Nature
2026-10-02Blue Ginger and an Amphibian Admirer
I was admiring the blue ginger (technically not a true ginger but Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, a Brazilian relative of our old familiar native wildflower called Spiderwort ) that...
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This and that
Nature
2026-09-19Green Tree-frog
Ever get that feeling someone is watching you? He’s on the window but more interested in the insects attracted to the light from it at night. I need to clean that window, but...
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2026-09-07Hand Grenades
uIt’s that time of year. My little hand grenade pineapples are ripening and this time I beat the raccoons and opossums to them. Hooray!These are easy to grow. Every time you...
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2026-09-03Waspville
This very large wasp is apparently what is called an Eastern Cicada Killer; I say apparently because this was the hairiest one I have ever seen, and I know that there are such...
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2026-08-17One of the Tropical Orb Weavers
This is a young orb weaver that sports a startling neon green spot on its back. It’s the first I have seen here, probably because during the day this type of spider sleeps in...
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2026-08-10In Praise of Rain
Rain, at last! And, I am not the only one glad to feel it come pattering, or even pounding down. Once we recover from the drought, and the ground gets saturated enough for...
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2026-07-23Snatch it from my hand, Grasshopper.
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, also known as Romalea microptera.There was an outbreak of these large, flightless native grasshoppers at the studio this year. Usually, there are...
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2026-07-23Nuke it from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure!
My wedelia ground cover nightmare
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2026-07-20Wild Grapes
Well, the wild grapes, or muscadines, as some call them, aren’t yet ripe - but they are filling out. They should be ripe, and very juicy, sometime in early August. I’ve...
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