October in South Louisiana means that the weather sometimes cools off and this year we were lucky to see some really pleasant weather. Some of the winter migrants are beginning to arrive and most of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have left for their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. There are still a few stragglers, mostly immature birds that probably hatched late somewhere up north. Most of the leaves have yet to begin to turn their fall colors. Here in south Louisiana, unless we have an early cold spell, most of the deciduous trees retain their green leaves through the end of October. It looks like we’ll have a large crop of acorns this year, so the wildlife should have enough natural food to eat this winter. The Yaupon, Deciduous and American Hollies are full of berries and the birds and animals are finishing off the last of the American Beauty Berry fruit. For more information about other trees, shrubs, vines and perennials that provide wildlife food check out Planting for Birds and Wildlife. We provide lists and descriptions of easy to grow native plants that are eaten by a variety of wildlife.

Squidoo - Became a Giant Squid

We joined Squidoo.com at the end of April and on October 6th, after months of hard work, became a Giant Squid. What in the world is a Giant Squid, some kind of strange underwater group? Well, not exactly, although there were about 20 others who also received the honor at the same time. On Squidoo, we lensmasters write and illustrate web pages called lenses. In order to become a Giant Squid, a lensmaster must have published at least 50 good, quality lenses. Anyone who enjoys writing can become a member by creating a lens. You don’t have to know much about html and there’s a whole community of lensmasters, greeters, angels and others who are ready and willing to help new lensmasters learn what it takes to excel at Squidoo. If you’d like to get started creating a lens right now click here: Join Squidoo and Create a Lens. It’s free and if you don’t like it, you can quit any time and just delete your account.

Of course, most of our lenses are about nature, plants, animals, our pets and the outdoors, but we also have some about Louisiana food, customs and celebrations. Maybe you’d like to check out our naturegirl7 lensmaster’s page to see all the lenses that we’ve written. Writing for Squidoo is fun and you earn money, too. But the thing I like most about Squidoo is that I can spread the word about all the things that I feel are important, like the environment, habitats, native plants and animals and just about anything else that I feel like writing about. Come join us and give it a try. I bet you’ll love it.