Awaiting Inspiration

There are days when inspiration seems elusive.  Often it is due to distractions such as things on your mind that are troubling or perhaps a restless night.  At other times it is as though your mind shuts down and refuses to be creative.

It seems that I have run out of recent photographs that I wish to use on this blog, so I spent some time this morning digging a little further back into some older ones.  The one below is from October of last year.  It is of a Green Anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis) which is common throughout the southeastern U.S.  The photo was taken near Bellville, Texas.

I frequently see lizards.  Most are skittering quickly out of the way into a place of hiding.  The Anoles seem to be much less shy and accommodate human presence more readily.   Many are able to walk up a vertical surface as easily as they walk across the floor.  Like many lizards, their coloration can morph through a spectrum.  In this case, they range from bright green to a dull brown mostly determined by their location and surroundings.

The ability to change color in order to blend with surroundings has inspired scientists to attempt replication of that ability for use in human applications such as the military.  Becoming somewhat invisible through use of coloration and stillness can be useful for hiding from enemies.

It's amazing what we can learn from nature.  Scientists from many disciplines work with chemists and engineers to mimic what occurs in various species -- both plant and animal.  Writers also borrow from those behaviors -- especially in fantasy and science fiction.  I guess I was inspired after all.

 

 Faster Than Sight

Can you imagine flapping your arms as fast as a Hummingbird's wings?  Can you imagine a mechanical model doing the same?  The friction alone would wear it out in a very short time.  The engine that drove it would have to be tiny but very powerful.

Think about how minute changes in the wing surfaces of a Hummingbird allow it to move in any direction with amazing agility.  The control necessary to keep from dashing itself into an object or the ground is astounding. (I'm running out of "superlatives" here.)  It is essentially fueled by sugar water.

Starch is the most abundant source of energy in the human diet.  It is a polymer of glucose which is a monosaccharide, one of the simplest forms of sugar.  It is created within plants to store energy by bonding multiple glucose molecules.

Most table sugar and sugar added to foods is sucrose which is another simple sugar.  It is concentrated in plants such as sugarcane and sugar beets to such extent that it can be easily extracted commercially.  It is often victimized as the source of obesity in humans.  It really isn't the sugar's fault; it is ours because we eat too much of it and don't burn those calories off.  Sugar is pure fuel to our bodies.  If we don't burn it, we store it as fat.

If we burned energy at the same rate as a hummingbird we probably couldn't consume enough of it.  Instead, we invent things to save labor and in that saved time we consume more sugar.  It seems crazy to me that we buy riding lawnmowers to save labor and then pay for gym memberships to burn off calories.  I think a better solution would be to flap our arms faster.

My wife caught a number of great pictures of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) at the feeder this week.  The photo below intrigued me because the wings were beating so fast, they were essentially invisible to the eye.

 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.

 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.

 Food Security

I read an Opinion piece this morning regarding Open Borders and the heavy migration of people from South and Central America up through Mexico that focused on the New World Screwworm (NWS).  Southern Mexico has been the focus of containing the NWS since its eradication in regions north many years ago.  The column indicated that the barrier was broken by the Cartels who moved both people and livestock northward through that barrier as authorities "looked the other way" due to potential violence and many bribes.

The cattle carrying the NWS were "legitimized" by being placed in Feedyards and on ranches in Mexico.  It was a way of laundering money for the Cartels.  The barrier holding back the NWS was destroyed through that illegal movement of livestock.

The result was that new reservoirs of the NWS were created across northern Mexico which is home to millions of cattle.  Summer winds, wildlife movement and other factors pushed the NWS across the border into Texas.

We will be unable to stop the spread of NWS unless we can stop the Cartels from laundering money through illegal movement of cattle and other livestock into northern Mexico.  Until that is eliminated, reservoirs of the fly will remain just across the border, providing the source of movement despite closing the border to the entry of live cattle into the U.S.

Food Security is National Security.  The NWS threatens a highly pressured segment of our food supply in the impact it has on cattle production.  The opinion expressed by the Columnist was that Border Security, elimination of the Cartels which engage in drug and human trafficking and elimination of their ability to launder money through illegal movement of livestock is a critical component of securing the U.S. against further spread of NWS.

Food Security has been an issue for humans since the beginning of time.  It can be at the individual, family, community or country level.  It was a serious issue for early pioneers as they founded homesteads and towns in their westward movement across the North American Continent.  An interesting example of one solution was to turn the corn and grapes that they raised into alcoholic products that wouldn't spoil.  Those could then be traded to others for food.

Whiskey was a primary way to store corn produced in the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee and Wine provided a way to capture the proteins and carbohydrates from grapes harvested wild in those same environments.  Human ingenuity at its finest.

We have wild Muscadine Grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) growing in the woods on our place.  I doubt that I will be making any wine from them, but I am happy to see them thriving.  With the way things look in this old world, food security might again become a primary issue to individuals.

 Scratching the Itches

We live in an area where there are many plants, insects and arachnids that attack on a regular basis.  Poison ivy, poison oak, chiggers, ticks, spiders -- they seem to be everywhere.  Since the first warming rays of the Spring sun caused the tender shoots of poison ivy to grow, I have itched.  Working in the woods to clean up the brush exposes me to all of the above.  Scratching those itches happens because the irritation overcomes the will to ignore.

Chiggers may be the worst.  Sometimes all it takes is to walk through the grass for the tiny creatures to find purchase and work their way to a point where they can bite.  One of their favorite places to hide is in or near berry bushes.  Picking dewberries or blackberries is a sure way to gather a few.

They latch on to the skin and feed, but you don't know they are there until they drop off.  That's when the itching begins.  They leave behind enzymes as well as the mechanical damage of their feeding probe that are attacked by the immune system.  That's when the itching begins.  Scratching can cause bacterial infections that then make it even worse.  The skin becomes more inflamed, and it often takes weeks for the red spots to fade.

Deep Woods Off with Deet is a good way to prevent or at least to reduce the number of chiggers that make it to your skin.  That or completely avoiding grass and woodland areas are really the only way to evade them.

There are many things that remind me of chiggers.  Small annoyances often become serious problems if allowed to continue.  It is best to prevent such things, but if they occur, they should be dealt with promptly rather than allowed to fester.  Such things happen in families, with friends, at work and any other place we encounter "irritations" that are unresolved.  Sometimes they remain because we fail to deal with them -- such as a loose shingle, or a broken screen, or a rattle in the car.  Learn to deal with them promptly.  Don't put them off.  Scratch the itch, but better yet, treat it or prevent it.

The Black-eyed Susans pictured below are growing wild in one of those parts of our place where the chiggers like to live.  I thought the photo was worth the risk of the itch anyway.

 River Cooter

The name "cooter" is thought to have derived from the African word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinke languages which is "kuta."  It is thought that early Africans brought to the Southeast as Plantation labor used the name to describe various turtles in the swamps, ponds and rivers near where they labored.

Growing up in an area far from that of the Plantations but influenced through the westward migration after the Civil War, I heard the term "drunker than Cooter Brown" more than once in my most impressionable years.  I never questioned where the term might have originated but in researching the name of a turtle found on our place I learned.

One version of the legend states that in Southern Louisiana at the start of the Civil War lived a half-Cherokee, half-African man on a small plot of land given to him by an old Cajun fur trapper.  He lived as a free man in the cabin left on the land by the old trapper.  When war broke out Cooter didn't want to choose sides because he didn't know who might win and besides, he didn't much like people at all.  He was a heavy drinker and the situation caused him to drink even more heavily.

Cooter always dressed in native American clothing to further establish that part of his heritage and add protection against being taken as an escaped slave.  When soldiers of either side came across him during their forays through the country, they would find him drunk and he would usually share a drink with them.  He became known as that crazy drunk Cooter Brown.

By the end of the war Cooter couldn't have stopped drinking had he wanted to.  It is believed that he died one night when his cabin caught fire and the amount of alcohol in his blood caused his body to be completely consumed.  Since that time, being "drunker than Cooter Brown" was considered an appropriate description for anyone who was highly inebriated.

I guess Cooter was named after a turtle.  We have River Cooters (Pseudemys concinna) living on our small piece of Texas.  Most of the time they remain in the pond but occasionally one will wander.

 In Disguise

There are many who claim that during the Cold War, the Soviet Union placed "sleeper agents" among U.S. citizens that were able to blend in and appear completely non-threatening to the general population and who were unidentifiable by government agencies.  Their role was to blend in, hidden, until needed for some type of covert, or overt action against the country.  They quietly lived what appeared to be a normal life until or unless, activated.

It was the ultimate disguise.  Your best friend might be a foreign agent, and you would never know it.

Some might claim the same is happening today although the powers behind such actions are different.  Your next-door neighbor might not be as benign as they appear.

I have no desire to stir up fear, merely to create an illustration of behavior that was developed by mimicking behaviors that are common in nature.  The cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, so it doesn't have to rear the young.  Other behaviors are more overtly parasitic in nature where one species lives directly off of another.

Dasymutilla bioculata, in the photograph below, is commonly known as a Velvet Ant.  This one was passing near our fire pit the other night and I was able to take the picture.  Velvet Ants are actually a parasitic wasp.  Notice that its coloration is similar to some of the paper wasps which are common here.  They lay their eggs inside the cocoons of other wasps.  Upon hatching they frequently kill their hosts.  Their stings are extremely painful.

 Homemade

Do you ever think about how we learned to do so many things?  I spent some time the other day researching how to make paper.  It stemmed from reading a book in which one of the characters made their own paper and ink to draw and illustrate plants.  I will likely attempt it at some point, but it looks like a lot of work.

I wonder if early paper was conceived by watching wasps build their nests.  There are over 1100 species of paper wasps around the world, so it is quite possible that primitive man sought to reproduce the material that comprised wasp nests.

Rock, wood and vellum (animal skin or membrane) were likely the first writing or drawing surfaces for primitive artists and calligraphers.  Around 3,000 BC the Egyptians developed a process of making paper from the papyrus plant.  It was commonly used for thousands of years until replaced by thinner, smoother sheets made from milled plant and wood fibers in a process thought to have been developed in the Han Dynasty of early China around 20-220 AD.  Because it provided a better writing surface it spread westward and became widely adopted by the Islamic world by the 8th Century.  It was another 300 years before it spread to Europe where it replaced the use of animal skins.

Papermaking continues to improve even today with the addition of plastics as well as more advanced fiber processing.  Adding a wax coating to paper allows its use for drinking cups or straws that are completely biodegradable, unlike plastic based coatings.

Paper wasps construct their nests with fibers pulled from dead wood and other dried, fibrous plant material.  The fibers are chewed and mixed with saliva before being pasted into the familiar umbrella-shaped nests filled with chambers for raising the next generation.

The wasp in the photo is stripping wood fiber from some oak firewood.

 Mid-Air Refueling

Hummingbirds are amazing creatures.  We planted Texas Lantana and Texas Sage specifically to attract them and the butterflies.  A couple of the Lantanas are in beds which front our porch where we have a couple of rocking chairs that allow us to enjoy the beautiful weather we have been experiencing.  We sometimes sit there watching birds and using the Merlin app on our phones to help us identify them by their calls.  We also hope for the tiniest of winged visitors to helicopter in for a quick sip of nectar from the flowers.

The Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the most common out of the 363 species found across the Americas. (For a great list of 10 Interesting facts, click here.)  I was fortunate a couple of days ago to have phone camera in hand when one made a brief re-fueling stop.  The buzz of wings sounded like a giant bumblebee as the tiny, winged blur dropped in for his snack.

How can such a high-energy consumer drink enough nectar in tiny sips to keep its body fueled?  It is no wonder they always seem to be in a hurry, dashing from flower to flower for quick a caloric boost before moving on.  Unlike bees and other pollinators, they don't lite upon the flowers but delicately partake of their meal without touching other than with their beak and tongue.

I wonder if engineers got the idea for mid-air refueling from watching hummingbirds.

 Preconceptions

As we sat on the patio yesterday during a break from our yardwork, I noticed what I thought was a beetle land on one of the tomato plants.  I watched him a moment then decided to take his picture to see if I could identify what he was.  He was rather unique looking, but I feared he would start munching on the leaves and if that was the case he would find his life span shortened significantly.

It was identified by iNaturalist as a Black Firefly (Lucidota atra).  That gave me pause because fireflies are supposed to fly at night -- hence the name.  It turns out this particular species is diurnal (likes the daylight).  It preys on soft-bodied invertebrates such as snails and slugs.  That makes him one of the good guys.

I have to admit that I judged him prematurely.  I thought he was there to attack the tomatoes, and I was prepared to take immediate action.  We do that about a lot of things -- prejudge.  It is because our crazy minds are wired to defend against things we have been conditioned to see as potential danger.  These preconceptions can be useful but can also cause behavior that is harmful.  That Firefly was a beneficial that would have fallen to my preconceptions had I not paused to learn a little more about it.

One of the things that sets humans apart from animals is the ability to override the wiring in our DNA and use reason.  That ability to reason opens doors of understanding.  This world needs a lot more understanding.

 On The Shelf

Being put on the shelf can be a good thing or it can be a signal that utility has diminished.

We have all heard of "Top Shelf" items such as a valuable Crystal Bowl, or for some, a high-dollar bottle of Bourbon.  It's also where one might place objects they wish to admire such as photos of loved ones.  Maybe it's an old Cream Pitcher that a great-grandmother used which once held cream separated by her own hands that ended up on great-grandfather's oatmeal.  Whatever it might be, it is held in a place of honor.

We have also heard the term used in a less honoring way such as when one is "put on the shelf" which connotes that they are no longer needed for service.  This happens to older employees who are given a watch and a plaque as they are retired.  It is a symbolic way of telling them they are no longer needed.

Life is a series of cycles, all of which fit into the larger cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth.  In nature, death is followed by resurrection as the nutrients are broken down and then utilized by plants, animals, insects and other living things such as fungi.  If your view of life is simply that of the natural cycles, then that is what you have to look forward to.  My view is that is what will happen to our physical body and if you have never experienced a Spiritual Birth, that will be the end.

Stereum fasciatum is a fungus that colonizes dead trees.  It is a "shelf fungus" and clearly signals the end as it breaks down the wood into its component nutrients.

 Aggressive Home Invaders

Yesterday was tree trimming day around our place.  We have several large Sweetgum trees that needed some shaping up.  One of them contained a birdhouse which I had not seen any birds approach.

We've only been here since mid-January and things like the undesirable branches and the birdhouse were left by our predecessor for the new owners to handle.  There are a couple of other birdhouses, one of which was featured in a previous post with a nest of baby Eastern Bluebirds in it.  No birds would come near the birdhouse hanging in the Sweetgum tree.

I decided that since the birds didn't like the birdhouse in question, I would remove it from its prominent place.  After trimming limbs which had grown near it, I unhooked it from its perch and let it drop to the ground.  I quickly found out why the birds avoided it as a number of red paper wasps came boiling out of it in search of something to blame for their short drop and abrupt stop.

After batting the most persistent of them away with my sweaty cap, they learned to keep their distance from me but continued to remain in the neighborhood.  Wasp stings are not something I desire and when younger, would react somewhat severely to them.  Needless to say, I was wary of the tiny, winged warriors as I completed my task of trimming the tree.

In recent years there have been numerous stories of home invaders in the news.  I find it disturbing that someone would think it is an acceptable thing to do.  As I think about it though, I realize it is simply animal behavior.

In nature it is not uncommon for animals to occupy burrows created by other animals (think Rattlesnake in a Prairie Dog hole).  Animals will slip into a temporarily unoccupied den and then defend it by force.  In this world of increasingly animal-like behavior by humans I suppose it was only a matter of time that such things as home invasion and adverse occupation would occur.

Below are a couple of photos of the birdhouse in question.  The first shows the entire house while in the second you can see the dislodged Paper Wasp nest resting on the bottom.

Fear vs. Knowledge

We sometimes fear things that we know to be harmful.  Through past experiences or, perhaps, through study, we learn -- we expand our knowledge -- regarding that thing and acknowledge it is potentially harmful.  Knowledge helps us to know how best to respond.

There are many things, however, that we fear due to ignorance or misperception.  We are wired (my term for our genetic inheritance) for fight or flight.  It might be as simple as public speaking or as complex as using a computer for the first time.  In the case of speaking, it is fear of appearing foolish or of failing to make a positive impression.  In the case of the computer, it is fear of breaking it.

One of the things most people grow up with is a fear of snakes.  That fear is societally programmed into us and likely wired into us.  Some snakes can be deadly and if you don't know what kind of snake you are dealing with it is best to err on the side of caution.

Snakes play a beneficial role in nature.  They are especially adept at managing the population of many pests.  Rodents are a primary source of sustenance for many species whereas insects play a significant role in the diet of others.  Even those species of snakes which are potentially deadly due to their venom can play an important role if they are respected and given space.

My grandfather's barn had a workshop just inside the main door, and Grandpa always threw junk scrap metal in one corner at the end of his workbench.  It was on an outside wall and in time, a rattlesnake made that scrap pile its home.  I knew about it as long as I can remember.  Until I was old enough to understand the danger, Grandpa wouldn't let me go into the shop alone.

He didn't have any rodents in the shop thanks to that snake.

After Grandpa died and we were cleaning his shop that snake played an interesting role in a story I will relate at a later time.

Learn about snakes.  They are interesting creatures and provide an important service.

Below is a Western Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) pictured both coming and going.  He was resident in a small woodpile we moved.  I don't think he was happy that we discovered his hiding place but there are plenty of others to which he can relocate.  Rat Snakes are interesting in that they often winter in shared dens with other species of snakes -- especially Copperheads and Timber Rattlers which are both poisonous.

 Is It a Weed?

Green Antelope Horn Milkweed (Asclepias viridis) is an important plant for the Monarch Butterfly.  The Monarchs reproduce in the southern U.S. in late summer when the plant is tough.  The problem is that they prefer tender leaves which provide food for the caterpillar stage.

Many ranchers see the Milkweed as just that -- a weed.  It is often targeted along with other weeds that compete with the grasses for grazing.  In many areas, although the Antelope Horn is a perennial, their presence is declining due to the use of herbicides for the control of all non-grass species growing in pastures.

For those ranchers who utilize mechanical means, such as mowing to control pasture weeds, the Antelope Horn and Monarchs can benefit.  Mow in July so that there will be new, fresh growth of the Antelope Horn in August when the Monarchs arrive and are looking for places to reproduce.

Any plant can be considered a weed.  The definition of a weed is any plant growing where it is not wanted.  Competition between plants for limited resources is a critical issue for ranches -- especially during drought conditions.

The way ranchers choose to control weeds is generally an economic decision.  Often, chemical means are the most effective and the most cost effective.  Many weeds are a sign of overgrazing.  They colonize where the grasses have died due to drought and inadequate leaf cover -- not enough left standing.  Without the standing forage, the heat and drought conditions can kill the roots, creating bare areas.  When the rains come, forbs -- weeds mostly -- are the first plants to return.  Reducing weeds allows more grass to be produced.  It is something of a balancing act that requires careful attention to maintain soil health and a healthy balance of the plants growing.  Those factors then determine the level of grazing that can be healthily maintained.

When you add the desire to retain habitat for species such as the Monarch Butterflies, the equation becomes more complex.  Despite the bad reputation they often receive, most ranchers wish to see nature thrive and work to maintain healthy land and pastures.  For those who have areas where the Antelope Horn is established, they can use mechanical means only for weed control while utilizing the more effective chemical means in places that don't contain critical species.  Summer mowing would open the canopy for late season growth while stimulating re-growth of the milkweed prior to the needs of the butterflies.

 Rising Mists

This morning as I watch the mists rising from the pond my mind twists with two forces pulling my thoughts; one is the scientific explanation that the water is warmer than the air this morning and the second is the simple, poetic beauty of rising mists.  The mists become a curtain hiding the surface where unknown dangers might lurk.

I sometimes think there is a war between reason and fantasy being fought within our minds.  Reason is based in our desire to understand and control where fantasy is rooted in our understanding that we are not in control but ride the currents of a reality that is beyond comprehension.  In the world of reason, we are limited to what we deem to be real.  The world of fantasy is unlimited -- unbounded by what we know or can imagine.  In it the unexpected is expected.

What is it that drives our tendency to fantasize?  Is it disappointment or disillusionment with reality or is it something calling us to reach beyond the circumstances that bind us to place and time?  

I think reality and fantasy are linked.  Fantasy -- imagination -- is what allows us to discover and understand the amazing and marvelous reality that surrounds us.  Our mind asks, "what if?" before it seeks new paths of understanding.  We are wired to crave knowledge and that wiring creates pathways to exploration of the unknown.

Yesterday we took a short walk simply to look at the various plants we could find growing around our property.  Our focus is on identifying those foreign to our soil and those which are native.  We identify and decide whether to remove or retain and encourage.

Growing in the ditch along our county road we encountered a small cluster of Pink Ladies (Oenothera speciosa).  They are also known as the Evening Primrose.  They are native to Texas and often seen along roadsides.  Identifying these plants is part of our quest for knowledge but it also provides fodder for the imagination.  Perhaps they are really fairies in pink skirts dancing in the wind.

Encouragement Matters

 Everyone faces times of doubt.  It may be that we feel unprepared or perhaps unworthy.  In times like those it is always nice to receive encouragement.  Hopefully, there will be a mentor there to encourage you in those times of doubt.

Sometimes encouragement can take other forms.  Creating opportunity for others is a form of encouragement.  It may be a bit more subtle but helping to create that small space where someone can find a niche in which to fit is encouraging to their growth.  They may not always recognize your contribution, but as they thrive in that new role or activity, they will remember that you were there.

We have numerous Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) that grace our place.  Watching them flit from branch to ground in search of food is one of the enjoyable moments of the day.  They feel comfortable enough around us that they have nested and raised a brood.  Yesterday we took a quick peek to see how they were doing.  You can even see the blue tint to the feathers already.  Encouraging them to nest was simply a matter of providing the space -- both in the form of a nesting box and leaving them alone to fulfill their purpose.

 Adaptability

Most of us adapt in some form or another to the environment in which we live.  If you are single, you form habits and idiosyncrasies that reflect a lifestyle of filling time the way you would choose without worrying about what someone else might need or desire.  Likewise, if married or some other form of joint living arrangement, you adapt to accommodate the needs of others.

The same occurs in the work environment.  Company culture is important and over time employees find ways to fit into that culture or they leave.

We are adaptable creatures.

Adaptability is crucial in nature.  Plants, animals and insects find ways to adapt to the environment and sometimes develop specialized adaptations that cause them to appear strange.  We sometimes wonder why the giraffe has such a long neck until we learn that they browse on the highest leaves of trees where the shoots are tender.  Mosquitos are a creature that we all love to hate yet their specially adapted proboscis allows them to feed on the blood of mammals.  Moths have long tongues that enable them to reach nectar deep within a flower.  The list is as long as there are varieties of species.

Yesterday I came across an Eastern leaf-footed bug (Leptoglossus phyllopus) on one of the thistles growing at the edge of our property.  I almost missed him thinking it was a small piece of plant debris perched on the fading flower of the thistle.  As I looked more closely, I could see the white line across its back as well as the strange, leaf-shaped growths on the rear legs.  I couldn't imagine the purpose of that particular shape, so I turned to Google for answers as usual.  It is speculated that they aid in battle over females.  I suppose it could be reminiscent of a Klingon battle axe and might be used as both a shield and a weapon.  

The bug is not one to encourage because it causes damage to plants and is resistant to pesticides.  They are destructive to many food plants including fruit trees and vegetables.  I thought it was very photogenic though.

 Flashy Visitor

Many of the winged visitors to our small acreage are migratory.  They stop briefly for a meal and a drink and maybe rest a few days before continuing on their journey north or south depending on the season.  Others are somewhat permanent and spend much of the year in the area.

A couple of days ago my attention was drawn to a very small visitor, but I don't know if he was a permanent resident or just passing through.  I did some research on him to see if I might determine what he did and whether he was a productive member of society but could find very little information that might shed light other than he was attracted to Passionflowers.  To my knowledge, we don't have such on our place.

You may have heard of Passionfruit and perhaps even tried some.  It seems there are around 550 species in the genus, and they are scattered around the world.  They are known primarily for their beautiful flowers.  It is possible we have some Passion vines on our place, but as of now, I don't know.  The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center indicates that Passion vines are found in Texas, so I suspect we have some.

 The tiny visitor to which I am referring is the Passionflower Flea Beetle (Disonycha discoidea).  He's a flashy little critter but I had never seen one before that I recall.  I suspect he can consume a large quantity of leaf for such a small size.

 Trusting Your Own Judgment

The majority of the time I trust my own judgement.  I have the confidence that I know enough to make a choice and so I do it.  There are other times I "phone a friend" or ask the advice of someone with whom I have previously associated with and trust.  There are times, though, when nothing will satisfy me but an expert and then I have doubts.

I am not one to order mushrooms at a restaurant.  If they come with a dish I don't pick them off or send the plate back, but I just am not a fan.  I know they have nutritional value and many kinds of mushrooms are highly valued for their flavor.  I would rather have my steak with a little salt and maybe some butter, but you can leave off the mushrooms.

Mushrooms, toadstools and other fungi do interest me.  I smile upon seeing a "fairy ring" growing in the yard, or fantastic growths on the side of a rotting log.  I almost always stop and look at mushrooms.  Maybe I'm looking for the fairly or elf taking shelter beneath its cap, or maybe I just find them to be so alien to me that I am intrigued.

I use a phone application called iNaturalist for identifying plants, insects, reptiles and yes, fungi.  Yesterday I noticed an interesting dark yellow cap poking through the soil near our fire pit and snapped a photo to determine what it was.  It identified as the Yellow American Blusher (Amanita flavorubens) which is an edible mushroom.  The problem is that it is in the Amanita genus which contains a number of lethally poisonous mushrooms.  If you aren't an expert mycologist, don't take a chance with this one.  If you are, bon appetite!