Old & Forgotten 10'31'2010

Pawlings/Wetheril Mansion at Valley Forge Park, once loved 
now long forgotten.

If only it could talk, think of the stories it could tell!

Valley Forge off the beaten Trail 10'31'2010

A Colorful Drive To Work!

A Whole Bunch Of Wishes!

What Kind Of Spider Is This?? Neoscona crucifera

Anyone know what kind of spider this is?  It's hanging just outside my backdoor.

Update:  Thanks to Eric over at Spider ID!! :)    "Definitely an orb weaver, but I'm fairly certain it is Neoscona crucifera"  

You can always find something beautiful amongst the sadness.

You can always find something beautiful amongst the sadness. I just found it right outside my back door! :)

~ Fly High Sweet Dan Fly High ~

Valley Forge Park 08'20'2010

Someone plugged him in!!!

"I can't seeeeeeee!!!"

Walnut Hill Barn on Pawling's Farm 

Walnut Hill Barn on Pawling's Farm (in the fall)

Tillie!

Mom's New Kitten!

"Ode" To A Show Off

Mama Cleaning Off Her Newborn Babe!

Mama and her newborn itty bitty babe!

Missed the actual birth, but did see this little guy take his first steps on some wobbly little legs!! Mama is busy here cleaning him off. If only I had my 'real' camera with me!! This was taken tonight, June 2nd, at Valley Forge National Park. with a crappy little digital I carry around on my bike.

It may have been a wet and dreary day, but ...

It may have been a wet and dreary day, but ...

Hello World - Praying Mantis Style That Is!

When hatching they crawl from between the tiny flaps in the egg case and hang 
from silk threads about 2" below the case. You can see 3 of them here crawling 
out from under the flaps in this pic
.

You can see the silk threads in this pic too

There's 4 or 5 poking out of the flaps - they're worm like as they emerge.

They hang until they dry out and then they either fall to the ground or crawl up 
and on to the plants around them. I only saw 4 or 5 fall to the ground. The rest 
clambered up.

This was the last of the bunch. They hung out like this till they were dry 

and then they too climbed back up the silk threads and onto the plants.

Babies Babies Everywhere!

A recently hatched praying mantis egg! 

It hatched on Wednesday, May 6th, 2010!