There is precious little for a garden blogger to share in January, so I was thrilled to run across the Random 5 Friday challenge while visiting Under the Oaks. I can definitely think of 5 events worthy of the title–most even have pics–so here goes. 🙂
1. Jack taming Ficus elastica (aka Rubbertree Plant,) something I hadn’t pruned since 2011!
2. A bobcat came through the cat door to our screened porch! No photos because I was too immobilized (at first) to even consider them!
So there I was around 10:30pm happily watching the Property Brothers, when Clarisse suddenly perked up, and turned to face the open (screenless! yikes!) sliding glass door. Starring back at us was a bobcat, and when I tell you this animal was in the stock-still-I’m-facing-you-down pose, believe it!
I ran to slam the slider and when it realized it was trapped it went NUTS, racing back and forth, jumping on the furniture, slamming off the screens, back and forth, back and forth, too panicked I suppose to retrace the steps back out!
With broom (??) and flashlight in hand, I ran out out the front door and around the back of the house to open the porch from the outside. As soon as I did this, I bolted like a bat out of hell the way I’d come, wildly brandishing my light and broom! (We live on the corner of a busy street–I wonder what the passing cars thought!? hahahaha! “Look at the wierd lady!”)
Phew! I was never so happy to get back inside! I assume the bobcat ran away as quickly as I did ➡ hopefully it never comes back!
3. Look!!! My first ever Passport! That’s right, it arrived, and FAST: we submitted my application on New Year’s Eve. 🙂 Watch out, England! Esta and Esta are coming in August!
4. It’s seed buying time! Come Feb.1st, here’s some of what I’ll be planting:
5. The most random event of all was seeing my first ever coleus spike!
Up north, I’d occasionally buy a few coleus “starts” to pop between my hostas, but the short Massachusetts growing season had them frost-ruined long before bloom time.
Note: coleus collectors pinch off the spike as soon as it appears, channeling the plants’ energy into branching instead of flower production. To each his/her own I suppose…me, I like flowers! 🙂
Well, that’s all the randomness from this end! If you’d like to read more, check out the related Zemanta links below!
Until next time……
🙂 🙂 🙂
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30 thoughts on “Random 5 Friday: 1/17/14”
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small house/BIG GARDEN 
I think you were very brave and quick thinking in how to get the bobcat out of your house. You are one grand lady.
About the rubber plant. I did not know they could get that big. Nice picture of your son too.
Thank you! Jack has always been quite photogenic! (don’t you just hate people like that 😉 ?)
A few days ago, I awoke to a shredded rabbit on the cement patio immediately outside the porch door! So although I haven’t seen it, or heard any strange rustling, I’m assuming the bobcat came back! Eeeeeekkkkkkk!!!!! I really wish I’d gotten a pic the first time, but maybe I’ll get another chance!
Wow–that bobcat was probably as scared as you were. Phew! We have coyotes in our neighborhood greenbelts. Glad my kitties are indoors only.
Since this happened, Clarisse hasn’t wanted to be outside AT ALL when dusk approaches. I think she senses the danger is still present!
I love this! This is the second story about a bobcat in two days! Thanks, Karen!
Do you believe the thing has been back?! On Monday morning I awoke to a shredded rabbit (a good sized one, too!) on the cement patio immediately outside the screenporch door. I know Clarisse didn’t do it because she’s been inside every night since the first incident!
I just may get that bobcat pic yet….
I’m impressed that you get your first passport and choose to come to England!
I’ve wanted to see England for a good 10 years or so, and it’s one of the countries my daughter didn’t get to yet. Seemed like a perfect opportunity for both of us!
How fun Karen! Well not the bobcat situation. Fun to read but skeery to handle.. 😯 That got the heart racing. I am happy you joined in and I know Nancy will be too. If you choose to, link back to her. Thank you so much for the mention. So you are going to England, lucky you and lucky us cause I know you will share.. 😀 There is that handsome son of yours! You put him to work!! Bluebonnets.. ♥ You might have me wishing for summer.. nah 🙂 Good Saturday Morning!
Oops I just saw the link backs through Zemanta.. 😀
I just wish you managed to get a photo of that bobcat, because I haven’t the faintest idea what a bobcat is. Perhaps if one comes in again you could grab your camera before you chase it out.
Well, it came back, I think! Monday morning there were rabbit remains and strips of innards strewn across the patio outside the porch! I may end up getting a picture after all, yeah? In the meantime, here’s a link to what they look like and some species info !
Thank you for the link. Oh my goodness, what exotic creatures to have roaming around your garden. Are they as fierce as they look?
I’d say that poor rabbit thought so!
I think they’d leave humans be unless they felt threatened.
In the past 15yrs, Vero Beach has had a construction explosion, and much of these animals’ environment has been demolished. Behind our back fence there’s a swale leading to a retention pond/wooded area at the end of our dead end street. I assume they wander up from that spot!
Bobcat in the house… a small lion type cat?? … run girl run…
Yes! they are smallish mountain lions. Here’s a link with a decent photo
All of these are great, Karen, but my favorite is the bobcat we don’t get to see…and the reason WHY 😉 we don’t get to see it. We’ve had several sightings of mountain lions here in Colorado recently, and of course the coyotes we see on the hiking trails, and the last thing you do is stop and plan, “Now, how can I get a good picture of this?”
I remember reading about mountain lions having run-ins with hikers in California, to disastrous results!
I’m curious, have you gotten close to any coyotes? When we had our summer house we’d occasionally see foxes on the golf course or around the ponds, but they largely avoided confrontation!
Between the bobcat and the guy with the machete I’m wondering if Florida is really a civilized place to live. Have fun planning your trip to England!
🙂 Thank you!
A bobcat as an uninvited house guest? Yikes! Quick thinking to get him out the way you did! You probably could’ve used your son with the machete right about then for backup. 🙂
Exactly what I was thinking! 😉
Here in San Diego, we can share gardening 12 months a year!……….lol
Ahhhhh! Beautiful sunny San Diego! My daughter and I were just talking yesterday about your wonderful climate!
You are SO brave!! I don’t think I could ever move if I was so close to a wild cat! Good job. 🙂
The picture of the seeds made me so HAPPY! I can’t wait to start working outside again! My favorite thing is working in the garden in my bathing suit! (luckily I don’t have many neighbors 🙂
Gardening and getting a tan at the same time….doesn’t get much better than that, does it!?
Just one word: SCARY!
However, all things considered, I think you handled it well. 😉
Monday morning when I let Clarisse out, I nearly stepped on a disemboweled, shredded rabbit outside the porch door! It must have come back Sunday night while we were sleeping!