Friday, December 25, 2009
Another Christmas, Another Linderia columnata
Monday, December 07, 2009
Art Basel, Miami, sort of...
Sunday, November 29, 2009
This is Not a Mid-Life Crisis; This is Thanksgiving
Gio and I made an excursion to O'leno park where we visited the mysterious water-filled sinks covered in duckweed. These sinks are part of the Santa Fe river which travels underground, emerges nearby and eventually joins the Suwannee River.
We saw a lovely little blue heron that contrasted with the intense green duckweed. I scrambled along the steep banks (some over 10 feet high) to get a photo, but the little blue protested my attempts.
Gio was introduced to our competetive badminton matches and put up a pretty good fight. He then challenged Buckley and Lula to a version of badminton that only Gio understands.
Our next daytrip was to Paynes Prairie just south of Gainesville. Paynes Prairie is a savanna drained by a system of sinkholes. In the past, the sinkholes became blocked and it transformed into a large lake which eventually drained, stranding boats on dry ground. The boats are gone, but if you're lucky you can see descendants of DeSoto's horses and bison that were reintroduced in the 1970's. It was here that Gio got to check one beast off his wish list.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
How to Restore Peace to a Stump
A new sign appeared on the stump. It was getting under my skin until I made my very own sign. I feel my sign conveys a happier future... one with lots of ice cream.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sam Rivers and the Rivbea Orchestra
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Sisters and Satchel's Pizza
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Again, Technical Difficulties...
I could describe in agonizing detail how one fine day I was mowing the lawn with my tired old Craftsman mower when suddenly it started making a hideous noise followed by a thick malodorous grey smoke belching from the exhaust, then stopped operating. I tried to turn it over, but more smoke poured out and finally the engine turned into a block of molten metal. The photo might show the mower meeting its smokey demise amongst the pear trees.
Two weeks later, Charles and I drove down to Sebring to pick up a John Deere F725 mower that I purchased on ebay. It required a couple of parts (fuel pump, ignitor), but I do believe that I got a very good deal. A suspiciously good deal. OK, maybe it is stolen, but the guy seemed nice and honest and grateful and he gave us pina coladas. I suggest that if you own a nice mower, such as the one in my barn, then consider locking it up. You might avoid a bidding war on ebay and actually earn the value of the mower if you set a reserve price. I hope this serves as my confession and that all my lawn mowing and ebay sins will be forgiven. The photo would be of the F725 parked amongst the fig trees.
I also planned on finally revealing Swilly River and all its teeming biodiversity. It's been an interesting 6 month experiment. I'm impressed by the number of fish, frogs, toads and insects that stormwater and bathwater support. The photo would show the meandering path of Swilly River.
I might have mentioned a couple of handsome chicks that hatched after losing four hens and a rooster to a coyote attack (there is a price to pay for having the freedom to range willy-nilly.) The photo would show two fuzzy chicks under the constant supervision of their mother.
For those of you not interested the the superficial distraction that I attempt to provide here, or if you are seeking more profundity, or more existential dilemmas, or maybe you are seeking more discussion about reproductive endocrinology then I would have reminded you: Cymande and I have been busy. The photo would be of two happy blastomeres.
Upon resolution of our technical difficulties all these topics and more will be explored appropriately. Until then you will just need to use your imagination. Lawn mowers, rivers, chicks, blastomeres...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Cash for Clunker
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Spanish Moss
Tillandsia usneoides