link that d @qdm provided in her comment below, I found this caterpillar’s identity!  It is a Eumorpha Pandorus and will turn into a Pandorus Sphinx Moth.  Thanks, d! (We didn’t keep this caterpillar.  My husband put it back where he and Timmy found it, so we’ll just have to be on the lookout for the moth it becomes!)

Click on any of the images to see them larger.

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/07/19/wildlife-week-day-1-big-green-caterpillar/feed/ 13 In Our Backyard http://planetmfiles.com/2010/06/25/in-our-backyard/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-our-backyard http://planetmfiles.com/2010/06/25/in-our-backyard/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:34:38 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7490 (You can click on any of the photos to see them larger.)

Nom nom nom nom

What was that clicking noise?!

Ack!

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/06/25/in-our-backyard/feed/ 10 Radio Flyer and Random http://planetmfiles.com/2010/06/16/radio-flyer-and-random/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=radio-flyer-and-random http://planetmfiles.com/2010/06/16/radio-flyer-and-random/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:46:27 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7429 (You can click the photo to see it bigger.)

The randomness of this week:

My 17 year old son is finished with 11th grade, except for state tests of which his last is Friday morning.

My 14 year old daughter finishes 8th grade tomorrow, except for her foreign language test on Monday, and graduation rehearsal on Monday.  Then, graduation next Wednesday!!!  She will then officially be a high school freshman!

My 12 year old son finishes 7th grade next Tuesday.  He might have Lyme Disease.  I’m bringing him to the doctor after school today.  I can’t stand tics.  :(

I had to fend off two hawks yesterday morning.  This is ridiculous!  I let Timmy outside and a couple of seconds later heard the screech of a hawk.  I ran out (in a towel because I had just gotten out of the shower!) and two hawks flew over.  One was making a circle, so I waved my arms and yelled at it to go away!  It did.  Thank goodness my backyard is private!  I hope Google Earth’s satellite wasn’t taking a photo at that moment!

I’m subscribed to my own blog by email and I just realized I don’t receive my posts!  I wonder if I somehow marked myself as spam.  Sigh.

We bought my husband the game Molkky for Father’s Day!  It looks like a cool family game.  Hope he likes it!

I’m knitting something!  I have trouble with knitting, but I’m really liking the simple pattern.  It’s the Long Beach Washcloth by Lion Brand.  (I didn’t make this a link because I think you have to be registered and logged on to Lion Brand to view it.)  I’ll try to take some time this week to take photos of what I’ve been making to show you!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/06/16/radio-flyer-and-random/feed/ 9 I Spy – Bug Edition http://planetmfiles.com/2010/04/21/i-spy-bug-edition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=i-spy-bug-edition http://planetmfiles.com/2010/04/21/i-spy-bug-edition/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:44:42 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7072 I had no idea that I was being stared back at when I snapped these photos.

Click on all of the images to make them bigger.  Can you see my little buddy?

How about now?

Tomorrow is Earth Day!  I wonder what this little guy/gal will do to celebrate?  We’re expecting rain, so I figure it’ll eat a few leaves, drink a few droplets…maybe lay a few eggs!  My plans are to wear green, as hopefully the entire town will do, and go to a meeting.  I’ll breathe in the sweet scent of spring rain and listen to the birds chirping their spring songs and I’ll wonder what you are doing!  Our schools are in the midst of week long celebrations and education on taking care of the Earth.  I love that we have such a devoted teaching community and town community!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/04/21/i-spy-bug-edition/feed/ 13 Happy Friday! http://planetmfiles.com/2009/10/23/happy-friday-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happy-friday-4 http://planetmfiles.com/2009/10/23/happy-friday-4/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:40:02 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=5603 Jack-o-lantern rainbow 10-09 023 (Medium)

My cool lens flare rainbows don’t only occur in the woods!  Here’s one in my kitchen!  I feel especially lucky this week because I’ve got rainbows in my kitchen and ladybugs crawling all over my house!

We are hoping for at least one of the days this weekend to stay dry so that we can go apple picking.  We need our pumpkins for carving, too!  I just love the smell of pumpkin seeds roasting in the oven!

Lady Bugs 10-09 009 (Medium)

I wish you a happy, lucky weekend!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2009/10/23/happy-friday-4/feed/ 11 Greener Hay http://planetmfiles.com/2009/09/10/greener-hay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=greener-hay http://planetmfiles.com/2009/09/10/greener-hay/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:30:51 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=5143 Another county fair view.  This goat was stuck.  Really stuck.  She was turning her head every which way to try to get free and then she’d stop and look at us.  I imagine she’s thinking, “I should have been happy with my own hay!”

Stuck Goat County Fair 8-09 005 (Medium)

In the 4H barn the goats were in these wooden pens, all with the same straw bedding and hay to eat.  Almost all of the goats had their heads through the wooden slats reaching into the pen next to them to grab their neighbor’s hay! I guess the hay is greener on the other side of the fence, too!

As for me, I’m pretty happy with the grass right where I am!  How about you?

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