Frog and Flowers

This morning I saw a frog in Max's water bowl. It's been dry lately and he was looking for some water to soak in. Seeing the frog in the water bowl didn't surprise me at all, it happens all the time during summer months. Usually the frog lives underneath the water bowl and will come out to soak in the water whenever it feels like it.

This is a Plumeria that I grew from a cutting. You may recognize this flower if you've ever been to Hawaii, this is the flower used for leis. I've got my Plumeria growing in a pot and it can't be left outside when its cold. It's a hassle moving it in the shed when a cold night comes along. Then, in the morning, I have to move it back in the sun and then back in the shed at night. It's worth it for the flowers.

The above picture is new flowers that will open in a few days.

Fishing Trip

Today I was off work and my dad and I went fishing in the Atchafalaya Swamp/River Basin. The Atchafalaya Swamp is one of my favorite places in Louisiana because it is filled with wildlife. We saw three alligators, lots of birds, and caught several types of fish. I was looking for snakes but didn't see any. Snakes are masters of camouflage and one was probably near me and I didn't even notice. We also have black bears in Louisiana and I'm still waiting to see one in person. Back to my fishing trip, here are the pictures!

Alligator #1 (above) was a baby alligator, I'd say around 2 feet long. He was hiding in some bushes that draped down into the water. All I could see was his eyes sticking out of the water.

Alligator #2 (above) was a little bigger than the first, around 4 feet long. He was very shy and sneaky and I almost didn't get a picture of him. He was also hiding under some branches. I tried to get a better picture of him and my foot hit the side of the boat and scared him away! The third alligator we saw was so shy I wasn't able to get close enough to take a picture. He was about the size of alligator #2.

This is the catfish my dad caught. This catfish didn't want to pose for a picture, it took me three shots to finally get a good picture. He didn't want to go in our ice chest (and later the frying pan!) and kept squirming around trying to break free and go back in the water. Did you know that catfish will make little grunting noises if you take them out of water?

I don't know the name of this bird, but he was sunning himself way up on a tree branch.

This is a sacalait (pronounced sack-ah-lay) and this is what we were fishing for. We caught alot of fish and had a good time.

Homemade Bread

Today, for the first time, I made bread from scratch. It was easy and tasty! Here is the link to the recipe: Amish White Bread

Clematis

My clematis finally bloomed!

This is Clematis jackmanii and it is a notoriously slow grower, but the flowers are worth it! Clematis is a slow growing vine and is available in many different flower colors. You can choose from purple, red, pink, and white. I've got mine growing on a chain link fence. The flowers are about 4 inches across.