Lazy Day

Not gardening today. Took Zoey for a walk in the Hembree Park and that looks like about all I get done outside today. I did water the greenhouse as I have a bunch of tender little plants to guard against the mid 90F heat. Other than that I am going to work on pictures and stuff where I can sit in the cool and drink iced tea. Took this shot of a couple of white tail the other day. There were actually three but one was very shy. It just amazes my that there are so many deer here in the middle of town. There are a few islands of woodland around but not that much.

Garden Critters

Lots of critters in the garden today. Nice cooling off from the last few days and we all enjoyed the morning. I actually remembered to take a real camera with me this morning instead of just the phone. The phone is an HTC M8 and has a pretty good camera but for stuff like close ups it can't match the Nikon D80. Got some good shots which I thought some you might enjoy. For thos interested the butterfly is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and there were three in the garden this morning. I was very excited to see the praying mantis and since he/she is from this season I would guess there are more and that means help with bad bugs.

First Full Day of Summer in the Garden

Today is the first full day of summer and from now on until the Winter Solstice the days get shorter. I am celebrating the solstice with a bum left knee which is very tender and feverish. I'm resting it and taking aspirin. We did forage and weed a bit in the garden in the cool of the morning. Green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers, jalapenos. We even managed 3 cherry tomatoes which were consumed on the spot. The sweet basil (Italian) was getting leggy so we cut it back pretty severely so that means I need to make a big batch of pesto today and freeze it in ice trays for later use. Not a perfect method of preserving the taste of summer but OK.

On my walk down through the natural area to the garden I have been noticing a rather rotten smell for a few weeks. I thought something must have died but I couldn't locate it. The other day I noticed an odd looking fungus growing where I had left some wood chips last year. It is very odd looking and reminds me of crab claws. On a whim I Googled "crab claw fungus" and lo and behold there is such a thing but its more common name is "stinkhorn". That's the source of the rotten smell.

The photo comes from Mary Holland the author of “Naturally Curious: A Photographic Field Guide and Month-by-Month Journey Through the Fields, Woods, and Marshes of New England” and “Milkweed Visitors.”

Life Support

Our beautiful planet is dying. I'm an old man so it is likely I won't see it in its final death throes and truth be told, I don't want to. Still I am doing what I can to make a difference because I can see the effects of human activity everyday in my garden. You can make a difference as well. Since it was written about a month ago, 520 global scientists have signed on to this statement. You can also sign it as I have.  Maybe if enough of us do someone will pay attention. There is a lot more information, including ideas for solutions, at Stanford University's Millenium Alliance for Humanity & the Biosphere website.

Earth is rapidly approaching a tipping point. Human impacts are causing alarming levels of harm to our planet. As scientists who study the interaction of people with the rest of the biosphere using a wide range of approaches, we agree that the evidence that humans are damaging their ecological life-support systems is overwhelming. We further agree that, based on the best scientific information available, human quality of life will suffer substantial degradation by the year 2050 if we continue on our current path.
 Science unequivocally demonstrates the human impacts of key concern:

• Climate disruption—more, faster climate change than since humans first became a species.
• Extinctions—not since the dinosaurs went extinct have so many species and populations died out so fast, both on land and in the oceans.
• Wholesale loss of diverse ecosystems—we have plowed, paved, or otherwise transformed more than 40% of Earth’s ice-free land, and no place on land or in the sea is free of our direct or indirect influences.
• Pollution—environmental contaminants in the air, water and land are at record levels and increasing, seriously harming people and wildlife in unforeseen ways.
• Human population growth and consumption patterns—seven billion people alive today will likely grow to 9.5 billion by 2050, and the pressures of heavy material consumption among the middle class and wealthy may well intensify.

By the time today’s children reach middle age, it is extremely likely that Earth’s life-support systems, critical for human prosperity and existence, will be irretrievably damaged by the magnitude, global extent, and combination of these human-caused environmental stressors, unless we take concrete, immediate actions to ensure a sustainable, high-quality future.
As members of the scientific community actively involved in assessing the biological and societal impacts of global change, we are sounding this alarm to the world. For humanity’s continued health and prosperity, we all—individuals, businesses, political leaders, religious leaders, scientists, and people in every walk of life—must work hard to solve these five global problems, starting today: 1. Climate Disruption 2. Extinctions 3. Loss of Ecosystem Diversity 4. Pollution 5. Human Population Growth and Resource Consumption.
The full statement has been signed by 520 global scientists from 44 countries. Those signatures were obtained within a month of completion of the statement, by direct email requests from the authors and their close colleagues to a targeted group of well-regarded global change scientists.   The signers include 2 Nobel Laureates, 33 members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences,   42 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and several members of various European scientific academies.
PEOPLE WISHING TO READ THE FULL SUMMARY OR THE ENTIRE REPORT CAN FIND THEM AT http://mahb.stanford.edu.
AT THE SAME SITE PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO ENDORSE THE REPORT IF YOU AGREE WITH IT.  THE MORE ENDOSEMENTS THERE ARE FROM PEOPLE IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE, BETTER THE CHANCE THAT DECISION-MAKERS WILL PAY ATTENTION AND START TO TAKE ACTION.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AS FAR AS POSSIBLE AND URGE THOSE YOU KNOW TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO REGISTER THEIR SUPPORT.

Bad Neighbor

I just heard a crash/thud and looked out the kitchen window. Another dead tree(pine beetles) from the vacant lot next door decided to visit. This is the second tree from next door to find its way through the fence and onto the property. What is worse there are several more that could come down at any time. I guess I need to call the owner and jack him up over the damage. I already have a tree service scheduled to come in the next week or so to clean up the last damage plus some other work which is going to set me back about 3 grand not including the fence. I can probably get them to roll this one into the work for nothing extra since it is already down and just needs to be cut up but I would think the owner of the dead trees needs to cover my palm with something. As you can see this was a pretty big sucker and part of the work I have going on next week is to take out two large pines that are infected and dying from the pine beetles before they spread. It's always something.

It is a shame that this nice dead tree came down just now as I am pretty sure there were at least a couple of cavity nesting birds trying to make a home in it and if so they may already have chicks in the nests. If is wasn't raining quite so heavily at the moment I would do a little survey for survivors.

Just for reference I am standing on the northern edge of my garden and this tree blocks the path back to the house which is a couple of hundred feet to the left.

Hummingbirds Are Early

We read that the hummers were returning to the Atlanta area earlier than usual this year and so put out the feeder a couple of days ago. So far we have had one male ruby throated feeding regularly so odds are there are more out there. If you are a hummer feeder you might consider putting the feeder out a little earlier that usual. We don't usually put ours out until early May but that routine is going to have to adjust to the new "normal".

Just like the King snake that appeared the other day Mother Nature seems to be moving up her schedule a bit...no doubt because Al Gore is still fat I would guess.

King Snake

It must be officially spring since this fellow appeared in front of the greenhouse yesterday afternoon.

It is a sunny day and I have the day off though I won't get much gardening done as we had quite a bit of rain over the weekend. I've still got plenty to do though and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for this beautiful creature. Pretty sure it is the same one that made frequent appearances last year. If I am lucky and don't scare him or her off maybe there will be a dent in the vole population around the place. I can look out the window and see as many as 6 of the creatures scurrying around under the bird feeder. You have to wonder what the owls that chat all night are doing with their time.

Great Backyard Bird Count

If you are a wildlife buff then don't forget that this weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count. You can find out more about it at http://www.birdsource.org. It's very simple and only takes a little while each day and a little time to report your counts for each of the four days (2/15-2/18). Everything you need to know is at the website including downloadable forms.

Note: This is only for proper wild birds and not those you get for cutting off people in traffic.

Power Hours

Now that we are officially into spring, which is the most powerful of times, we should remember at all times the words of the Goddess:

"And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am That which is attained at the end of desire."

This is the time of  rebirth and renewal. This is the time when we can be closest to the power of the Goddess. Stop the frantic day to day dashing hither and yon and witness the magic going on around you as the world becomes, once again, fresh and new. There is much power to be gained in this time so take advantage of the gifts of the Goddess.

Thanks for the reminder Hecate

St. Brigid's Day

Today we celebrate Imbolc,or St Brigid’s Day. In Scottish it's Là Fhèill Brìghde and in Irish Lá Fhéile Bríde, it is an Irish festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on February 1 or 2 which falls halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox  here in the northern hemisphere. Traditionally it is the day when the ewes begin to lactate in readiness for the coming of the spring lambs. It is one of the 8 holy days of Wicca. This is a day when you should reinforce and cherish your connection to the earth and your land. It is a good time to begin your preparations for spring with the planting of seeds that will be transplanted a bit later after the danger of frost is past.

I am going to be a bit late this year since one, I have to work today and two my seeds haven't arrived. I have some saved seeds that I will get to on Thursday but I have, at least, gotten my rhubarb and horseradish starts in the dirt.

Go out into your yard(or a park) today and reaffirm your connection to the earth and express your thanks for its place in your life. Thank the universe for the coming of another spring.

Blessed Be.

Not LGM's But Very Interesting Just The Same

via Gizmodo

At their conference today, NASA scientist Felisa Wolfe Simon will announce that they have found a bacteria whose DNA is completely alien to what we know today. Instead of using phosphorus, the bacteria uses arsenic. All life on Earth is made of six components: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur. Every being, from the smallest amoeba to the largest whale, share the same life stream. Our DNA blocks are all the same.
But not this one. This one is completely different. Discovered in the poisonous Mono Lake, California, this bacteria is made of arsenic, something that was thought to be completely impossible. While she and other scientists theorized that this could be possible, this is the first discovery. The implications of this discovery are enormous to our understanding of life itself and the possibility of finding beings in other planets that don't have to be like planet Earth.

Breakfast Deer

Our family of deer decided to visit during breakfast this morning. A little snack of liriope and a bit of hydrangea with a little sip from the birdbath. Just barely light enough to get a picture. The smallest one in the middle is my friend from yesterday's adventure in the garden. Mama is the one in the back.

What's Up Deer?

I've just come in from the garden and had a interesting experience. I was busily weeding a bit around the cabbage when I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. I slowly turned and there was a young deer, probably this spring's crop, standing not ten feet from me giving me the eye. I slowly straightened and it just stood there for 3 or 4 minutes and then turned and walked away to the other side of the garden and proceeded to graze along the fence. I went back to work and maybe 20 minutes later it was there again just staring at me with the occasion flick of the ears. Again, after a few minutes it wandered off, jumped the fence, and disappeared in the woods. This time of year the bucks can get aggressive during the rut and occasionally challenge you but this one was just curious I guess. It was a feel good experience and I did say hello but since I didn't know its true name it felt justified in ignoring me.

It is also rather puzzling why a lot of the things we grow for food such as cabbage, broccoli, turnips, etc. don't seem to interest the deer at all but they seem to relish the parts of other crops but mostly only the parts we don't eat like sweet potato vines and okra leaves. They do, however, have a taste for chard, spinach and beet tops.  I guess I should be glad they don't like it all.

Bad Person

I guess I am a bad person. I couldn't help a little smile when I read that the 'Touchdown Jesus' monstrosity in Ohio was hit by lightning and burned quite rapidly to the ground. The church vows to rebuild but I might advise them to take the hint. That 'in your face' religiosity just irks me.

Talking Turkey

I promised a picture of the wild turkey that showed up yesterday. She(I think) wandered all around and didn't seem at all concerned that I followed her around with the camera. She was just on the other side of my fence in the vacant lot next door rummaging around in the forsythia and not more than 12 feet away. She then jumped up on a log and posed for this shot. I had the 55-200mm VR lens on but could have taken this with the 18-55mm she was so close. We've seen her before but never this close. There are many a time I have tried to get shots of wild turkeys from 100's of yards away but they always disappear when they spot you. She seemed as curious about Madam and me as we were about her. Anyhow, here is the best of the 60 or so pics I got of her as she meandered the property. It is always amazing to see this kind of wildlife living in an urban area like metro Atlanta.

Note: you can click on the image to 'embiggen'.

Non Human Persons

Ever since I read the work of Dr. Lilly and Leo Szilard I have felt that we were doing dolphins and whales a great disservice by considering them just animals or just smart animals. Scientists are coming to realize this as well...

Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as “non-human persons”.
Studies into dolphin behaviour have highlighted how similar their communications are to those of humans and that they are brighter than chimpanzees. These have been backed up by anatomical research showing that dolphin brains have many key features associated with high intelligence.
The researchers argue that their work shows it is morally unacceptable to keep such intelligent animals in amusement parks or to kill them for food or by accident when fishing. Some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die in this way each year.

Mixed Emotions

It seems scientist at Stanford have used stem cells to create human eggs and sperm. This development, besides taking sex out of the human reproduction equation, creates some big questions around the ability to engineer the human race. From a geeky, science fiction point of view this is all very cool but from a philosophical one its as scary as all get out.

to quote the article:

Now that we can genetically create children out of a lab with a few samples of skin cells, we can continue to refine the genetic make-up of our species and "refine" our genes, potentially putting evolution into our own hands.

We are obviously making some good progress in stem cell research.

Clouds with My Coffee

Thanks to Susie for pointing out some great cloud photos. Some are truly amazing and some are truly inspiring. You shouldn't miss them! I can't decide whether my favorite is the lenticular clouds of Mt. Rainier or the "Morning Glory" tube clouds from Queensland.

hint: you can click on any of the pictures for more info.

Vegetarian Spiders?

This is interesting...

A spider that dines almost exclusively on plants has been described by scientists.

It is the first-known predominantly vegetarian spider; all of the other known 40,000 spider species are thought to be mainly carnivorous.

Bagheera kiplingi, which is found in Central America and Mexico, bucks the meat-eating trend by feasting on acacia plants.

The research is published in the journal Current Biology.

And the Rains Came!

Jeebus it is raining pitchforks and puppy dogs right now...again! It has been doing this for a couple of days now...every once in a while the skies just open up. My rain gauge says we have received just under 6 inches in the last few days and that was before these last two deluges this morning and now. This is putting a serious dent in my fall gardening and I am starting to get a bit of 'cabin fever'. The good thing is that I did manage to get roquette(arugula), spinach, beets, some mixed lettuce and French breakfast radishes in the ground over the weekend and the lettuce, radishes and roquette are already up and on their way. It would have been nice to have the peas in but that's the gardener's burden...timing and weather.

On the bright side...at least it is not very windy and I can keep my windows open and listen to the rain.

The rains come and go,
providing a small gift for
silent listener

-fallenmonk