National Geographic in my own backyard

After three weeks of being hostess, it's now time to get the house and yard in order. Our overgrown and undertended backyard has turned into a veritable National Geographic wildlife adventure. Not sure that I really needed to renew that zoo membership after all...

1st stop: The compost

Turning the compost unleashes all things slimy and slithery (good for composting, but still pretty icky). Lizards to the rescue! Can you find the stealthy creatures? They're quick and sneaky, looking for lunch.


2nd stop: Overgrown garden

Time to prune and weed the garden. The good news is that our rain barrel is filled to capacity (saving up for a non-rainy day?). The bad news is that weeds (especially that invasive air potato) seem to have taken over. We pull out weeds and then decide to prune back that fennel that seems to have spread, become leggy, and has gone to seed. After clipping a few stalks (to take inside and dry), a fabulous discovery! Caterpillars! Looks like the fennel is here to stay awhile longer, having become host and habitat. Can't wait to watch the metamorphosis.