A Snowbird in Paradise

"Spiny" the Spiny Orb Weaver

Just outside the bedroom window lives this Spiny Orb Weaver.  It is such an unusual looking spider to me that I have become quite fond of her and watch her every morning.  Since early January her web has been ripped apart by winds twice, now, and each time she has a new one woven within 24 hours, but in a different spot so I have to go looking for her.

She is about the size of my littlest finger nail.

These pop out of the lawn about 6 inches.

 Using the term, "Lawn" might be stretching it a bit, but it IS green and kept cut.  However, when the lawn has grown to cutting length there are all kinds of flowers.  Oh, I am familiar with dandelions and chicory, but these are tiny little PRETTY flowers buried among the greenery.

Here is the stem of the above flower.

Some tiny little orchid flower hiding in the grass.

These come from a shamrock-like plant.

This was blooming on the Bottlebrush Tree trunk just above the lawn.

A door to the screen room was left ajar all afternoon. I discovered this large, gorgeous butterfly trying to get out and I just HAD to take a picture before rescuing it. I had a little Dollar Store butterfly net my granddaughter used to try and catch little lizards. I plopped it over the butterfly and lightly held the wings through the netting. A moment later it was freely flying away to other places.


Here is a more personal item than I usually include. On April 4, our next door neighbor was found unconscious inside her home. On the 12th she passed away. She was an avid gardener and watched the wildlife with me. She introduced me to feeding the big birds in 2002. She was the sweetest woman and will be so missed. I cannot imagine not having her there next winter.