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October Is Pumpkin Month
Glad to see that October is National Pumpkin Month, otherwise I might have gone on a campaign to get the month set aside as such. After all they’re everywhere and in so many good things to eat. Flowers, seeds, and the flesh of the fruit itself, so nutritious. As well as, soon to be sitting…
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Another Year Of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
The ubiquitous, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys). Or simply the BMSB. It is for sure ubiquitous around my cabin now. It is their season it seems. Certainly their season to try to enter homes to spend the winter. This photograph is just a few of the BMSBs on a window screen, waiting for an…
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Virginia Creeper In October
Today, the first day in October. And here, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), a gorgeous red in early autumn. Those red leaves as well as the berries should not be eaten, at least by humans. The berries are quite popular with birds during the winter, but they and the leaves contain teeny tiny, needle shaped calcium…
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Drama At The Web
Spiders love to decorate for Halloween, and I appreciate it so much. They spin their webs all over my cabin, making it look wondrously spooky. This is the species of spider that created the web where this drama occurred today at lunch. A Spotted Orb Weaver (Neoscona crucifera). As I sat eating lunch, I noticed…
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Coppery Leafhopper
Coppery Leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria). A tiny member of the Leafhopper family (Cicadellidae), measuring in at 1/4 to 5/16 inch. They’re found in eastern North America. Colors are variable, ranging from a brown-gray, to a very dark brown, to a dark blue, to a light dull yellow. So many little things to notice in this world.…
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White-marked Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Looking something like a Yorkshire Terrier, or a dragon in a Chinese New Year parade, a White-marked Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). Not a caterpillar to be picked up since those cute hairs can easily puncture your skin and cause hives and a skin rash. Those four white tufts on the right side can also…
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Barn With Morning Glories
A favorite barn. I pass it every morning as I travel to yoga, often stopping to get photographs. Everyday brings new changes. Precipitation. Sunlight. Bales of hay. Shadows. Cows. Snow. Torrents of rain. Many years of images of this barn. This, one of many at the top of my list of favorite times I’ve stopped.…
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Early Autumn’s Gorgeous Tree
Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), showing off in early autumn with a few leaves of knock your socks off scarlet among its many leaves that are still rich green. This one has fallen away from the tree to rest on a rock cushioned with moss. Black Gum is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to eastern North…
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Oil Beetle
Roaming through the autumn leaves, an Oil Beetle (Meloe). If you see one, don’t pick it up. They have a defensive tactic to discourage predators. When provoked a bright orange, oily, poisonous chemical, called cantharidin will be released. This chemical on human skin will create very painful blisters. A good sized beetle judging by the…