Spring in the Swamp: the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Preserve part III

Hello Critter-heads!

I hope you're doing well! This seems to be the week when most of the buds on the trees are finally opening, and the earliest crocuses and hyacinths are at their peak. Plus this flower which is my all-time favorite color:


It's called the Siberian Squilla. (I didn't know that before.) I need one billion bulbs for my whole yard, methinks.

To celebrate the warm weather on Saturday, R and I thought it was time to expose our dog Stella to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Being a super-dog, Stella leapt over this raging torrent:


We went out on a pier to expand our view of the sky and sea:


Is that a swan in the background?


I warned Stella to be on the lookout for the Wild Beaver:


We headed into the forest trail. I think this could be the Minnesota State Flower, the Showy Lady Slipper. Or maybe its orchid cousin, the Moccasin Flower.

We'll have to go back to see!

The one blooming flower we saw was the lovely Marsh Marigold:


I love little springs like this:


At this point the walk got VERY exciting. While R and I are animal lovers and photographers, Bobo-dog is a terrier, bred to hunt quickly moving small critters! A rodent narrowly escaped her initial pounce. Stella's second leap off trail resulted in this critter getting the heck out of there:

(Can you spot the garter snake)!?!

Unfortunately Stella did successfully root another rodent out of the leaves...perhaps a gopher? It may have been left the worse for wear. I felt badly about this, but then again, as a rodent in a giant wildlife preserve, it might not be the best idea to live right next to the trail!

Encouraged by her previous hunting skills, Stella strongly believed she could catch some geese:


Check out the Minnesota River Valley Preserve; fun for the whole family!




Huggies,
Wendell!

Critters currently destroying my belongings.

Hi, Critter Lovers!

I hope this post finds you all enjoying the first warm breezes of spring!



Unfortunately, with warmer weather comes the renewal of horrifying insects:

This 'pede was above my kitchen sink on Saturday morning. Thankfully it was only 1/4 inch long.

Before we discuss critter destruction, I'd like to show off our "new" couch!


Stella did not mind the old couch, which was perched on duct-taped-together phone books, even if it was getting holey.


The first incidence of critter warfare was a bug attack on two of my houseplants. But was a dual attack; two different plants, two different locations, and two different bugs!

My dear Mama bought me a lovely ivy when she visited in November:


Unfortunately the plant has been fading all winter. I should have taken action sooner, for I noticed tiny spider webs covering the plant.


Upon further research, I've discovered the culprit: Two Spotted Spider mites, or Tetrahychus urticae. These tiny spiders have been sucking the chlorophyll out of the formerly lovely ivy, causing it to wither and drop leaves!

(Actual size, .05 mm)

The female spiders have been laying up to 20 eggs a day underneath the leaves. To remedy the situation, I've sprayed the plant with bug spray, but I think a more effective treatment would be to wash the plant with a special soap. The dry and warm climate of my house contributed to the spiders' success. Maybe I should try misting it, or I could just throw it away, as it could be spreading spider mites to other plants.

The next attacker struck my music studio. I'm so thankful to have windows for the first time, so I went ahead and bought some plants to decorate the space.

(Note the cool fountain made by my Father-in-law and the thrift store painting!)

Why, what are these white fuzzy bugs on my plant?


Could it be...a Mealy Bug? Pseudococcus longispinus is covered with a white, waxy coating that protects it from moisture loss. These guys love hiding in the nooks and crooks of plants, as well as in soil and pot crevices. Using a pointy mouthpart called a stylet, mealy bugs suck the moisture out of plants. Their toxic saliva harms the leaves, causing them to drop. Meanwhile, they excrete a sticky substance called "honeydew" which can encourage mold growth.

In the following photo you can see the mealy bug's long tails.


Apparently the long tailed species gives birth to live young! Even better.

To control this infestation I've been manually removing the fuzzy bugs.

The final destruction of my property is on a much larger scale:


Oh! Perhaps the gnawing sound I heard upstairs was only a squirrel, EATING OUR HOUSE!



Thankfully, R fixed the fascia with some wire mesh and that foam stuff.


The squirrels have further "trimmed" the foam since I took the photograph. I would think the squirrels would be thankful for all of the birdseed I've provided over the harsh, cold winter. Ungrateful bastards!

I'm looking forward to hearing of your Spring critter encounters!

love,
Wendell!

The Habitat of the Wild Stella

Greetings, all!

Long timey, no writey. Why? I don't know. Last weekend I went to WI and I've had a cold for the last TWO WEEKS.

This week is my "spring" break, so maybe I will write more often. I hope to thrift a lot.

Some of you might be wondering how to locate the Wild Stella-Dog. A rare species, this mixed breed can mostly be found on our couch:

(The couch is rapidly deteriorating. Anyone want to get rid of a brown leather sofa?!)

She also likes laps:


Like wolves and jackals, Stella-Dogs often inhabit laundry piles as well.


The den of the Wild Bobo-Dog:


Stella enjoys only the finest Innova food:

(Note the raccoon penis bone on the windowsill; a must for every kitchen.)

While pitbulls have a very tough persona, Stella is a fairly fearful girl. Her nemesis is the stove:


Unfortunately, between our coffee roasting and cooking activities, the smoke alarms go off quite frequently. Even the wildest beast-dog must retreat until the noisy threat passes:


It's much safer upstairs.


Stella-Dogs especially enjoy disgusting bones:


But some toys, this one a gift from KB, Stella loves TOO much.




Wild beasts of course can be found outdoors.

(With dog-cousin Ari in our backyard.)

Today we walked north on the West River Road. (The University of Minnesota West Bank is visible, with downtown Minneapolis behind.)


Here the Wild Bobo did not appreciate the loud noises from the Highway 94 bridge above.




She prefers beautiful scenery:


But pitbull/boxer mixes do not have a lot of fur or fat to keep them warm. After our cold walk, the Wild Stella found a cozy sunbeam to nap under, not unlike a ferocious cat.




I hope this critter post helps you locate the Wild Stella-Dogs in your own neighborhood!


Lovies,
Wendell!

New Year's Walk

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone got to have a relaxing day like I did. We started the day late, but as you can see here Stella was ready to explore, starting by claiming the back of the couch!



It was a great day to take a long walk. We headed out to the Mississippi River Winchell Trail, just a block from our house.


In the distance you can see the Short Line railroad bridge over the river. In the mornings I can see the sun rising beyond it and the view is spectacular.

The Wild R and the Snow Dog under the bridge!


Graffiti:


The view over the water:


The cawing of crows led us on. It was weird to see them on the Mississippi River ice!



Here you can see more of the murder of crows, the Short Line bridge and the Franklin Avenue bridge in the background.

We discovered this section of the Winchell Trail in the last few weeks. It heads south, popping you out at the Lake Street bridge. You can see how tall the bluff is in the following photo, along with some of its lovely limestone outcroppings.




I am on vacation now before the semester starts mid-month. Hopefully this will mean one million blog posts!

xoxoxo
Wendell!