The Golden Garden Spider, Argiope aurantia.  They did a good job of controlling the grasshoppers and beetles in my mom's garden -- one of the first spiders I learned.

Paul

I would actually welcome one in my raised garden IF it would eat the %*$#!!! grasshoppers that are holing all the leaves on the vines and perennials!  Haven't applied any chemicals because of the three juvie mantises I spotted there a couple of weeks ago.
Carol
WV

Yeah, and they know which face/person is a sucker for feeding them, when that person has decided they definitely won't do that ever again, letting them wander into their apt occasionally, too!    They are very smart birds, with very good memories and love to get their own way!!

Anne in Toronto

http://rfalconcam.com/forum/index.php?topic=3241.msg25845#msg25845
 
Carol
WV

Probably more than we ever wanted to know 
http://www.montrealpoutine.com/?index
Carol
WV

And only 49,000 posts were about cats.

 

Carol
WV

Very cool :-)
The baby robin I raised got little strips of raw beef liver, and canned cat food.  You're right about them being messy.  My little guy would lean out over his "nest" and poop every time I fed him/her.  When he got bigger, and started flapping, I put perches in a cat cage I had, and encouraged him to fly from the perch.  That was back when Gaines Burgers dog food was sold, and I teased out the individual "worms", and put them on the floor, "those are WORMS, You EAT them".  On release day, I took him out on the porch roof near the apple tree, and he flew to a branch.  After a few minutes, another bird, (not a robin), came and sat beside him.  They sat there for about a half hour, and flew off together.  I like to think he made it :-)
Carol
WV

Some here will remember my story of my Sister's pet pigeon, Cyrus, who died peacefully in her arms at twenty-one.  He was great.
Carol
WV

Welcome, Kat!
It's great to read your first hand accounts of their adventures 
Carol
WV

I can see it all now:
Janet levitating around the house, shrieking, "PE-FA!, PE-FA!"
Carol
WV

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/11/injured.leatherback.turtle/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2
I remember when I lived in FL, how people would go to the beach to watch the turtles dig their nests and lay their eggs.
Carol
now in WV

Wouldn't it be nice of all dog owners would keep their dogs at home and under their control...
Too often, it's "Oh, Rover would NEVER do anything like that!".  Maybe not alone in his own living room, but out with the guys?  Different story altogether 
Carol
WV

My old babysitter (for me back in the day) posted this on FB earlier - I am so loving it!  All of you Blues lovers, don't miss this!  Awesome and I had to share!  Rock me Baby til I ain't got no bone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4OXrmxDp44#

The girl who baby sat me when I was six and she was fourteen now sends me some of the BEST email stuff, including the funniest jokes.  She HAS to be in her 80s somewhere :-)
Carol
WV

That was So cute.  Now if only my girls (4) could just like each other we would have some peace in the house.

Something that may encourage that is the Feliway® Comfort Zone®, which you can get at the best price I've seen at http://www.pureproductsinc.com
Good Luck :-)
Carol
Cat Person
WV

Better still. Don't buy six packs.

Yeah, a case is always better!

Yep, as my Dad used to say, "That's the Spirit!" 

First Responders are more than Jim P, who is saving lives on a pretty regular basis - they can be every one of us.  In light of the Joplin tornadoes, I just posted the following over on FB to remind people to always be prepared - get your "Go bags" ready.

http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm

And, please beware of pleas for giving - check the groups out first:

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

The Salvation Army is always a good group for donations.  Nearly ALL their money goes to actually help people "on the ground".  One of my co-workers, who moved to Joplin a couple of years ago, reports in on Facebook that they are OK, though her roommate's house is gone 
And above all, do NOT send money to the Humane $ociety of the United $tates.  They make sure they get there long enough for the photo ops, and they're outta there, usually after having "disappeared" hundreds of dogs.  They still haven't accounted for the $30 million they collected after Katrina.  If you want to help animals, donate to your local shelter.
Carol
WV

The whole episode when Mariah was injured really wrenched MY heart.  I thought I had a photo saved of her prostrate mantling her babies, but it may have been lost in moving.  One I DO still have shows her sitting to feed an eyas, and you can see her injured foot/leg.  I was on the edge of tears at work many days watching it all unfold