The Road Less Traveled

We took a drive on a forestry road yesterday and got a glimpse of an Eastern box turtle. Look at the pattern and bright colors on the shell, just wonderful.

Here's what the forestry road looks like; a road less traveled but easily passable.

We saw lots of plants in bloom and numerous butterflies on Joe Pye weed. The butterfly is a tiger swallowtail.

As we left the forest we saw a field full of mules. Mules are a cross between a horse and a donkey. Horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 62 and mules have 63.

This friendly mule came up to the fence to greet us. Wish I had had a carrot to give him. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Luna Moth and a Box Turtle

I feel like I'm living in a rain forest we've had so much rain. We just had a tremendous downpour and now I can hear the frogs and toads singing in the woods. Sometimes it's raining on one side of our house and not the other. A couple of my fruit trees aren't doing so well. I think it's due to too much rain.

One of my blogging friends, Ronna, saw a luna moth on her barn and I was inspired to make this luna moth platter which is about fifteen by nine inches. I might paint in a vine linking the three flowers. The luna moth only lives one week and has no mouth; it lives only to mate.

Yesterday Gary was weed whipping and saw this Eastern Box Turtle hiding in the tall grass. The turtle got scared and wouldn't peek his head out. I grew tired of waiting and thought I'd go back later. Of course he was gone. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.