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Here and There…Now and Then |
Alligator
We went for a drive this morning, giving Dorothy a little driving time. We went a little way into South Carolina before turning around. On the way back we stopped at a pond between a golf course and the road. There is a wildlife viewing platform built there, although the bushes between it and the pond make it difficult to see much of anything. Just past the end of the platform there is an opening in the bushes and we saw a pair of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis).
Karlee and Dorothy
At Ocean Isle Beach there is a church service on the beach each Sunday morning. We’ve meant to go before but this year we actually did. I took this picture of Karlee and Dorothy shortly after the service ended. It was a good way to start the week. Karlee has been to the beach with us every year that we’ve gone since the summer after she and Dorothy were in fourth grade together. We didn’t go in 2007 because we were in Greece and in 2009 we were in Boston for Steve and Maya’s wedding, but all the other years since 2006. Karlee has been to family reunions and actually knows Dorothy’s second and third cousins about as well as Dorothy does. She is definitely one of the family.
Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata)
Traveling tends to make getting different pictures for my blog much easier, because I’m not looking at the same things and driving the same routes that I usually see and drive. The only difficulty is that while I’m actually driving, taking pictures is pretty much out of the question, particularly when driving 70 miles per hour on I-95, which is not the most relaxing highway in the country. We left early today, arriving at our destination before the big traffic jam extends over the bridge and well onto the mainland. The only pictures I took today were from a walk on the beach and included this one of sea oats (Uniola paniculata), growing on the dunes between our rental and the ocean.
As I’m writing this after we returned from the beach I can assure you that we had a great time and I got some more interesting pictures than this.
Tenodera sinensis (Chinese Mantis)
Cathy and I were out back this evening and she spotted this mantis on one of the chairs on our patio. I think (but I’m by no means sure) that it is a Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis), which were introduced here from China in 1896 to combat pests. This is a smallish one, only about two and a half inches long. It was getting a bit dark and the pictures I took by available light were not very good, so I turned on the flash and got a few pictures that are reasonably good, with the mantis standing out well against the dark background.
Slit Lamp with Argon Laser
I visited my retina specialist today. The appointment was set up before I even had the cataract surgery scheduled but because of that surgery and the problems I had last week, I was glad to have it set up. The doctor saw a small piece of retina that was torn, so he had me wait a little while and give it a blast with his laser. This is not the greatest picture because of the dark background, but it shows the equipment he uses for this procedure. The box on the right (the lower one) controls the laser mounted on the slit lamp. He gave my eye 41 pulses of the laser to weld my retina to the underlying choroid layer of my eye. Afterward they took a photo of my eye that shows the site and I asked the technician to email me the picture, which is pretty cool. I won’t say I enjoy having a laser shined into my eye, but when it’s a choice between that and a detached retina, I’ll take the laser.
Turn Left
Dorothy was driving home this evening and I was in the passenger seat so I pulled out the camera and took some long exposure images of signs and lights as we went past. This is sort of a hit or miss process with a lot more misses than hits. One problem is that when the shutter is open, the viewfinder goes black. If you are moving (as we were in the car) it is difficult to keep the camera aimed at any particular subject. These images are more interesting when there is some movement, anyway, but getting it under control is, to a great extent, chance.
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
I had sautéd octopus for breakfast this morning and took pictures of that, but if history tells me anything, pictures of cooking octopus aren’t as popular as some others that I take. In the early evening I was going out to take pictures and there was a catbird in the rose bush just outside our front door. I took a few pictures before he (or she) flew away, and thought that might be more acceptable.
Polistes dominula (European Paper Wasp)
I only took a few photographs in the back yard today, including a few of black-eyed Susans and then some of this European paper wasp (Polistes dominula). They aren’t the friendliest of wasps and I have to admit to being a little nervous of him. In general, the bees at the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) are unmindful of me but there are a few that I take with are, regardless. I think if you’ve ever been stung by one of these, you’d feel the same way.
Feather
Did you know that since the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16U.S.C. 703-712) it has been illegal for most people to collect most feathers. Unless you want to be a criminal, just let it lie. It’s a bit stupid, of course, and many people collect feathers without being indicted. It’s a good example of a “well meaning government” making life against the law and making criminals of all its citizens, in this case including (and especially) children.
Anyway, this is a feather. I think it’s pretty.
Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak)
I went out to photograph bees on the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) and did get some, but the best pictures I got were of this male gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus). The light wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty good and with my camera on a tripod I was able to get as close as my macro lens will allow. I’ve posted a picture of a gray hairstreak once before (on Saturday, August 11, 2012) but I think this picture is a bit better. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed watching it move about on the flowers.
Lotus Seed Pod
I thought you might enjoy this picture. It’s an abstract sort of image. This is a seed pod of an Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). That and the other extant species, the American lotus (N. lutea) produce seeds in what is often described as resembling the spout of a watering can. These seeds are not fully ripe and are still tightly enclosed in the pod. As they age, they dry and shrink and become loose. Eventually, the pod comes apart and the seeds are released.
If anyone knows what the little yellowish lump on each seed is, I’d love to hear from you. It’s curious. I expect one little lump on a seed, where the shoot would come out, but these have two — the central, red knob and then off center, the yellowish one. Interestingly, the yellow bump is always on the side of the seed closest to the edge of the seed pod, except for in the central seed, where it seems randomly placed.
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
We often see goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) on the purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis) in our back yard. This morning he stayed long enough for me to get some pictures. Not terribly good pictures, but pictures, anyway. This was taken hand held with a not-very-sharp zoom lens at 300mm through a pane of ordinary glass in the back door. I guess this is all I could hope for. I’d really like to get something just a little longer and considerably sharper, but that’s going to have to just be on my wish list for now.
(Mostly) Dead Cicada
What a beautiful day. It’s the middle of July and it’s in the mid 60s in the morning, getting up only to about 80°F in the afternoon. For my money, it doesn’t get any nicer than this. I could take a little cooler, but it’s July, for crying out loud. The sky was blue with cottony, white clouds. After the heavy rain on Tuesday and the heavy hearts yesterday, this is what I needed.
I went to the car to drive to work and this is what I found on the roof. This is one of the Magicicada species, the 17-year periodical cicadas. It was actually only mostly dead. For the record, it doesn’t taste like chicken.
Update: Albert rightly pointed out that the periodical cicadas all have red eyes, so this is probably one of the many annual cicadas in the family Cicadidae but not in the genus Magicicada.
Up River Cemetery
Those of you who follow my postings on a regular basis know that I sometime get a little behind. Sometimes that is due to the busyness of life and try as I might, I just don’t have time to sit down and process photos or write the little stories that go with them. The recent radio silence is not so much because of the busyness of life but rather because I’m not sure what to write and I’m having a hard time with it.
My cousin passed away on Saturday evening. Technically, he was my first cousin, once removed (my mom’s first cousin). It wasn’t completely unexpected. He had been poorly off and on for quite a little while. Still, it isn’t easy when the time actually comes. It’s harder still when it is someone you admire and respect. Clinton was a kind and gentle man, well liked by acquaintances, well loved by those who knew him. He will be missed.
That’s all I have to say here.
Rain
I love the sound of rain. Whether it’s beating on a tin roof or dripping through leaves in the woods or splashing on the surface of a pond, the sound of rain is a peaceful, restful sound for me. Of course, I have the option to go inside and get out of the rain. If I didn’t have that option, the sound of rain might be depressing or even oppressive. But, for me, in my circumstances, it is the sound of life and I look forward to it and enjoy it when it comes. Sometimes, I just sit and watch the rain. It may sound like watching the grass grow or watching paint dry, but I enjoy it. Sometimes, I think we should stop and watch the rain.
Day Lily
It was a hot, humid day today. When I went out this morning, I pulled out my camera to take a few pictures of this day lily. When I did, the lens fogged up immediately. I cleaned it off and waited a bit, but the pictures from the morning aren’t all that good. In the evening it was still pretty steamy but my camera had a chance to warm up before I got home and I was able to get a few pictures that I was happy with. It rained today, so the flowers were decorated with drops of water, too, which is always nice.
Macrosiagon flavipennis (Wedge-shaped Beetle)
This is one of the wedge-shaped beetles (Family Ripiphoridae) but one without a particular common name. It’s Latin binomial Macrosiagon flavipennis comes from the Greek word for large jaw bone and the Latin for yellow wings. These beetles parasitize wasps and bees, by laying eggs on flowers. When the eggs hatch, the larva attach themselves to a visiting bee or wasp. It is then carried back to wasp nest where it burrows into a host larva.
There is a closely related and very similar species, M. dimidiata, but the “fin or cup-shaped tubercle on the posterior of the pronotum” (the plate between the head and the yellow of the wings), is indicative of this species.
Nate, Hannah, Dorothy, Sara, Anna, Shelly, Suzy, Miranda, Barry, Katie, and Henry
All that was left for us to do this morning was have some breakfast, pack up, and clean our housing site. Once that was done, the group posed for a few team pictures, including this one that includes me (there was a handily placed wall where I set the camera). It was a privilege to work with this team and I’m extremely proud of all of them for the effort them put in this week. It is true that in the larger scheme of things, we didn’t do a very significant amount. On the other hand, I think we all came away with a little better understanding of some the needs in a city like Philadelphia. Thank you, Miranda and CSM, for putting up with us, including our silliness and sarcasm.
We Delivery!
It was our last full day in Philadelphia and it was a full day. We went to the camp in Camden again this morning and were a little early so we paused long enough to take a picture of this sign. The kids had been commenting about it all week, but since I was more concerned with the left turn I was making, I didn’t actually see it until today. We Delivery. Classic.
We went to the pool with the kids from camp today and had a great time. I got pictures of most of our team splashing around with kids from camp but those pictures of for us and for the kids. Sorry. You’ll have to make do with a picture of a stupid sign.
Pastel Building
We were in the historic part of Philadelphia for the middle of the day, from about 1:00 PM to 4:30. We were supposed to be on a scavenger hunt of sorts but everyone was so tired and it was so hot, that none of us really felt up to much. We walked up to the Betsy Ross House, went over to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, but didn’t go in any of them. We did go into a 7-Eleven on Market Street to get free Slurpies (it’s July 11). We ended up sitting on benches and on the grass, some playing cards, others napping. I took a few pictures, including a few of this pastel colored building in the 300 block of Market Street. I love old buildings, whether or not they are historic. They remind me of the passage of time and that things change, while they also stay the same.
Urban Sunset
From there, we went to a place called Chosen 300 to help serve dinner. The girls were all assigned to the plate serving line while the rest of us helped carry plates to the tables. Over 130 folks were served meals in about 40 minutes. It was a bit chaotic, but definitely a good thing.
We had our dinner after that, picking up cheese steaks that we had ordered earlier, and taking them back to where we were staying. On the way we got a great sunset over the tracks on the west side of the Schuylkill River. A nice way to end the week.
Logan Square Fountain
We had a longish day today, enjoying ourselves with the kids at camp this morning and then working for a few hours at a thrift store warehouse. In the evening we went to the Logan Square area. Do you know Logan Square? It’s the circle about half way between the Museum of Art and City Hall. Or it looks like a circle, but it’s a circle in a square. Anyway, that’s not really important now.
We had made some extra bagged meals and we were there to share them with people. There was a Shakespeare production of some sort being performed behind the Shakespeare Memorial (which seems like a good place for it). Across the street, around the fountain and in the park between the fountain and the Franklin Institute there were various people on benches. We divided up into groups. Katie, Shelly, and I chatted a while with one woman who had just gotten a phone call from her son saying he was on his way home from Afghanistan. She was pretty happy about that.
We also talked with a man named John. He was just a little younger than myself but was much more fit. He had been doing handsprings earlier, just to keep limber. We talked about the struggles of being homeless, not knowing if it was going to rain, and about young people who wouldn’t just let him be. We shared some food with him and a few others before the evening got too far along. I did pause early on for a few pictures of the fountain, which I think turned out pretty well, considering I didn’t have a tripod.
