July

 June - JULY

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I've been taking this bar of Irish Spring soap with me when outdoors. Said to repel mosquitoes, I think I notice a reduction.

I might have to lower this one, a bit of a blockage for photography. Every solution creates a problem.

Meanwhile this one is about as high as I can get it, not as high as they recommend for squirrels. But, I have the chipmunks more in mind.

Project du jour, something I'd been procrastinating: squirrel/chipmunk baffles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NZRG279

My first 111 may not be as woohoo as the 77777 I was anticipating in the other car, but even without the implied leading zeroes any reading of such low mileage is going to excite me for a while. (Probably the lowest reading I ever had in my life was over 20k.)

Geez - I thought it was black!

Jul. 20

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Moon before sunset.

Jul. 19

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Grammar question. Is it just me or could this have been written better? That is, unless they really are Mormons.

Not that I don't make spelling/grammar errors, it just amused me.

House Wren, trying to take over the Bluebird house. Not so fast I say. 

  Jul. 18

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My first ever brand new car (left). Now I'll never see 77777 on the old one (right). I'm informed that's a silly reason to postpone the vehicle upgrade, though. Could be true.

Jul. 17

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Jul. 15

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Big and Little dippers. This is a combined image, it's not perfect by any means but it serves for ID. I wanted to see if the little dipper was in my fireflies photo, turns out it's only partially represented. Side notes: Sixty-odd years ago as a child in England, I didn't learn "big dipper", it was "the plough". Mind drifting back not quite so far in time but further north (Scotland): how clear and near it seemed. A 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ memory. Funny also that our local common luminescent beetle is known as the big dipper.

I recorded some but not all of the music at last night's open mic (Kent Lanes). Here is a playlist that, in time, will hopefully contain more than one of those songs. How nice to see and hear Linda Neiger and Eric again, welcome back you guys! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5x_IORwxg&list=PLdLC8TKWKGbE

Here in Ohio, our most common firefly is said to be "Photinus pyralis, also known by the common names the common eastern firefly or big dipper firefly, and sometimes called a lightning bug". I found this one in our porch.

This hue jumped out and grabbed me.

Citronella, a very small flower.

Jul. 14

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Jul. 13

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Detail of the shot below (used for Zoom background).

Almost midnight, more fireflies and star trails. Saturation boosted. I'll probably replace this if my buddy Dan removes the bogus red pixels and aircraft trails for me. 73 stacked images, essentially an almost 40 minute time-exposure.

Dan Gilbert's cleaned up version.

Found in the window deceased: Little Wood-Satyr. Hard to get this close when they're alive.
Two Bee Balm fans, both male.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The hindwing underside nails the ID.

I like the wing curvature, he didn't stop fluttering, my first Spicebush clue.

Spicebush Swallowtail

Jul. 12

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I'd been trying to get back in the habit as it's not long before the upcoming big one (77777). I'd set a reminder about this one then totally forgot to monitor it. But lo and behold, when I parked at my destination I looked and there it was, the anticipated symmetry!

So - 1510 miles to go (as of this picture). Assuming 45.2 miles daily average, in 33.4 days I'll hit the big one. Wow - that just could land on my birthday!!

Jul. 11

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Some photos from today and recent days.

My Joe Pye patch is slowly expanding, now taller than me and starting to flower.

I liked how the late afternoon sun was being selective with the Bee Balm patch.

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Jul. 9

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Star trails and fireflies last night, 84 stacked images (48 minutes). The bright one must be Jupiter.

Now I have an easy way to stack a lot of images I must do more star trails as last night was a bit cloudy. July 9 update: Dan Gilbert hopped it up a bit for me in Lightroom.

There was a video option which of course I had to try. Not so great.

Jesse Kelley's set gets me smiling (3 songs now included in playlist).

Me doing Goodle Days at open mic
That's the only one of my set that I'll share.

Playlist of the above and some other people songs (which may or may not have me on bass).

Catbird and jelly refill (video link)

Jul. 7 

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37 minutes of fireflies (lightning bugs). 

Jul. 6

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Finally! My first Monarch!

I think it could be a male, experts agree.

Jul. 5

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New air conditioner in!

Jul. 3

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June

 May - June - July 

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Deb Mallin's comment to my Ripple video which she shared on FB:

The second way that is a trend at this music venue is the selection of a song by an individual in which they may lead the performance, but are joined initially or as the music begins by some other musicians in the room to compliment the performance with their added music resource.

This style is oft the dynamic of Gareth Ridout at the mic...whereas he gets the song started but as he is quickly joined by a harp and keys element filling the spotlight, broadcasts in commoradory as well as specific soundings.

Clearly, there may be few finer examples of "community", when any/ everybody share the goal of delivering a song together in a way where everyone has a contribution AND everyone holds the grace for the others that come along in their shared endeavor to be better for the inclusion and mutual respect within the set.

Deal, with Ginny, Joey and Alex (me singing) Adam Malesky, Cowgirl In The Sand

Adam Malesky, Flag Decal song

Soulshine, Chris Crull.

Ripple, with Joey and Alex. (me singing)

Open mic!

Playlist, all of the above.

Red-headed woodpecker fledgling (my first of the year)

Jun. 30

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Let's see what I can do about that.

Chipmunk has no problem with the slinky. This is the pole supporting the Oriole feeder.

Jun. 29

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These birds have flown.
Phoebe update: they've all gone. Here's my last look at them this morning.

Jun. 28

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Fireflies: 14 stacked 30 second exposures between 11:30pm and midnight.

More pictures of birds etc.

Starting today that pole has a slinky on it. We'll see if it defeats the little rascals.

Sometimes I keep out-of-focus photos to use as Zoom backgrounds. In this shot the red-head was departing as the Oriole peered into the kitchen window (one beyond focus and one too near to focus). I like the Bee Balm too.

I wonder how much longer for those Phoebes.
Google tells me "16 to 20 days after hatching". Hatch day might have been June 10 or 11. Ergo it could happen anytime I suppose. I'm trying to avoid the porch, not wanting any premature freak-out-flight.

Here they are looking at me. Hopefully they're a little bit accustomed to seeing me.
Jun. 27

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Merged image of same Oriole coming in.

Yet another thing to make one a small bit un'appy with chipmunks.

Jun. 26

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Paul Hess - Powder Finger

I feel like I'm standing on my friends' shoulders as I reach for a saxophone fantasy.

Chris Crull and friends - Turn The Page

Jim Vickers

This one's a bit of an assembly as my phone's memory quit half-way through the song. Fortunately Rhonda shared her video which I was able to add in at the end. Pretty Peggy-O, one of my faves as done by the Grateful Dead. New edit of this one, June 26.

Joey Andrasik - Spiders On The Wall

Another good night of musical friends at Kent Lanes. After two weeks of failed attempts I got good audio from the board. Jun. 23

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Most of my BIFs (Bird In Flight) are out of focus - especially the red-head - but sometimes a blurry photo makes a nice Zoom background. This is a composite of two rapid-fire shots.

Catbird head shot

First-year Downy woodpecker has mastered the Hummingbird feeder

I put some mealworms out hoping the Phoebes would notice. No luck there but the Chipmunk did. Also the ants. So much for that grand idea. Jun. 22

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I wanted to see what it sounded like but most of it's not worth sharing. Geez, it's so much easier to aspire to play an instrument than it is to get down to the hard work of practicing.

I spy with my little eye...

Jun. 21

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Swamp MW roots after putting the cutting in water (I think it was Memorial day). With two other cuttings I did the hormone treatment in soil & they're still looking good.

Jun. 20

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I put some mealworms out for the Phoebe but so far this is the only interested customer. At least they didn't eat all the worms.

Having just exited my car I heard a bird I couldn't place so I quickly turned on the phone video. This is the first time I've seen an Osprey at my house and the first time ever hearing one! Sorry for the poor quality, don't know why it does that. (link to video with sound)

An 8-year FB memory.

"Is it international find-a-frog-at-work day? This little chap came out from under some lab equipment this morning. I hope he didn't steal any trade secrets."

(Susie told me it's actually a toad.)

I just found out my phone has a macro mode. I can't tell if their eyes are open yet, don't think so. Also can't tell if there are four or five, there were five eggs. I'm hoping to get the parents interested in mealworms, having read that they'll eat them live or dried. I got a bunch for the Bluebirds but they left after their first clutch.

Jun. 19

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Last night at open mic I made a bit of a mess of this Phoebe Snow song. Fortunately nobody recorded it. I had to see if I couldn't do better today. Still not making it public!

Sorry about the audio/video differences, I recorded it in the very un-photogenic kitchen. File under songs I have no business attempting.

Phoebes getting bigger

Not a particularly remarkable video clip but it's the first time I saw a hummingbird at that orange Oriole feeder. Trail-cam date is off by one day BTW.

Usually the trail-cam video mode kicks in after the parent has gone, but not in this case.

Jun. 17

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Another song, Joey Andrasik with me sitting in.

Here's one song from open mic.

Thanks to Paul Hess for joining me unrehearsed.

Exciting Yellow warbler action.

Jun.16

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Had to share this piano virtuoso.

Zooming with my brothers.

Music fun with my friends the Wayback Duo today. Thanks to Nick Shutey for the picture.

Defeating the chipmunks with hanging pots.

Jun. 14

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Catbird

Red-headed woodpecker incoming. Similar to a June 7 shot but a bit sharper, not bad for fixed-focus shooting through glass.

I really don't think this milkweed volunteer was there yesterday, and now it's a foot tall!

Another tenacious Milkweed. Too soon to call this a small victory but it makes me optimistic. This seedling has been dug up more than once and chomped off too (I assume by a chipmunk). Yesterday I noticed something new forming and today there's no doubt!

It looked like this (on the left) two days ago before that leaf totally dried up (and it got dug up again). Jun. 13

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Phoebe babies!

Jun. 11

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First female Hummingbird today, yay!

Jun. 10

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Open Mic at Kent Lanes with Virginia Lynn King and Jesse Kelley. (video not posted yet)

Yesterday's transplant not looking great today but I know better than to give up on it! Jun. 9

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Zoom call

Less than two weeks after pulling up a plant that was in the way, these appeared in almost the same spot.

June 8 update: relocated this little group to the east side of the ramp.

June 8 update: brightened the head a bit and brought back the watermark. It's hard to balance the dark head with the bright white feathers.

I don't think I was even looking through the viewfinder. I was trying to balance keeping out of sight with peering around the corner to know when to start shooting.
Jun. 7

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My car started stinking about a week ago. I found a mouse nest on the cabin filter. I thought I'd see if slices of peppermint gum would discourage them.

Jun. 6

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Possibly a MW I started in 2025? If so it's the only success of many attempts in the last couple of years. I don't remember how I got my established patch going but I suppose it had to be from a seedling.

Tenacious picture #4: new home and repaired crack. Now we wait.

Tenacious picture #3: I wasn't able to get much root. I dipped the bit I did get in rooting hormone before potting.

Tenacious picture #2: The crack wasn't wide enough to get the rhizome.

Jun. 5

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Tenacious picture #1

My *tenacious bandana-for-scale Milkweed is now over 18" tall and I'm thinking of trying to relocate it. My guess is the rhizome is running along the crack in the cement. Maybe I'll pull up the seal in hopes of getting the root out. I'd leave it be if it wasn't sort of in the way. Also, it would be great if it could start a new patch somewhere else. Relocating in-the-way plants has shown promise so far.

*Not sure that's the word I want. See tomorrow for update pics: one of the few plans I actually implemented, Oslo here we come!

Jun. 4

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A garden gnome and his milkweed patch.

The Redheaded Woodpecker talks. (Video link)

Jun. 3

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Video links:

It's All Over Baby Blue

Down To Seeds And Stems Again Blues

Kent Lanes Open Mic

Lucky shot of the day.  (But I was lying in wait for him to take the leap so I guess it wasn't all luck.)

Jun. 2

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Catbird video du jour

Jun. 1

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