Hello all!

I hope you are all well! I have been keeping busy in my neck of the woods - lots of projects on the go… we are taking advantage of the amazingly early summer weather we’ve been getting this year, and working away at a lot of landscaping and general beautifying of our outdoor space. When we moved into our house, we were so excited to finally have our own yard, and it was pretty much a blank canvas. I’ll definitely be sharing more on all those projects down the road, but a bunch of things are still in progress, so awaiting some finality before sharing those.
So, for today I’ve compiled a few photos of some of the beautiful little critters I’ve come across while working outside. We really enjoy seeing nature feeling at home in the oasis we are working so hard to create - one of our goals is to create a bit of a safe haven for all sorts of creatures. They are half of the reason to want to be outside, in my mind.

First we have this beauteous little fuzz butt:

We saw him laying in the grass while we were working on redoing a part of our patio, so I scooped him up in a little plant pot, and placed him on my creeping raspberries, safely out of the way, and near some flowers in case he could use some sustenance. He immediately crawled down to a blossom and began drinking away. It was so neat to watch him for a little while - a great excuse to take a quick break myself.

Next, while I was pulling some weeds, I noticed this adorable little orange moth land on a little bundle of pansies I have growing beside my driveway.

I haven’t always been a fan of moths - something about their fuzzy bodies used to really creep me out. I’m still not a fan of the brown millers, but this wee little guy was pretty chill, just hanging out for a moment for a drink, enjoying the sunshine. Who couldn’t love that little fuzzy face?

We have noticed a plethora of spider webs hanging from every corner of every side of the house. Clearly, it is spider season. Most of the webs seem abandoned, or their architects are resting peacefully off in said corner, where they can more easily stalk their prey… which is fine by me - whatever you need to do to get rid of those damned mosquitoes, I’m all for it!

The one web that we noticed was occupied had this fabulous little creature hanging out on it. Look at those markings! It looks like a tattoo. I adore it. I showed Wee Man the photo when I went to tuck him in and he was totally enamoured as well. “It’s sooo cute! I want to pet it!!!” Suffice it to say, we are not a household full of arachnophobes. Lol

Lastly, the couple who’ve taken up residence in my backyard, and who I’m sure will be the subject of several future posts - these gorgeous tree swallows. We have lovingly named them “Johnny” and “June”... bonus points to anyone who gets the reference there.

Johnny likes to sit on my clothesline, keeping me company while I do chores, and sings a little tune for June whenever she is near.

June is the sweetest little thing. She has been enjoying sitting on top of the pergola we built over our patio, just watching us. I was kneeling on the couch to grab photos, so my hands were probably only 18-24” away from her, and she just turned her head this way and that, posing ever so nicely. I feel like she could sense we were not a threat.

Little Miss discovered a decrepit birdhouse in the backyard when we moved in, so I cleaned it out, put it back together, primed it, and let her beautify it. They are working together to build a nest inside of it, and it is the coolest thing to watch. I’ve REALLY been wanting to peek in there to see if there might be a clutch of eggs already, but I will resist, as I would be absolutely heartbroken if any of us did anything to make them feel threatened, or cause any issues. I’ll just bide my time and listen carefully for the telltale peep peep sounds of little baby chicks.

I managed to grab a little video of them while hanging the laundry the other day - June gathering grass for the nest, and Johnny singing his tune.

I hope you all enjoyed a little glimpse into the wonder of nature in my neck of the woods.

What’s your favourite thing about being outside? What do you like to observe in your surroundings?

See you soon!