Duct Taped Plant

Here is a photo I took with the cellphone while waiting in a doctor's office. When you see plants taped together with duct tape, you just wonder what kind of patient care you might get. As an after report I would like to say that the plant received much better care than I did.

Eastern Swallowtail Butterflies

There seems to be an abundance of butterflies this year. Right now the Eastern Swallowtail seems to be everywhere. They particularly like the petunias and the mimosa trees and they add to the beauty of both.

Snowballs in July

A snowball in July isn't considered a very safe thing. To test the theory I got out the snowballs that I had frozen On the Winter Solstice and put them on the picnic table when the temperature was at 97 degrees. To my surprise there was still a couple remnants after an hour. I guess they had the full force of winter to last that long.
I was supposed to get the snowballs out on the summer solstice, but it slipped past me. Now if I could just bottle up some of the heat to get out on the Winter Solstice.

Siblings Gone But Not Forgotten

July is a month that brings back memories of my siblings who have died. Frank who was closest to me in age was born on this date (8 July). He died of lung cancer nearly 7 years ago. He would have been 63 today.
Mae was born on my birthday when I was four. Her and Jack were tragically killed in a fire 47 years ago.

Their memories are part of what I am.

Carl Sagan: A Universe Not Made For Us

I read "Pale Blue Dot" in 1995, shortly after it was published, and enjoyed it as I have all of Sagan's other books. This video reminds me of his intellect and ability to succinctly and plainly state what the rest of us only try to articulate.

Garden Raid

I was the 4th one in the garden this morning after the raccoons, Mrs Rabbit and Mama Skunk with her two almost grown babies. I still manage to get enough fixings for dinner and maybe a little for the neighbors. I guess all critters gotta eat.

Late June Morning

In the west the full "strawberry" moon is shining brightly, while in the east the sun is making a fiery entrance. Another '90 degree plus day is in the forecast, but what a beautiful late June morning sky to start the day.

Summer Solstice

I celebrated the sun coming up on this longest day of the year with a bonfire and some music. The temperature is supposed to be in the mid '90's today which will be a fitting start to summer. The only sad note is that all the days get shorter now until the winter solstice. After a few dozen 90 degree days that may not seem to be such a bad thing.

Happy Farter's Day

Happy Farter's Day from Mr Skunk. The 2010 model of Mr Skunk seems to have a lot of white on him. We had been smelling him in the evening, but had not actually see him since last year. However, this morning I caught him sniffing around for grubs. I'd like to think this would be our last encounter of the year, but I doubt it. I guess I can only hope any future encounters are as uneventful. Taking video of a skunk is kind of like taking video of a tornado. You need to make sure you are at a safe distance and nothing comes flying at you.

If We Had no Moon

Early Tomatoes

My early tomatoes have reach the half way mark (about 6 feet) of their climb to reach the gutter (12 ft). The first ripe tomato is in the lower right hand corner (and below). Most gardeners around here will be lucky to have ripe tomatoes a month from today.

Panoramas

I have been playing around with Microsoft ICE software to create panoramas. The above are very scaled down versions of the results. The software is free for now and does a good job. Some of the newer digital cameras are building in this feature.

Full Flower Moon

The full flower moon was shining brightly early this morning. It lit up all the growing flora and fauna for the dawn of another warm day in late spring.

The Best Motivational Video Ever !

Late Iris

These are my late blooming Irises. You can see that they are just starting to proliferate with many buds ready to burst out. I love their earthy colors and their location.

Sun God?

No it's not a sun god. Just me standing in the early morning shadow of the windmill. It looked kind of divine at the moment.

First Roses

These are my first roses of the season just in time for Mother's Day. They are sooo.. fragrant that their smell fills the room. I'm looking forward to many more before the summer is over.

Vietnam 35 Years Ago

Vietnam 35 Years Ago. Let's don't forget and don't keep repeating our mistakes. The photos at this website emphasizes some of the "horror".

The Ohio is cresting just below flood stage. However, as can seen by how far out in the water the utility pole is, it really is up. And, like always when the river rises there is much debris going downstream.

5 inches of Rain

The snowball bushes are dragging the ground after over 5 inches of rain in two days. We were about 8 inches behind for the year, but I don't like to catch up all at once. However, we were lucky compared to the rains and flooding in Tennessee.

Mayday

The first of May brings forth imagery of many memories. I remember the Russian Mayday parades with tanks and missles and the Gary Powers U-2 incident which occurred on Mayday. It also brings up memories of Beltane bonfires that I have made and mostly images of Maypole dances. My wife remembers dancing around the Maypole when she was young, but she said that unlike the video above, most of the time it ended in tangled messes.
Mayday informally signals the beginning of summer and usually the weather cooperates.

Arbor Day

This Arbor Day I am really focused on the black locust trees. I have never seen them bloom so profusely. This a volunteer that came up in the yard several years ago and it has never bloomed liked this. As you drive around, you see some locust groves that are snow white. You also see just how many locust trees there are about because they are about the only thing with white blooms right now except the snowball bushes.

Full Egg Moon

The full egg moon denotes fertility. Things are really starting to grow from the fertile earth. It is such a great time of the year.

Kentucky Derby 136

This is Derby Week which leads up to the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. The Derby is locally billed as "the greatest two minutes in sports". However the actual two minutes are preceded by two weeks of Derby Festival events that includes all types of activities from the largest fireworks display in the U.S. to the great Steamboat race. In celebration I made a Derby flag. The horse image is Secretariat, probably the greatest thoroughbred ever. I drew the horseshoe and it was colored a pretty golden color until the drenching rain proved one of my magic markers not to be a permanent marker. Anyhow, we will leave the flag up until after the Derby.

Double Rainbow

I was able to capture this double rainbow after lasty night's storm. From Wikipedia . "Secondary rainbows are caused by a double reflection of sunlight inside the raindrops, and appear at an angle of 50°–53°. As a result of the second reflection, the colours of a secondary rainbow are inverted compared to the primary bow, with blue on the outside and red on the inside. The secondary rainbow is fainter than the primary because more light escapes from two reflections compared to one and because the rainbow itself is spread over a greater area of the sky. The dark area of unlit sky lying between the primary and secondary bows is called Alexander's band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it."

Earth

Since Joni Mitchell performed "Big Yellow Taxi" live, we have nearly doubled the people on the planet and continue to pave paradise and put up parking lots. It reminds me of the lyrics of another folk song ... "when will they ever learn .... when will they ever learn". "They" are "us" and we need to pay more attention to what we are doing to our nest. The message has been there but not heeded. At least I made the border green.

World Population Growth

Year	Population

1965	3.3 billion
1970	3.7 billion
1975	4 billion
1980	4.5 billion
1985	4.85 billion
1990	5.3 billion
1995	5.7 billion
1999	6 billion
2006	6.5 billion
2009	6.8 billion

Ohio River Overlook

Twice a year, in the spring and fall, we like to go for lunch at the Overlook Restaurant in Leavenworth, Indiana. It is on the northern bank of Big Bend in Meade County Kentucky where the land only separated the river by about a half a mile. as shown below. The drive always very scenic as is the view of the river at the restaurant. We also like to drive the Kentucky side for it's scenic view.

Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrated at different times in various ways at various places. This is good, but the earth should be celebrated everyday in some way even if its the quickest glance at the horizon. I'll have my earth flag flying for the next few weeks while we celebrate the blooming of spring and try to do a my part to help take care of the earth.

More Lilacs

You can take photos or videos and you can record sounds; you can even make perfumes and odors that mimic nature; but, not even your memory can give full justice to the fragrance of a lilac bush in full bloom. You can only enjoy in the moment. Wow!

Lilacs

I love the smell of lilacs. The fragrance is so pronounced. In fact, I can only put cut lilacs in the basement because they irritate my wife's allergies. As you can see, I still have the Easter tablecloth on the old dining table in the basement. Well there is too much to do and see this time of the year to change tablecloths in the basement. We'll get around to it when I throw the lilacs out.

More Daffodils

Each new batch of daffodils is prettier than the last. I cut a couple of red tulips to bring out the color of this bouquet.

Easter

Even though Easter is a religious holiday, it is celebrated in a more secular fashion as part of the beginning of Spring. In fact Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox, so it's fairly tied to Spring. Our Easter table looks as much like an Ostara altar as anything else. Anyhow, you can't get too religious with all the egg and rabbit fertility symbols. It is a great time of the year.

Productive Spring Day

It was a beautiful day so I got the tomato plants out today in their water walls. In about a month when we are past all threats of frost I will take them down and about 6 weeks from then I will have ripe tomatoes. I can't wait.
Also while I was doing the water walls the mailman pulled up and delivered my new rose bushes. I got them set out too. If they do good some photos to follow this summer. A very productive spring day.

Worm Moon

I got a good photo of the full Worm Moon this morning. At least that is one of the names given to the last full moon of winter as described below from Old Farmer's Almanac.
"Full Worm Moon – March As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter."
Whatever you call it, I'm glad the next full moon will have to peek through the new leaves of spring.

Earth Hour 27 March 2010

Turnoff your lights 8:30-9:30 PM pn 27 March to support Earth Hour and action to combat climate change.

Winter Lingers

The Sara Page is pushing coal up the swollen, muddy Ohio on a gloomy, cool day in late March. I guess there are still vestiges of winter lingering to include the dormant trees along the riverbank.

Spring is Here!

I know daffodils are not supposed to be cut flowers, but I just can't resist bringing a few indoors. It gets me ready for the forsythia and lilac that is soon to be.

Vernal Equinox

Irish Green

Even the pitcher pump on the whisky barrel was running green on St Patrick's day.

Birdhouses

Every year I put out over 3 dozen birdhouses. This is the first batch of 30 some that I made from Folgers coffee containers for bluebirds. I take them down, clean them out and repaint them in the fall. I still have the Martin House and about a dozen birdhouse gourds to put out. The doves and cardinals are nesting in the cedar and spruce trees.

Happy Pi Day [3.14.2010]!

Here is Pi to much more precision than I would ever need.

Mrs Squirrel

Another sure sign of spring - Mrs Squirrel is getting her nest ready for the first litter of the year. I have named her "Sandy". I can keep an eye on her nest out the kitchen window until the leaves come out.

Spring Up

Great Day in March

It was a beautiful, warm day the crocus were blooming and the daffodils are just starting to bloom. I got out the old kite and did one of my annual bucket list things and got it way up high. I then walked back to the pond and checked on the mallards. So far they are doing OK, but I figure a coyote or feral cat will get the eggs or ducklings before they are grown.

Mallards Nesting

Yesterday when I was walking my granddog we flushed these mallards that were nesting back on the pond. I also spotted a couple of small sassafras trees that I wanted to move. So today when I was going back there on the tractor to get the trees, I took the camera and caught these guys before they took off.

February Snow Moon - 3 Days Full

The weather has been so dreary that I haven't been able to get a photo of the February Snow Moon. Even though the weather this morning was forecasted as cloudy and possible snow flurries, I caught a break and captured the Snow Moon in it's 3 day old best.

Lion or Lamb?

I don't know how to characterize the beginning of March. It didn't come in like a very ferocious lion nor was it what I would consider a mild, meek lamb. It seemed like a continuation of the grungy February weather we have been having. One thing is for sure the groundhog did not see his shadow on the beginning of March, so we can rule out any of his predictions.
I guess, as usual we will take what comes and be happy. We are definitely closer to warmer weather than we were.

First Robin

Our local Barnyard meteorologist (self proclaimed "Treeologist") predicted the first Robin of the year on 26 Feb. I didn't notice this one until the 27th. However, this still makes it his most accurate prediction of the year.

Different Birds

This morning there was a pretty redheaded woodpecker at the bird feeder. But this afternoon a different bird (Apache) came out of the trees and made several passes over the house before he went on.

Work Well With Others

I don't know if this works but it sounds like it would. I really don't know why you would want to do it, but some really boring day I might just try it. Click on the title above for instructions.

Sand Hill Cranes Migration

It was a beautiful day and thousands of Sand Hill Cranes passed over on their way back north. Here is one of several photos I got of them. A sure sign we are headed in the right direction for Spring. It can't come fast enough.

Man Cave

The only way to survive Cabin fever is to have a man cave where you can escape. Here is a slide show of mine

Cabin Fever

Even though it may have the least number of days, February is always the longest and most boring month to me. I have seen enough of winter and the snow and ice, yet it persists. I have completed or become bored with all my indoor projects and am anxiously anticipating the outdoor things of spring, yet they they are delayed. The days are getting noticeably longer, yet the weather doesn't permit enjoying them.
Even the Mythbusters are bored and confirmed the cabin fever myth.
Begone February and cabin fever!

Too Many People

Remembering our Mortality

Happy Year of the Tiger

This is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. The Chinese New Year usually falls on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice. It is celebrated various ways throughout the Orient. In Vietnam, we knew it as Tet (Tết Nguyên Đán), which was usually associated with renewed Viet Cong offensives. "Auld Lang Syne" I suppose.
P.S. Happy Valentines Day!

Survival of the Fittest

It was 5 degrees this morning when I caught this red tailed hawk perched across the field. You can tell from the poor resolution he was a long way off and there was a lot frosty air in between us. You don 't sneak up too close on red tailed hawks due to their highly evolved vision. Happy Darwin Day to one of the fittest.

Happy 201st Birthday Abe and Charles

According to recent DNA tests reported in National Geographic, Darwin's ancestors can be traced back to Africa just as his Evolution Theory predicts. Here is a song about Charles Darwin in celebration of Darwin Day.




Sign the petition to get the President to recognize Darwin Day.

Roof Curl

I can't really explain the geometry of this photo. I assume that the inside temperature of the garage slightly heated the metal roof, then gravity and the viscosity and weight of very slightly thawed snow was just right to produce the curl without falling. Anyhow, nature always finds ways to tweak your curiosity and awe (and create beauty).

Snowy Day Happy Place

Although there was still snow on the ground, I had cleaned the basement steps before another 4-5 inches fell last night and it is still snowing. On a day like today you have to turn to one of your "happy places" like looking at the seed catalogs and dreaming of all the flowers and vegetables to be.
I used to get over 3 dozen seed catalogs but with the internet the number has dwindled. But that is OK because in between the hard paper daydreaming, you can go on the internet and find even more than before. I have even ordered several different seeds from Ebay. The only problem is that I can't burn Ebay on my Vernal Equinox fire like I do all my paper seed catalogs.

Red versus Blue

Whether you are talking about ball teams, political states or cardinals and bluejays, you hardly ever see red and blue feeding out of the same trough. I caught these two sharing the bird feeder.

Flaming Dart Remembered

Forty five years ago on 6 February while I was on temporary duty at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, I was hurriedly tagged as part detail to go unload a C-130 that had just taxied up. By the time we got to the aircraft, ambulances started screaming in and we were assigned to help carry litters of bloody bodies to the ambulances. Afterwards, we were told to grab our gear and boarded a C-130 (I don't think it was the same one we unloaded). Somewhere in the process we were told that the bodies were from Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam and that we were in route to Danang Vietnam. It was late that night or early the next day (didn't really know what time it was except dark) when we landed and were dumped out on the taxiway.
The next day we would launch our first airstrikes against North Vietnam as part of Operation Flaming Dart.


That was a long time ago in a place far away only the vague memories and the lost innocence of youth persist.