A Close Neighbor

There is a small Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) that lives on or around our front porch.  I often see him skittering across the concrete steps toward a birdhouse which sits on the corner (simply for decoration) or headed to an old whiskey barrel which sits in another corner.  I enjoy watching him as he goes about his day.

Yesterday my wife was sitting out in one of the rocking chairs when he decided to explore a flower bed which is in front of the porch.  He was probably out looking for food.

He must be confident that we are benign neighbors because he allowed my spouse to take several photos of him.  Perhaps he is simply young and naive, or he might be seeking stardom as an Internet personality.  We probably should give him a catchy name that folks will remember.

I find the Latin name for his Genus to be interesting.  "Plestiodon" sounds like a dinosaur.  I suppose we link dinosaurs and lizards in our minds.  The Species is "fasciatus" which makes me think "face" which is especially relevant when you look at the photos below.  I think someone was on her hands-and-knees to make at least one of the pictures.

 Finding Shade

Summer has come to our part of the world.  It is more moderate than many places but with added humidity the heat index frequently exceeds 100 degrees.  What's interesting is that in the mornings when the temperature is more moderate the humidity is higher and it is often more uncomfortable then than in the afternoons when the heat reaches its peak.

The heat drives people and animals to shade.  People seek air conditioning inside while animals find deep shade and typically sleep.  Lower levels of activity generate less heat and allows their bodies to dissipate that which is a result of simply being warm-blooded and alive.

You will see livestock in the shade of trees or standing in the ponds during the heat.  As long as they have adequate forage, they will be up and eating during the early hours and again in the late hours just before sunset.  If they are eating during peak heat, it is a sign that they are having to hunt for adequate feed or that they are of a breed type that has high heat tolerance.  Typically, Brahman, or Brahman-influenced cattle have higher heat tolerance.

After sweating profusely the other morning, we sought shade to sit and cool down before coming in for lunch.  We have a seating area in a shaded spot beneath a couple of large Red Oak trees that we often will occupy while listening to the birds and enjoying being outdoors.  Maybe it was a sign of some kind that a large, Red-spotted Emperor Butterfly (Limentis arthemis arizonensis) kept lighting on one of the chairs. I hated to disturb him but perhaps he was only pointing out that I should be sitting in the shade rather than sweating out in the sunshine.

 Hidden Fruit

Sometimes you find things in unexpected places.  I probably say that quite often in the things that I write in this blog.  Perhaps it is because I am always looking for the unexpected.

While piling up some brush the other day I realized there was a large American Persimmon Tree (Diospyros virginiana) In a somewhat untended area near an old shed on our property.  I noticed it because some webworms had become established in a part of it and I needed to discourage their spread to other trees.  As I began to examine the tree I noticed the fruit.

We had persimmons on a previous place that we owned and were familiar with them.  We have never eaten them but did receive a bottle of Persimmon Wine once as a gift.  The fruit is eaten by wildlife and also can be harvested for human consumption if well ripened.  The small fruit -- about 1 inch in diameter -- is extremely astringent when not fully ripened.  It usually ripens around first frost and will be similar in color to an apricot.

Persimmon trees produce a very dense, straight-grained wood which is fairly dark in color.  Commercially it is not typically utilized unless over 100 years old when the heartwood becomes an extremely dense ebony.  When younger, the sapwood is a creamy yellow while older wood near the heart is dark.

During the Civil War persimmon seeds were ground and used as a substitute for coffee.  The leaves were also sometimes dried and made into a tea.  In the Spring it is covered with beautiful white blossoms.  It is truly a useful tree.

We sometimes discover Persimmon Trees in other areas of life.  It may be the quiet employee who is always productive, or the volunteer in an organization that always manages to get things done.  We need to learn to appreciate them more.

In the photo below you will note a couple of the green fruit near the top.  The quality isn't great, but it was taken primarily for identification purposes.  Maybe this Fall I'll get some pictures of the ripe fruit.

 Simple Pleasures

Homemade Ice Cream

Watermelon under the tree

Campfires and S'more's

Front porch rocking

Early mornings

Sunsets

Summertime

Grandkids visiting

 Down for the Count

It appears to me that the water level in our pond is much higher than in years past.  We've only lived here about 6 months, but I am basing my thoughts on the number of trees which normally would not sprout in standing water that are completely surrounded by water now.  Spring storms have caused a number of them to fall which had no sign of disease, but whose roots are simply in water-logged soil which failed to anchor them in high winds.

Yesterday while out walking I found an American Sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) that is around 6 inches in diameter lying across my path.  Its base was several feet out into the pond, and it had fallen across some other, smaller trees, which propped it up.  The long trunk is very straight due to growing within a shaded area of large trees.

Normally I would write something about how the other trees are propping it up to keep it from falling to the ground.  We all need people around us who will help us when we fall, however, in this case the tree is down for the count.  I will get out in the next few days and harvest what I can with the chainsaw and consign the unusable to the burn pile.

I wish I had a good way to make something of the long straight trunk.  The American Sweetgum is prized for furniture making.  It would be nice to be able to build something useful with it.  We shall see, but no promises.  It really isn't quite large enough to make good-sized boards to build with.  They would be narrow slats.

We have a lot of Sweetgum and Red Oak trees on our place.  This fall they should be gorgeous.

 Discovery

If you want to find something you first need to look for it.  That's not to say you won't stumble across something interesting totally by accident, but too often we walk by remarkable things daily and never notice them because our head is down and our thoughts are locked onto the daily tasks.

Pay attention to the things around you.  It might be as simple as an insect crawling on the porch rail or an Indigo Bunting peering from a nearby tree branch.  It could be as complex as the way nature recycles nutrients that inspires an earth-changing invention.  It could be in observing the interactions between two people that lets you know that your understanding is flawed.

Observations should trigger questions.  Too often we look but don't truly see.  We hear but don't really listen.  We notice but don't observe critically.  By critically I don't refer to being critical but to thinking about what we see, hear, etc.  We tend to be so wrapped up in ourselves that we miss much of what is around us.

Discovery is not only the realm of Explorers and Scientists.  Discovery is available to everyone who opens their eyes and asks questions -- especially the question, "Why?"  It is key to growth.

In previous posts I have used photos of Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus).  It is growing wild behind a short retaining wall at the entrance to our place.  It almost went undiscovered by me due to its location which not only is hidden by the brick wall, but is surrounded by trees, weeds, and a gate that is left open.  I obviously wondered how it got there.  I suspect it is there because some bird ingested a seed elsewhere and later deposited it along with some nitrogen-dense fertilizer while sitting on the retaining wall.  Now I have to keep the invasive weeds from covering it back up.  Sometimes discovery requires work.

 In The Shadows

All around us are things we either don't notice or ignore as we go about our day.  It might be poverty, abuse, sadness, struggle or some other challenge.  Conversely, it might be something good such as charity, help, caring, or spreading positivity.  Such things often exist in the shadows, and we continue about our way without a passing glance.

It needs to become part of our consciousness to notice such things.  But not only should we notice, we should recognize and assist where needed and acclaim when deserved.  As you go about your day on this and every other day, look for what is in the shadows.  Help when and where you can and contribute to the positivity when possible.

The photo below was taken by my wife the other morning as she sat drinking coffee in one of the rocking chairs on our front porch.  The young doe briefly stepped out of the shadows and into the sunlight for just a moment.  It was a beautiful sight.

 Feeding the Imagination

Children are filled with imagination.  Their fresh, uncluttered minds easily slip into a make-believe world where anything is possible.  It is more of a struggle for most adults.

Unless your talents run to the creative, imagination can be something that is difficult to ignite.  Even for creative people it is often difficult to light the fires of creativity.  I put myself in the category of creative people, but I frequently sit in front of a blank page that gives no hint at what should fill it.  That is one of the reasons I use photographs in this blog -- that and the fact that people are more likely to be drawn to a picture than to words alone.

That creative bent is probably why I am drawn to science fiction and fantasy books and movies.  One of my favorites is "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.  It is an adventure, a quest and a good-vs-evil tale that is one of my favorite reads but also was made into an excellent movie by Peter Jackson.  Too often, movie versions never meet the expectations set by the book.

The Hobbit tale continues in Tolkien's Trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings."  A creature that appears in those books is an Ent called Treebeard.  Ents were considered as tree herders who tended the forests of Middle Earth.  Although it looks nothing like the fictional character, one of our Sweet Gum trees which I trimmed earlier in the year reminds me of Ents every time I look at it.  You may have to use your imagination a bit, but I suspect you will spot the reason why.

 The Great Experiment

Today, on this 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, most of us celebrate.  We are not celebrating the founding of our country so much as we celebrate the freedom to self-government.  We celebrate a beginning which initiated the great journey which we continue today.

There are those who find reason to criticize during this time of celebration.  They focus on struggles that we have dealt with along the journey.  There are those who point to the Emancipation Proclamation as the true beginning for them.  Others point to Civil Rights Legislation of the 60's and 70's.  Many of them press a valid argument that for some, freedom did not come with the Declaration of Independence from England because there were those who were enslaved or treated as only partial citizens.  However, those steps which led to broader freedoms for those who were oppressed were part of the journey which makes this country great.

There are many steps yet to be taken.  Corruption has been a part of this Great Experiment from the very beginning.  No institution designed and implemented by mankind is perfect, and darkness is never far away.  Unlike many believe, pure democracy is not the answer.  Democracy leads to tyranny of the majority.  However, power should not be further concentrated in the hands of a few.

The next steps along the journey of this Great Experiment must be made from a unity of purpose, not the fragmentation of factions.  Power prefers fragmentation because they know that when like-minded people unite to oppose tyranny, miracles happen.  Let's all celebrate this 250th Anniversary of the miracle that we are privileged to enjoy.  (Photo of the Declaration of Independence copied from the National Archives.)

 Running a Bluff

I am a firm believer that "honesty is the best policy" but that seems to be a rare approach anymore.  We are constantly bombarded with stories of lies, deceit, and other examples of dishonesty.  Then there is all the propaganda which is more of the same.  It is somewhat disheartening.

Much of the deceit is to cover other dishonesty.  At other times it is a means of trickery aimed at acquiring wealth by taking advantage of the unwary or gullible.  There seems to be no end to telemarketing and text scams.

There are other times that deceit is used as a means of protection.  Fake security systems are sometimes thought to deter thieves.  Militaries often use deceit such as nets to cover weaponry, camouflage to hide or chaff to throw off a missile.  Like most things, deceit can be used for good or for bad.

Deceit is common in nature.  The large spots on a butterfly's wings are imitations of the eyes of a much larger creature.  They are meant to deceive predators.  Coloration designed to blend in with the surroundings is another means of protective deceit that is common to most animals, insects, birds and plants.

Yesterday we had a Tan Jumping Spider (Platycryptus undatus) watching us from the porch rail.  Normally they are found hidden under loose bark on trees.  I think the color patterns of their camouflage is spectacular.