Fall Migration

Mercifual Heavens!   Planet Earth has sprinted through space and now reached a point in space and time in which literally maybe 50 or two fifties of birds may be migrating across human habitat.  Like here at the CB, we have already espied four migrants.  That's four for the fatally afflicted Crumby Ovate.  The four are two Wilson's warblers, one probable Lincoln's sparrow and this male ruby-throat that is currently tussling for position with hoards of  sexually ambiguous black-chins. 

For this picture Ray employed the 480ex II flash, plus the Better Beamer (BB).  The BB definitely gets itsha lit up.  Plus and mercy,  the ruby-throat is still flying around outside.  Apparently the flash did not blind him or cause him to need to use a cane or take piano lessons; a legitimate concern. 

Giant Leopard Moth Visits CB

Last week Ray managed to image and identify a giant leopard moth, first time known visitor to the Cow Barn.  But that was last week.  And though last week we got a nice picture of that particular giant leopard moth, the picture did not feature much of that moth's nice abdomen or pre-anus.

This week Ray found a sick giant leopard moth on the front porch.  It was easy to catch, as the sick usually are.  Just ask any predator.  Like here in the Homeland, many predators, (monopoly capitalist henchmen), prey on the old and sick.

Not only was it easy to catch, it was easy to expose its colorful pre-anus for a peekture, I mean picture.

New Parasitic Beetle Afflicts CB Hymenoptera

What parcel of the population knows, based on observation, or maybe hearsay,  that tall goldenrod is a favored nectaring plant for a very great many bees and wasps?  What parcel of the poplution believes the same?  In other words, what population parcel has faith in tall goldenrod as a favored nectar source of Hymenoptera?  Sadly, as critical thinking in the Homeland goes the way of the Dodo, superceded by the Angel Moroni's trumpeting,  these are the kinds of questions that need asking; small talk reminders of a failed civilization.

This cute beetle, (Macrostigion cruenta), maybe, decked out in her anarcho-syndicalist colors, is also on the tall goldenrod.  She appears to be nectaring.  Maybe she is nectaring.  But rumor has it, she may be laying eggs.  Yes.  But almost immediately those eggs hatch to become triungulins.  Triungulins, many cry out.   What do they do?  Well, those triungulins grab on to an unsuspecting bee or wasp, ride back to its nest, then parasitize the hosts baby.  Mercy!

Death rides, not a horse, a goldenrod.

Coprinus plicatilis

Mushrooms, like snails,  have been given short shrift over the years at the CB.  That's because, like snails, they don't show up very often.  Yet at this very nonce, the CB features maybe a tousand or maybe two tousand of these diminutive yet delicate plus extra-ephemeral fungi.  Apparently,  Coprinus plicatilis is edible, but hardly worth the trouble.

A Lively Snail

Many may say,  Ray, there is no such thing as  a lively snail.  Yet even the most jaded of snail watchers might admit that this snail could be more lively than that snail.  Because this snail is a lively snail. 

Hmm.  This may be the only snail featured on this venue ever.  Near as Ray can figure out, it is, like  much of our vermin fauna, an introduced species, from the Mediterranean, Eoburnia vermiculata.  Here it is, thrashing around in the little bluestem.

One reason we never publish our snail pictures, besides the fact that we hardly ever see snails at the CB, is, snails are really hard to get entirely in focus.  Like this one was shot at F16 with flash.  And while it is true than the snail is mostly in focus, this shot only shows a lateral view and is missing one antennae. All the shots that feature two antennae are out of focus somewhere.  Course, this is a mighty big snail so there may be no real solution other than photo stacking for subjects similar to giant, lively snails.

Crumby is not fixing to make it

Noper. Sadly, the Crumby Ovate is not fixing to recover. Rather, one thing or two shall deliver him to the Bosom of the Goddess. Sooner better than later so far as Crumby is concerned.

That's because an average individual similar to Crumby can only stand so much pain. Like ever since his quadruple bypass, Crumby has suffered great pain between his right shoulder blade and his spine, an old problem reinvigorated by the stress of surgery. But in addition to that, he is now experiencing a deep and abiding pain in the front of his left shoulder and lower left ribcage that began toward the terminus of Crumby's maiden, serious, post recovery bicycle ride. Is the pain the result of exercise related muscle strain, or is it Crumby's heart giving out? Doesn't matter. It's too much.

Yesterday was Crumby's turn to clean house. Despite the shoulder and lower ribcage pain Crumby nobly cleaned house anyway. (A person needs to go ahead on with life as he or she knows it). Now the pain is much worse. It woke Crumby up at 5AM after a fitful night, tossing and turning in pain. That's right. The resulting aches and pains Crumby gets for his feeble efforts at life as he or she knows it is too much. So uckitfa.

Where's the Vicodin? Actually, Crumby knows where the Vicodin is because he just took one maybe a half hour bygone. The pains dull. Where's the heroin? Easy that, the medical monopoly has most of the heroin monopolized. It also has most of the Vicodin, as opposed to Crumby who is down to his last six. It's like all monopolies under the monopoly capitalism umbrella. The few have and the many want.

Besides the one thing; constant, unremitting pain, there is two. As in, if it aint one thing, it's two, or twain. What's two? Easy that, the also unremitting irritation of bad news. For example, the CB has been afflicted with a great many mosqutioes lately. The mosquitoes bite Crumby mercilessly. But according to rumor, these particular mosquitoes carry West Nile Virus. Mostly the old and feeble, similar to Crumby, are susceptible to going morte from West Nile Virus. So there you go. Two, bad news! Uckitfa.

Bad news. You know, many are excited by the upcoming. Yes. Every four years, a great many Americanos troop to the polls. Why? They troop to the polls to reaffirm their faith in monopoly capitalism and imperialism. Yepper. Before this election we Americanos shall enjoy our monoply capitalism and imperialism. After the election, the same difference. But faith shall be renewed.

Many may recall the tepid support the Druids afforded Mr. Obama during the previous. Well, Crumby, even if he makes it to November, will, enjoy not voting. Ha! How funny is that! One old man maybe fixing to feel good about not voting as probably his last bullshit.

Socialism or barbarism?

Convalescing with Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers may be just the challenge Crumby needs. Here’s why. Most grasshoppers need to be caught before they can be identified. So the average sick person needs to put out a little effort. Like you have to stalk the grasshopper. Stalking means walking which is an important type of exercise for the average convalescent as well as a lousy way to get around. You have to swing a butterfly net. You may have to ride a bicycle off to some place outside the CB once you have caught all your own grasshoppers or are afraid you may injure your own grasshoppers. You need to tote a camera.

Yes. There’s a lot to convalescing with grasshoppers. In addition to the above, there’s personal hygiene to consider, always important for an aspiring convalescent. Like you have to trim and wash your nails before you take a picture of your hand holding a grasshopper. That’s right. Nobody needs to see a bunch of dirty, long nails on the hand that holds the grasshopper. Least of all the hands owner.

But why must grasshoppers be caught before they can be identified? Why not just take a picture of an average grasshopper sitting in the dirt and be done with it? Well. You need to catch the grasshopper to determine: 1. Does its pronotum extend over its abdomen? 2. Do the spines on its tibia extend to the apical spurs on both the inner and outer sides? 3. Does it possess a prosternal spine or spur between its forelegs? 4. At what angle does its face and the top of its head meet? 5. Is a stridulatory peg present on its inner hind femur?

As the average presumptive Orthopteralogist may espy, remembering to observe (or take pictures of) all these details on a wriggling hopper may be a real challenge Especially when the convalescent is hopped on Vicodin. Goodness!

Yet we should recall that life without challenge is just that, life without challenge. So maybe life with challenge is better than life without challenge. Or maybe not. Whichever. Anyway, life is life.

Yesterday, convalescent Crumby left the CB on his bike to go catch grasshoppers. But before Crumby could even get on his bike, he had to figure how to accommodate the butterfly net to the bike. This without making the whole rig appear too conspicuous. That proved impossible. Oh well. Uckitfa.

Once Crumby arrived at his destination, Crumby counted the grasshoppers as he stalked them. Eventually, along maybe a half mile of trail, Crumby summed five grasshoppers, all Ardia simplex. Weird! All these grasshoppers are the same kind. This would never happen at the CB where there is actual plant species diversity. Crumby groused.

OK. Here is a picture Crumby took. It features a ventral view of an Ardia simplex grasshopper. Notice the freshly trimmed thumbnail. Of course, this is not the only picture Crumby took of those particular grasshoppers. You need more than one picture to determine photographically the kind of organism we are considering. But this picture is representative of those kinds of shots. See the blue tibias?

Whut's it good fer? (another episode)

For some reason known only to the Goddess Herself, the CB has more Acalypha ostryifolia than ever before.  Big patches of it actually.   So Ray began to wonder, should I mow it, or not?

The decision to mow or not mow a flowering plant may be made on the basis of, Whut's it good fer?   With Acalypha ostryifolia, a fair question, since it is on the unattractive or semi-beautiful side.  Yet the lesser goldfinches answered, Whut's it good fer?, fer, I mean for, Ray. 

Here is a lesser goldfinch, part of a flock, eating Acalypha ostryifolia seeds.  Seeds we didn't need to buy, but which the Goddess provided fer, I mean for, free.

By the way, this picture was accomplished employing a 430exII flash and better beamer flash extender.  In general, Crumby is pleased with this rig.  However, he would be much more pleased if he had gotten to deploy the rig for its intended purpose, Alaska.  Yes, sadly the worst part of Crumby's quadruple bypass was having to cancel the Alaska vacation.  Sad, sad, sad.