Snail sex

Just came across this wild sex scene as I took food out to the cat. The motion lights came on and caught them in the act. (I'm assuming this is how snails have sex, but maybe they were just having a nice chat.) I suppose this means baby snails and all that entails ...

Ring neck snake video clip

After posting that I hadn't seen a ring neck for a long time, I found one when I was weeding and sorting out the bromeliads at the base of the avocado tree. It didn't want to be caught. It was difficult keeping the camera in the right place and keep the snake from escaping too soon.

It's a harmless snake, in case the gardening gloves alarm you.

Rainy night

I forgot to put the wheelbarrow away yesterday evening. We must have had at least 4 inches of rain over night. No wonder mushrooms are erupting everywhere.

Stinker

One of the stinkiest stinks (take my word for it) is a rotten coconut. Of course to Sparky the mutt, it's the canine equivalent of a moth to a flame.

Urban wildlife

The nearby Tropical Park has opened a doggy park, which my two love. It's located next to one of the lakes where I snapped this shot of a great egret.

And for the first time in several years I came across a little ring-neck snake in the garden. It was crossing a pathway and disappeared under the shed. I was in the middle of dealing with a dog who had sliced open a paw, resulting in copious bleeding, so I didn't have time to admire it. But it's nice to know it's there.

My backyard, minus one coconut palm

The coconut palm has gone. (See Aug. 1 post.) This is the new view from the kitchen window. We decided the situation was simply too dangerous, not least because one of the dogs decided to make a place to snooze near the trunk. (Even so, "death by coconut" remains anecdotal.)

Out of habit, I still automatically steer a course around the danger zone.

Its removal presents a whole new set of problems, though, because the plants, including orchids, that grew in its shade are getting too much sun and must be relocated. We have a vera wood (Bulnesia arborea) and a bridal veil (Caesalpinia granadillo) -- such a beautiful tree -- that will eventually fill in and create a nicer shaded area.