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 Dec 2011 18:45:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Summer of Frogs http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/26/summer-of-frogs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-of-frogs http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/26/summer-of-frogs/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:20:43 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7978 Our pool ruins are a great habitat for frogs and toads.  This summer we’ve raised tadpoles and that turned into tiny tree frogs.  We also have some frogs are are larger than the tree frogs and they stay in or close to the water.  They are super quick but my daughter managed to catch one to visit with for a little while!

You can click any photo to see it larger.

Here she is holding her little buddy.

Then, he hung out on her lap for a while.

He grinned for the camera.

One last pose on his way back to the pool ruins.

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/26/summer-of-frogs/feed/ 5 Friends? http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/09/friends/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=friends http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/09/friends/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:59:53 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7862 Friends?  Love?  Or maybe a meal?  The larger spider has been in my tomato garden for weeks.  The smaller one was a short time visitor.

(You can click to see them bigger!)

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/09/friends/feed/ 2 Huey, Dewey, Louie http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/06/huey-dewey-louie/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=huey-dewey-louie http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/06/huey-dewey-louie/#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:54:11 +0000 Gayle http://planetmfiles.com/?p=7848 Well, they’re not ducks, but they’re as cute as Huey, Dewey and Louie!

You can click on the photos to see them bigger.

The mama deer was watching her babies from the woods.  She’s not that big.  I can’t imagine her having been pregnant with these three!  All those long legs!  It looks like Huey is a little knock-kneed.  I can see why!

I hope you get to have a little taste of nature this weekend!

]]> http://planetmfiles.com/2010/08/06/huey-dewey-louie/feed/ 8 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/ 4 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/ 8 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/ 14 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!

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