Jodi...They're more like 4.5"....so I guess matilijas are bigger!!!! WOW! Do the matilijas have stickers? If they don't....then they are FAR superior!!!! lol :0)

Thanks Jasdip. Many of my building shots are angled because, well, because I'm really short. LOL BA is indeed a clean and wonderful place and would go back in a heartbeat if offered the chance (without paying the $1000 to get there :-) Jodi-

Alisande... I can only guess...but those pellet like "things" may be engorged ticks. When I zoomed in on your original postings...I saw them then. They seem to be aligned alone her back spinal area. She's been through the wringer for one reason or another and her immunity defenses may not be what they should be. Being weak, she'll become an easy host for almost anything. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be so visible [in your yard] on such a continual basis...and if those are ticks...she would have rubbed them off long before they reached that size. She's there because neither you nor your pets have threatened her and she needs a safe haven for her twins. She's probably bedding down with them in your tall grass areas and provided she has a water source nearby...she'll stay there until her twins are strong enough to survive on their own. Those wounds, if we're right, are not that old. If they were, we wouldn't be able to see them so easily. I'm glad you brought mama cat in for a while. At least until she's strong enough to run fast and climb. Most cats have enough sense to run from a bear. Dogs want to defend their territory often to their own demise. It must have been a terrible experience for you. I know it would have been for me. If possible...could you post photos/progress reports from time-to-time? It's hard to tell her age from photos but if she's a liability, her own kind will shun her...and I hope she makes it.

Great pictures today! Such color! Here are some hummingbirds from yesterday. I have so many of them right now.