The weather is cooling down and it's been comfortable, in the 60's and 70's, lately. A few days we've even woken up to 45 degrees here in northern VA. The plants are much happier than they were this summer, and I haven't added any additional water in weeks. It has rained on and off, which is just what my garden needed to lose that 'crispy' look.

Since I didn't get around to posting a 'Bloom-day' post on the 15th, I thought I would do it now because it helps me to keep a record of what's happening in my garden from year to year.  I don't have much to write about--so you can just scroll down and view the photos.

(Another photo/collage of Turtlehead with Bluebeard...makes me want to dig them up and plant them closer together!):

In various areas around the front, side and back yards, I have annuals both in the ground, and in pots:

There are a few plants I haven't featured (such as Agastache 'Blue Fortune') but that's because it is looking scraggly now so I didn't bother to include it. This time last year, it looked quite a lot better and was loaded with butterflies. Unfortunately, the butterflies were far and few between this year. I do have photos of a few, however, which I'll include in a later post.

I've been trying to think of a way to share this post without 'grossing' anyone out...but I don't think that's possible. So if you choose to read this, be forewarned there will be some photos of blood and guts. The garden is always full of surprises, and this afternoon, no one was more surprised than my son and me when we watched a garter snake completely ingest a fairly large toad! We had just taken our two dogs out when my son saw the dog jump back; then he saw the snake. We both walked closer and saw that it had part of a frog in it's mouth. I have to admit, my first thought was to try and save the frog. But it already had a pretty good injury, which was bleeding, so it was probably too late to do anything even if I'd wanted to. I didn't quite know, at first, what type of snake it was--even though I have seen garter snakes before. It was light green with a black checkerboard pattern. I went in and grabbed my camera and had my son check online for an ID on the snake. If it had been venomous, I contemplated getting an axe! I don't like to kill anything but a poisonous snake in my yard could test my outer limits...

Anyway, I took a series of photos of the whole event and despite the blood and gore, want to share them here. Even though I like both frogs and (most) snakes and really don't like to see them injured or killed, it was quite fascinating and educational--and honestly, just a natural part of life.  It was weird, standing there watching this helpless frog suffer, but I knew there was really nothing I could do but leave the scene, or watch and take some photos. So, for your viewing pleasure--or displeasure--I offer the following--a movie made with a string of clips, using Picasa. You can stop the movie at any point to view individual photos (if you dare!):

Garter snakes are beneficial snakes to have in your garden. They are not harmful and eat a lot of pests like mice and voles. Unfortunately, every now and then, a small bird or frog falls prey. But that's life. Thanks for today!

While walking around the garden Sunday afternoon, I glanced down to see this yellow creature with pink legs (and what looked like pink ears and a cute little face) crawling along the ground.

Having no idea what I was looking at, I picked up a stick and held it close to the critter--hoping it would grab hold so I could pick it up and get a better look. When it began crawling up the stick, I called for my son to come out and hold the stick so I could snap a few photos.

After taking a few shots, I set it down in an empty birdbath which was lying on the deck. I ran inside and began to upload the photos, simultaneously doing a Google search for 'pink and yellow caterpillar'.  I'm pretty sure at some point I put in terms like 'with ears', as well!

I was inside for less than five minutes--but when I went back out, this little creature looked nothing like when I left her minutes earlier:

She had attached herself to the side of the birdbath, and those little 'ears' were actually wings! She was a moth. A Rosy Maple Moth, to be exact. It all started to make sense when I looked up and realized I had found her underneath a Maple tree!

I began to realize that she must have recently emerged from her cocoon and, having fallen to the ground, had been in the process of trying to find a place to attach and pump up her wings. I just happened to intercept her as the process was happening.

A few articles I read mentioned this moth could be destructive to trees, but I simply ignored that information and instead, remained in awe by the lemon and raspberry sherbet that looked more sweet than sinister.  I placed her back in the garden, where she attached herself to a Hellebore stem:

She remained there as nightfall came and I went to bed. When I checked for her the next morning, she had flown. I hope Rosy has a good life. I feel blessed to have seen part of the process of changing from 'fat cat' to beautiful moth. It's funny how you can live in a place for 15 years and still find something new, nearly every day. You just never know what surprises await you on any given day!