When the feeders start getting busy, the birds will line up wherever they can, waiting for an opening.

This thistle sock usually gets ignored unless the temps start to dip toward the freezing mark. So, it was nice to see it get a little attention this weekend. Personally, I think the feeders were just too crowed and this fellow liked having a "table for one" instead of having the share.

Tags:   DSCF6233 (4) American Goldfinch goldfinch finch thistle sock very cold, windy afternoon backyard fall

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We have lots of purple flowers in our gardens now, including these Wood Hyacinth which just started blooming the other day.

My theory is, one can't have too much purple,

Tags:   DSCF4548AA Wood Hyacinth purple garden backyard spring

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And yes, I also have a boat load of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' things, and pirate stuff in general, but todays focus is on the one and only Capt. Jack Sparrow.

*** And please ignore the poster in the background - although ironically it does kinda describe Jack, doesn't it. LOL!

Over the years I’ve bought my fair share of Jacks, but to be fair, have also received a few as gifts, too.

My pride and joy is the 18’ NECA Jack Sparrow figure, who stands on the desk in my computer room, next to another character called Ash (See the A post in this year’s FAFM).
The bare footed Jack Sparrow (formerly a Ken doll) stands guard on my computer-stand, making sure the jewels in his treasure chest stay safe from pilfering. This Jack was a handmade gift from a very talented friend from New Jersey.
The cereal boxes are self-explanatory. The blue box is dated 2006, the red box is dated 2007.
The LEGO Jack was quite an accomplishment for me, and was also a gift - that required assembling.
The Jack topped pen is from Disney, is called a Jiggly Light Up Pen - that still lights up.!
The small stuffed Jack is from McDonald’s, dated 2006.
The Mega Bloks, sword wielding Jack also came with some cool accessories.
Oh, and plenty of magnets (on the far left) who normally call my filing cabinet their home.

Just enough but not too much, right?

Tags:   DSCF3595A (1) Capt. Jack Sparrow pirate sword empty flask of rum NECA figure barefoot Jack standing on the beach treasure chest Pirates of the Caribbean cereal box Jack Sparrow Jiggly Light up Pen from Disney stuffed Jack from McDonad's LEGO Jack Mega Bloks Jack magnets with Jack desk top Star Trek Enterprise lamp movie poster computer room FAFM February Alphabet Fun Month

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OK, it wasn't exactly stormy, but it was very overcast and cloudy! As such, I was afraid this rare Blue Super Moon was going to be obscured, but there was enough of a clearing in the clouds where the moon shone through the trees in our backyard, and I was able to grab a few shots!

Fun Facts:
A Super Moon is where the full moon is at it's closest orbital position to the Earth.
A Blue Moon is where there are two full moons in a single month. And the term Blue Moon, just refers to the second full moon in any month, and has nothing to do looking blue.
A Blue Super Moon is a rare astronomical event that occurs when a full moon appears twice in the same month, and that second full moon is also the closest to Earth.

The next Blue Super Moon will occur in January 2037, and then again in March 2037.

Tags:   DSCF0110A Blue Super Moon full moon second full moon this month rare event amazing clouds pine tree silhouette backyard summer

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Not sure trying to get a clear shot of this scary looking spider was a good idea.

I usually see the top side of these spiders, so a view from below does nothing to alleviate my arachnophobia.

3 Facts you may not really care about:
1) Common names are Golden Silk Spider, Calico Spider, Giant Wood Spider, Golden Silk Orbweaver, Banana Spider and Writing Spider.
2) They are considered beneficial because they are insect predators, preying on a wide range of flying small to medium sized flying insects including mosquitoes, bees, butterflies, flies, small moths and wasps.
3) When the male and female of the same spider species look so different they appear not to be the same species it's known as sexual dimorphism.


Whatever you do - do NOT click on this image to view large.

Tags:   DSCF2838 (2) Golden Silk Orbweaver spider creepy spider hanging upside down just off the trail huge web! arboretum last weekend of summer change of scenery

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