I got butterflies flitting around and lizards out sunning. Not so surprising here in the Florida Panhandle on a warm day in January.
The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about the natural happenings we see. Birds, blooms, bugs and more - each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
January 14, 2013
Cloudless and Dainty Sulfurs always show up if we get a few days with temps above 60º. And the Green Anoles love to come out for a warm bath in the sun. Even the Paper Wasps buzzing around the eaves desperately looking for a spider are expected. Not sure if they find any but they've been cruising the house for a few weeks. I duck a lot.
Click on thru for what really surprised me...
It's been pleasant enough with the unusual, unexpected 70s now in a second week. There's a few darn mosquitos now at sunset so I was wearing a long-sleeve shirt. The radio was on but I'm not caring about whatever the idiot on NPR business report is misspeaking about that stuff we come here to forget. The sunset is a gorgeous pink silhouetting the trees. I'd show you a picture but I just didn't want to make the effort. I was busy stripping down a very rusty square cast-iron skillet I picked up at the Whigham, Georgia junk store. I'm having fun!
What caught my eye was a pattern we all know - a broad-winged insect flying round and round, back and forth, patrolling. Yes, a dragonfly! Don't think I have ever seen one this early in the year. We got mosquitos, and various gnats and flies, so that's something to feed on. I, the CO2 exhaler, was probably attracting them. So there's the dragonfly, snatching insects and entertaining me as I sanded away, glancing up every time it swung by.
I thought about getting a photo but ya know, it never landed. Not like they do in the summer, perching on a twig, watching, waiting. Sure hope it ate well but I wonder what happens when we get a cold front again. We are spoiled by this "heat wave" but really, we will get a freeze again this winter. I can look at the hickory trees and appreciate their well-timed entry come April and know - it's a long way to spring. So sorry Dragonfly but thanks for the summer memory!
Yeah, this might bug you guys - farther north and even west now, freezing your buns, and wondering how much colder can it get. Is it too soon to think of spring? But hey, y'all have your lovely bird feeders and wildlife stories so jump on in. It's a bucket, fill 'er up!
-----------
OK OK - one photo. It couldn't be a diary from me without one. Here's the square skillet all cleaned up and ready for seasoning. I'll do that outside on the grill, or maybe build a fire....