Look Up, Look Down

Greetings friends and fans. This is The Daily Bone and I'm your dependable doggie reporter
Chester L. W. Spaniel. 

You may wonder how I keep finding interesting and amazing things to show you on The Daily Bone. It's very simple, really: look up, look down. Things are changing all the time, especially now that Autumn is here.

Thursday, we had a big storm in the middle of the day.

We looked up, and saw gray clouds moving quickly from the west. Within minutes, we heard a mighty roaring sound, and suddenly it looked like this:

Looking down, we saw hailstones the size of peas.

After about ten minutes, it was all over and the sky cleared up.

 The next day while ghostwriter was working in the garden and looking down, she found a wooley bear caterpillar!

Looking up at the dining room window in the sunshine we saw Lady Octavia's elaborate web. (Don't worry. She hides in the end of her funnel during the day.)

Look down and see a fly sitting on top of Garden Buddha's head!

Look down again  and see a little mushroom.

Look up, wow that cloud looks as big as a mountain!

Look down and …

It's an evil stinkbug of doom!!!  (Another sign of Autumn.)

So I tapped it with my paw a couple times, and gave it a good barking at. (After many years of epic battles with stinkbugs, I have finally learned that they're called that for a reason.)

Yeah, ghostwriter, if you go ahead and just toss that stinkbug out the door, that would be good.

Got One!

Good evening. This is The Daily Bone and I'm your proficient doggie reporter 

Chester L. W. Spaniel. 

My ghostwriter thought I was getting too old to catch anything anymore. But I proved her wrong! Look look look lookie look! I caught the birdie for YOU! 

Cocker spaniels are the smallest of the hunting doggies, and I can still hunt even though I'm almost eleven years old! 

The birdie was hiding by the fence. But I sniffed it out and caught it! It's a mourning dove birdie. Can we have it for dinner today? 

Yup! I'm still a good hunting doggie! 

Sparrows Inc.

Hello everyone. This is The Daily Bone and I'm your dedicated doggie reporter 

Chester L. W. Spaniel. 

Long time readers may remember that I've maintained an excellent business relationship with Sparrows Incorporated for several years. The CEO is Mr. Mortimer Seedcruncher, with whom I have negotiated multiple business deals regarding the birdie feeders, and real estate ventures in the bushes nearby. In fact, for the last few winters, my humans provided a giant pile of sticks between the fence and the wooden glider which Sparrows Inc. leased as a deluxe winter lodge.

Here's a picture from last January of the Sparrows Inc Winter Lodge in the Sticks. It doesn't look like much, but it provided excellent protection from high winds, snow, and predators, and could accommodate dozens of sparrows.

In return for providing birdie seeds and shelter, Sparrows Inc. gave me season tickets to all their events, like the Sparrow Spring Convention, the Sparrow Kick-boxing Finals (those little birdies can really kick **s and there's no holds barred!) and Sparrow Chirping Contests. 

However, this year, my humans have decided they were no longer going to create a giant stick pile in the back yard. They also did not fill the birdie feeders for the last several weeks to try to keep the Evil Squirrel Cartel away from our pear tree. And then, on top of that, they had the gigantic silver maple tree cut down! I was worried Sparrows Inc. might choose another site for their business and real estate plans. I didn't see or hear them for a long time.

But last week, my ghostwriter finally decided to fill up the feeders again. Suddenly, hundreds of sparrows appeared in my back yard!

A young sparrow came up to the window box feeder and introduced himself as Mr. Seedcruncher's grandson Phillip. He told me that he was in charge of negotiations this year. He thanked me for the seeds, and told me that Sparrows Inc. would be glad to lease the arborvitae bushes for their annual entertainment productions.

He also told me that the umbrella-shaped tree next door would provide an alternate venue for the Sparrows Inc. Winter Retreat. It's only a short flit away from the seeds!

Well, I'm glad that's all settled!

Harvest Moon and More

Greetings friends and fans! This is The Daily Bone, and I'm your diligent doggie reporter 

Chester L. W. Spaniel. We have a lot to cover today, so hang onto your squeaky toys!

First of all, it's been one week since our big silver maple tree was cut down.
There's nothing left but a pile of dirt.

I'm happy to report the Evil Squirrel Cartel has hardly been around at all, even though the birdie feeders are filled up with all kinds of delicious seeds! There has been an army of sparrows coming around to get their fill, though.

Our next item is from my NC associate Angus B. Terrier.

He sent us a picture of this lovely hawk that came to visit his back porch. Amazing!

Last night, or this morning, or whatever you consider 4:30am, we were awakened by a very strange sound: Who-hoooo-who-who-whoooo! A great horned owl! We couldn't see the owl, but it was definitely in one of the evergreen trees near the north-east corner of the yard. We're wondering if we'll hear him again tonight. (My ghostwriter is kind of hoping he will schedule his next performance before midnight so she doesn't get woken up at 4:30am again!)

Meanwhile, my Florida associate, Miss Charlee's humans are getting ready for their favorite holiday: Halloween! Yipes!

What the heck, mom?

My Jason human sent me this picture of a beautiful monarch butterfly:

They're migrating south this time of year. Yesterday, we saw another interesting sight. Dozens of swallows were flying around overhead in our neighborhood. They were gone by today, so we think they're migrating as well.

And now it's time for our creepy crawlies report.

Cricket

Earwig

Bumblebee

At the nursing home where ghostwriter works, somebody brought in a bunch of milkweed leaves with lots of monarch caterpillars. Everyone got to see them transform into butterflies, and then release them outdoors.

Cicada

That big cicada fell out of the silver maple before the tree was cut down, and landed on the ground right behind me!

We've had some changeable weather lately. One day it's hot and muggy, the next day it's cool and windy. We've seen some beautiful blue skies, big puffy clouds, and amazing sunsets. Here are some pictures from the past week, in no particular order.

Hmmm. I should be able to see the moon tonight. It's a special Harvest Moon. I'd better go back inside the house …

… and take a good long nap …

… so I'll be wide awake tonight to make a call to my dearest Princess Leah on the moon phone.

earthsky.org/tonight/harvest-moon-on-friday-the-13th


























SPIDER ALERT SPIDER ALERT SPIDER ALERT SPIDER ALERT SPIDER ALERT

As long-time readers will know, we are a family of science geeks. We think spiders are beautiful and fascinating. But we've been seeing less and less of them lately. In fact, while this is prime season for garden spiders to create their big orb webs, there's not a single one anywhere in our yard right now! We think people are using too many pesticides on their lawns!

However, a very regal spider has made the dining room window (outside) her home for the summer. Her name is Lady Octavia. We're actually pretty lucky to get this picture of her, since she spends most of the day hiding at the end of her funnel web.

OK. If anyone was scared of Lady Octavia, here's a video that will clear your mind:

Lucas the Spider

(How can you not love Lucas the Spider?)