Dusting

Of course, the camera batteries died when I needed them most. So, I missed the shot where the crop duster looked like he was going to go right through the bedroom windows, taking my scalp in the process. This is all you get.

Every few years, when the beetles are out of control by normal means, the crop dusters come and spray the fields that are most effected. I am always amazed at both their skill in flying, and at the precision of their application. They navigate around power lines, buildings, fence rows, and trees--sometimes in very tight spaces. The equipment they use, along with some way cool GPS technology that puts Garmin to shame, allows them to spray exactly where they want, and nowhere else. I wouldn't want to be in the field when they come by, but the garden next to the end rows is safe. It was quite a hoot to watch the kids running around shrieking and falling to the ground when he roared over them.

Makes me want to watch Pancho Barnes again. *sigh*

Swallows

Part of the appeal of living in the country, for me at least, is all of the accidental delights that bring joy to the ordinary. One of those delights is the Barn Swallow population here on the farm. I love their acrobatic swooping around my head when I'm mowing. And I love their neighborly chattering as they gather on the fence row and the gutters outside my office window. Their back and wings are the most beautiful shimmering dark blue. And they eat mosquitoes too! I especially love how the little babies silently spy on you as you walk under their nests in the barn. Those in the picture above are almost ready to set off on their own.
I will miss them when winter comes.

Musing on Mowing

I am really, really, really getting tired of mowing. Normally, by the beginning of August, the lawn starts looking crispy and thin; and I can get away with only cutting the grass every 2 weeks or so. Not this year. I'm still mowing every week; and the grass is still lush and green. Don't get me wrong--I'm happy for the grass. After 7 years, it's finally starting to look more like a lawn, and less like a bean field. We've had fewer thistles, and no puff ball, mutant mushrooms this year. The crab grass, dandelions, and other weeds I can live with because they are green and mow just like the grass. But my spleen is tired of getting bounced around for several hours every week and I'm ready for frost.

Last night, in an effort to break up the monotony, I carried my camera with me. Aside from the blast of adrenaline when the camera bounced off and almost got mowed (thankfully, the strap got caught on one of the levers, saving it inches from the blades), I think it was a success. Here are a few of the shots.

Chinese Mantid

Lots of berries right now-red, white, and blue!

"I'm hiding. You can't see me!"

Hyssop-I really need to plant more of this. The bees and butterflies love it.

Sedum-Purple King, maybe?

Liz, I know the challenge was for our town, but I thought I'd start with just my yard. How'd I do? :)

Inordinate Fondness

"The Creator, if he exists, has an inordinate fondness for beetles."`JBS Haldane*

And just for scale:

I really need a camera with a macro lens. 

I have not the first clue as to what these are, but the I-can't-help-myself part of me wants to find out. They'll probably turn out to be something hideous and itchy. Shall we?**

*Please do not mistaken my quoting Haldane as agreement with him in general, or even in part. I just think the quote is funny.

**Further research has revealed that these are eggs from the Spined Soldier Bug, one of the True Bugs (as opposed to an insect mistakenly called a bug). They are predatory stink bugs. I am going to put them back outside so they can help eat the Japanese Beetles that are turning my Porcelain Vine into lace.

Palm Pilot*

*Any resemblance to any gizmo living or dead is purely coincidental. No similarity to any gizmo living or dead is intended or should be inferred.

What I am about to share will put you in the category of "smarter than the average bear". At the very least, it will earn bonus points for you with your nephews.
I am going to teach you how to tell time with a stick.

Long before Timex came along, the cavemen still needed some sort of gadget to tell them what time it was so that they wouldn't miss their favorite programs on TV. They would pull their hand out of the pocket of their saber-tooth overalls, stab a stick through it, then go and watch "As the World Revolves" or" CSI: Pangea", depending on what time it was. This was the first pocket watch model available. Later models required fewer trips to the ER, but were more likely to get lost.

What you need:

• A straight stick (string will work too)
• Your hand
• Sunlight
• A little old fashioned know-how

What you must know first:

• Which way is North?
• Your latitude (Chicago is at 42*N, Seattle is at 47*N, and Miami is at 25*N)

 What to do:

• Stand in the sunshine.
• Hold your hand level with your palm facing upward.
• Grasp the stick with your thumb.
• Hold the stick so that it is at the same angle as your latitude (near Chicago it would be close to 45*)-on a sundial, the sticky-up part that casts the shadow is called a gnomon.
• Point the stick directly North. 
• In the morning, use your left hand and point your fingers west. In the afternoon, use your right hand and point your fingers east. (If you don't know whether it's morning or evening, what are the odds that you'll care about making a sundial with your hand?)
• Note where the shadow falls on your hand. Use the chart below to determine the time.
• If you can't see the stick, it's time to go home.

Of course, some of this is relative to your hand size, as well as the seasonal cycle and adjustements for Daylight Savings Time.
For greater accuracy allowing for hand size, take a day and physically mark out the hours on your own hand. The best time of year to do this is one of few days where no correction is necessary (use the graph below). I know it gets a little technical, but the graph below shows the appropriate corrections to make to your sundial given the time of year. The Equation of Time is universal. Latitude and time zone don't matter.

Can you tell about what time it is in the photo below?

If you're trying to catch a plane, I recommend that you stick with your Blackberry or iTouch. If you want to impress your hiking buddy, then your very own Palm Pilot is the way to go.

Conversely, if you know what time it is, you can use this app (ha!) to determine direction. Simply line up the stick's shadow with the matching time position on your hand and it will be pointing North.

Well, it looks like it's about time for "Ace of Caves". See you later.