March 9, 2025

Well, it WAS Spring and I'm sticking to it, even though the temperature outside went from 20's F to in the 50's F. Creatures/plants that we are seeing this week seem brighter this week.  And there are more kinds too.  Last week for the first time we spotted a Winter Aconite (thanks to Betty Beese again for her gift).  This week they are spreading RAPIDLY.  I think I mentioned last week that Winter Aconite is sort of a malapropism since it is a sure sign of impending and incipient SPRING.

Another gift plant that is just showing up (this picture is from March 4) is Pulmonaria (Lungwort), from Eleanor Rosenthal.  Here you see it among the Winter Aconites.  It will actually have a lovely flower in the Summer to go with the interesting leaves!

Remember I showed you last week a bunch of Snowdrops from Deb's yard (next-door neighbor, thanks Deb!) .  Well, WE have them this week! 

Here are some Crocus, just emerging.  Second is a Primula of some sort just pushing past the leaf litter in the Front Yard.  Third was a mystery last week, but I looked it up in iNat and it turns out to be the leaves of a Mint called Red Deadnettle.  You'll see!  (People say the flowers are actually more purple than red!

A big surprise!  Guess whose little Froggy nose was out of the water on March 5, 2025!  That is a reflection making it seem that his back is bent.  He actually does have legs!  Isn't it great to see him after so long?  I think the last one slipped into the pond for the winter - Picture 2 shows one getting down (the net is still over him/her) on October 30th.   If I am still capable of arithmetic, I believe this tells us that frogs survive deep in the Pond for at least 4 months!  They come up looking for fun and may seem to have lost some girth (picture 1).  March 6 was a bit cool, and I didn't see him/her that day, or since.

Some non-pond visitors.  This pretty hump-backed Spider (Eustala anastera) fooled me for a while with the leaf- pattern on its back.  Number 2 showed up last week and is in genus Grammonota. 

Indoor critters still include the Eastern Boxelder Bug, the Asian Lady Beetle (the yellow ones seem more popular these days).  The third one was walking on my hand but I had a hard time getting a calm picture.   Abigail Cahill, chair of Biology at Albion,  says it looks like a Larder Beetle (a Dermestid) to her . 

That non-mantis critter is still out on the West Wall where it has been for a long time.  I guess I'm hoping I'll be able to identify it (them) in a while as Spring takes over.  

Flies are coming back, if they ever left at all.  Here's a Mosquito-looking fellow, which was partially ID'ed on iNat as a non-biting Midge; a possible Crane Fly and another real Crane Fly, which may still be in genus Trichocera.  Although Trichocera stands for the Winter Crane Flies, I hear they may linger into the Spring a bit.  I got a message from the person I usually talk to about possible Trichocera membership, @stephenluk of iNat, and he agreed that this one is indeed in genus Trichocera (Winter Crane Flies).  Don't tell Spring about this!

The weather changes again!  On the morning of March 7, it was comfortable enough to enjoy looking for the tiny plants, but after less than a half hour, I packed up and went back in.  It is all right, I'm still recovering slowly from that nasty "cold", "allergy", whatever.   For some reason, the local doctors are averse to prescribing antibiotics, but not to having you take an echo cardiogram.  Fortunately, yesterday right after the cardiogram I had an appointment with the Pulmonologist across the street from the Hospital and he immediately wrote out voluminous scripts for the "good stuff".  So I don't mind being indoors now telling you about what there is and isn't outdoors!  The forecast now is for the 60's F by the beginning of next week.  Here are some of the little plants.  The Winter Aconites show no fear, even when mixed with the Pulmonaria.   Third, the Red Deadnettle is still doing well but not yet showing any signs of turning reddish of any sort.  Picture 4 is not one that I recognize!  I've put it onto iNat for identification.  One colleague, Mobbini, from near Leipzig, has suggested it might be Bedstraws.  "they get very cute small white flowers, so it is definitely worth to check the plant now and then."  And that's what we will do!   Below the Bedstraws (probably) you see a couple of other Plants: one batch similarly hard to place, but the second showing a huge crop of what looks like lots and lots of Snowdrops! 

Last but not least for this week, here are the Thistle seedlings.  I planted a batch of Bull Thistle seeds, which just came a few days ago, but they haven't tipped off any green yet!  Meanwhile, I think the older ones are coming along very well!

I won't need a LOT of these Thistles this summer, maybe only one or two plants to begin with, so if you have a burning need for some later, when it is time to plant them out, please let me know.  OK?  I have this little Thistle farm in the Living Room window, which they seem to respond well to.  Kathleen Seidl also gave me a start of the little purple Shamrock, which seems to enjoy sharing the Thistle farm.  What a terrific color!  In the second of these two shots, that is Jadesy, who also survived the winter in this window-sill.  She will be even happier this summer to be out on the sunny deck.

Well, here we are again.  Our beloved Nature is going to need all the good thoughts and words and actions of so many well-wishers - as many as possible - so keep your mind a-whirling about this subject  and help think of how we can keep our Nature going through what are likely to be difficult times.  Love, Martha