Mudpie's Grove

Today is the 250th birthday of the United States of America. Americans come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Some of them happen to be quite small and potato-shaped, like our friend Mudpie here. He might be one of the littlest Americans, but he's celebrating in a big way. So many of us have been stressed out lately and times are hard, all around the world, but what it means to be American to Mudpie, is being able to see the brighter side of things and spread that light to others. Bright sides such as... patriotically-decorated donuts. They make him happy, and now his smiling face will make you happy too. Pass the positivity along, and let's support and lift each other up this Independence Day. ❤️🤍💙

Halfred and I ventured out onto the Middlesex Greenway today. Rain was in the forecast, but we took a chance on getting a walk in anyway. It actually turned out to be a very nice day! We saw some flowers, some interesting tree roots, and even a patch of bittersweet nightshade. It's going to be dangerously hot the next few days, so we were glad we got in a nice nature walk while we could. =)

Today is a very special holiday, indeed, and it's one that near and dear to Mudpie's snack-loving heart. Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day! No vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or any boring, traditional flavors for these snacking rootlings today, oh no. Mudpie sent me to the store to "go forth and bring back the most creativist icy creams flavors ever!" He's... not great with words, but that's okay. So I set out to find one for him, for his cousin Halfred, and for Master Marshmallow. I was in luck, for they had just restocked shelves and shelves of ice cream, and I was able to find some pretty unique and personalized flavors for each of them. Mudpie got "Dirt Cake," because he's constantly rolling in the mud and being rambunctious. Also he loves chocolate. Cookies, pudding, ganache... he'll love it. Halfred, who likes to be healthier, got a non-dairy "Oatmeal Dream Pie" flavor with oatmeal cookies and marshmallow. And of course Master Marshmallow had to also have marshmallows in his, so he got "Phish Food," which has just that in addition to caramel and fudge. The rootlings were all happy with their respective acquisitions, and pretty soon the situation broke down into a giggle fest as they all clamored to open their containers. I'll let them try to figure it out for a little bit before I open the containers for them. XD

Today, Morley visited the only butterfly bush that bloomed so far this year. It's having a rough time with the heat and heavy rains we've been getting, but it has managed to bloom pretty well despite that. She giggled at all the butterflies and bees that were attracted to it, and of course she loved the purple color of the flowers. They matched her sunglasses! 💜

Silky Dan found some very silky seeds on this weed today and though they were just beautiful. He wanted to get a nice photo of hi blowing the seeds into the wind. But unfortunately, just as he went to do so, the wind direction changed and all the seeds stuck right onto his face! He didn't mind, though, had a good giggle about it, and shook himself off, sending the little seeds on their way. =)

The member of the Roots & 'Shrooms Gang are sporting their cutest and most fashionable outdoor eyewear in honor of Sunglasses Day! This is a day to raise awareness for eye health, particularly with protecting your eyes from potentially harmful UV sunrays. Just because sunglasses protect your eyes doesn't mean they can't also be stylish, as these friends are proving quite well. Sunglasses can really show off your personality! So take good care of your eyes, look your best, and have a great Summer! 😎

One of Mudpie's favorite bushes is blooming! We have two hydrangeas, this one in the front yard and another in the backyard. Apparently the pH of the soil is different between the two planting locations, because the backyard bush always produces magenta or purple flowers, and this one always has bright blue flowers. They all start out pale green, and then as they mature, they become gorgeously blue. Blue is Mudpie's favorite color, so of course he looks forward to this bush blooming and being its best self each Summer. 💙

Our Yucca is blooming! It's a very tall, heavy plant with white flowers that almost dip into a pale yellow or even green color palette. Bobo thinks it's such a neat and unique plant, and he loves to see how all the insects seem to think so too. It's always covered in cute beetles, little flies of many iridescent colors, and other little crawlies, like a social hub for all sorts of tiny creatures. It must smell or taste good to them somehow, but for Bobo, he just adores the big, dangling blossoms. =)

Every year, our echinacea blooms strong with so many healthy flowers. This year, however, they seem to be struggling a bit. Maybe it's the heat we've had recently, or maybe it was the uncharacteristic weather early in the growing season that threw off a lot of flowering plants this year, but we only got a few flowers. They weren't the biggest flowers, and some of their petals were a little wonky, but Morley loved them anyway. They're trying their best, and that's what matters most. Regardless, they still add a lovely pop of color to the yard. And the best part is, there will still be a good amount of seeds left behind on these flowers after they're done blooming for the goldfinches who love them so much. 🩷

Yesterday was Father's Day, and Loki took his pups outside for some playtime with their dad! There was roughhousing in the grass, a nice game of tag, a long heart-to-heart talk, some adventurous tree climbing, and then they all settled in to watch the sun begin to set. A good time was had by all, and Loki had a wonderful Father's Day. ❤️

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone! Ashleaf was delighted to see many interesting plants and adorable animals on the Greenway, and she wanted to share them with all of you! She saw many squirrels (who were too fast to photograph), a couple of the cutest little chipmunks, and a very handsome deer with newly grown, fuzzy antlers. She also saw some white and yellow flowers, and although she didn't know what they were, she was still able to admire their beauty. She even came upon a dark hollow by the side of the path that contained many twisted roots inside. She was sure that some sort of cryptid must have its den there, so she's going to tell Master Marshmallow about it. As the resident storyteller, she's sure he'll know what lives there. All in all, it was a lovely Summer outing to commemorate the start of the season! 💚

Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice, so Ashleaf has been thinking a lot about the environment. In addition to enjoying the warmth and sun of Summer, she thinks it's important to keep the Earth in our hearts and do what we can to protect it. When we ventured to the Greenway, we saw many works of art made from recycled street signs. Although they were meant to beautify the Greenway, they were also meant to draw attention to important environmental issues, such as the need for recycling, preventing littering, honoring natural diversity, and being considerate of the native animals that share the Greenway with us. Ashleaf thought the signs were cute, but also very important!

We still have no idea what these yellow flowers are, but every year, just like clockwork, they nevertheless bloom enthusiastically, even in terrible heat. The sun was shining brightly today, but the color of these flowers glowed brighter than even the sun's light. Halfred was captivated and impressed. He loves these flowers and looks forward to them every year. They might grow in small patches, but they leave big impressions. And there are still buds that haven't even opened yet, so soon we'll have even more of them! 💛