Raymone's Plant du Jour

Callirhoe involucrata. I live here at the CB, but the deer eat me so I am relatively uncommon compared to my many malvaceous cousins that also live here. The deer don't eat most of them. Is that fair? The dang deer have become an important determinant of which of us get to survive where, and in what abundance. A couple of us different Callirhoes persist here, but we have to be alert.

Actually, one postive side-effect of telescope tomfoolery at the CB is that one or another of the humans or proto-humans are up all night and that scares the deer off. I can hear those dang deer snorting with aggravation outside the property boundaries, but they are too scared to jump in and eat me because they are afraid of the humanoids. Sometimes the dogs are out with the humanoids too, and that provides me with additional security.

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Yes indeed, the Callirhoe is correct. Sampling indicates that fewer of the little wonders get eaten if one stays up all night outside, hollering at heaven. What's there to holler about besides Uranus? Easy that, multiple stars. Tripartite cool ones we espied this morning are 16/17 Draconis (triplets), Mu Draconis (nice and tight) and Eta Cassiopaeia (pretty). And across the fencelines we hear, snort, snort, snort from the deer.

These are the nightbirds we also hear now and again; Chuck-Will's Widow, Screech Owl, Barred Owl and the delicious male chicken.