“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Pitter Patter

Pitter-patter-pitter-patter.... is it rain, or something else?

Summer is here! I'm so excited that we're having some sunny days!
We've been getting lots and lots of rain! I'm not sure if you are aware that much of Minnesota has been getting flooded.  Last week we received about 4 inches of rain over night.  Our little lake was the highest I've ever seen and was up over it's high water mark and into our mowed grass.  I'm glad the rain stopped when it did!

After a flooding incident in the 1960's they put a pumping station in and now control the level of the lake by pumping the water down stream into other lakes and then into the creek. We were glad to see the lake go back down after a couple of days.

Other than that the rain has been great for my garden. The flowers and  weeds are growing taller than ever! Even as I write this, a storm is moving in and we should get more rain. Let's hope not too much.


More Peonies....








Blue Delphiniums and Yellow Sundrops



We also had a Strawberry Moon last week and I went out to snap a photo.  It doesn't show near the detail in the moon as I had hoped, but that's the best I could get with my point and shoot camera.



Last week after all the rain, I was backing out of my garage and wondering what some walkers were gawking and pointing at in my driveway.  As I slowly backed out, I saw to the left of my driveway a huge snapping turtle digging a nest for her eggs!  I didn't take a picture because she raised her head and was giving me the evil eye! I did not want to disturb her anymore than I already had by opening the garage door and driving a huge metal beast out just when she was doing something that should really be private!!

I have marked my calendar though and in about three months we should be hearing the pitter-patter of little baby Snappers!!


via

The common adult Snapping Turtle weighs from 9 to 35 pounds and may live around 30 years. They can be aggressive on land, so I chose not to mess with the big mama! I've heard that in the water they are not interested in people and will swim away and hide on the bottom. They are prehistoric looking creatures and quite interesting.  We have observed the two snappers romantically involved in the lake!

Below is a baby snapper.  I've found them in the yard, or I should say, Guy has found snappers and other turtles in the yard before. They are usually about two inches in diameter. I carry them down to the lake and they jump right in and swim off.


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BplvXKaEb5U/Tdk4Am2JSgI/AAAAAAAABCE/vJMkDv73X80/s1600/turtlesnapbabe3.jpg
source: Baby Snapping Turtle

Independence Day is  soon approaching as are my house-guests! I probably won't be back here to my blog until after the 4th of July, but I will try and get around and visit some of your long neglected blogs! It appears my blog list is working again and your blogs will be much easier for me to keep track of.

Have a wonderful weekend! 
~~ Diane ~~


15 comments:

  1. We got our first turtle visitor recently, too. (Never seen one here before. I named him "Sebastian"). I've never seen a snapping turtle though. That tail looks so strange and... prehistoric.

    Kristin

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  2. How sweet, that little turtle! Lovely photos. :)

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  3. By the way, Diane, I love the song playing on your page right now. You have very similar tastes to mine in music. :)

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  4. Sorry to hear about all the rain... How sweet is that turtle, I hope you manage to share a few shots in three months time! Have a great weekend! :)

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  5. Hi Diane, I know how scary all that rain can be! We were very lucky with only small areas of our garden under water, but many of our near neighbours were not so lucky. Lots are still waiting to move back into their water sodden homes. It’s raining again today but this time the garden really needs it as we’ve had lots of days of hot, dry weather.
    Your peonies are beautiful, and I love the way you’ve arranged them and how come your delphiniums are so blue – mine are always a very pale wishy-washy kind of blue – a different kind perhaps?
    Have a wonderful 4th July. I’m thinking of taking a little time off from blogging myself but will be back to see you in a couple of weeks.

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  6. We need some of your rain!! It's been so dry here. And I love that snapping turtle. I used to catch them all the time as a youngster :-)

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  7. Gorgeous flowers and oh, those turtles! Very exciting. Enjoy your company!

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  8. Exciting news about the turtles. Cannot wait to hear more in about 3 months!

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  9. The rain does make everything so green and lush, it's been really wonderful over here this year so far, things have grown to crazy proportions!! Amazing wildlife in the garden there, I get excited to see a hedgehog, they don't visit as often now, sadly. :)

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  10. For a point and shoot camera, that's a really wonderful moon shot.

    Those peonies are gorgeous! I don't have any in my garden...yet... Oh, and baby turtles! How exciting. I can't wait to hear more!

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  11. they are considered "living fossils" animals that haven't changed much for millions of years.

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  12. I love the peonies. I don't have any...so I just enjoy them on blogs.....can't get the wonderful perfume that way though.
    What a big turtle....nice of you to protect her privacey.
    Have fun with your guests...Balisha

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  13. Hey Diane ;o) So happy the rain has stopped! We have been seeing the flooding on t.v! We have been getting lots of rain too, but for the next few days, we are very hot!
    Your flowers are stunning!
    In our old house, we had snapping turtles!
    Have a great 4th of July ;o)
    I will be celebrating July 1st for Canada Day ;o)
    Big Hugs ;o)

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  14. Beautiful flowers! And that little turtle is adorable.

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  15. Diane - your peonies are enough to die for...they beautiful and what a beautiful photo of your delphiniums and yellow sundrops - so lovely together. As for the snapping turtle - very interesting that they live 30 years. We have some too here in Ohio and box ones as well. There are times we need to slow down on the back roads because there is a turtle crossing ahead! (LOL) Have a lovely visit with your friends and Happy 4th of July.

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