G's Blog

Friday, August 1, 2025

August

July August 2025 September

With talk of solar activity and possible upcoming aurora action I thought I'd check in on sunspots.

The luminous Saam Cabot, at Cafe 14 where I was able to catch a few tunes today. I liked the way the light was playing on her mighty low A Cannonball baritone sax and had to snap a picture. Aug 31

Days with no sightings then 3 this morning on 3 separate plants. I like to think my missing small cat managed to find a nearby plant. This is a combined image with no attempt to match scale. Aug 30

Not a FB memory, it's a MySpace memory!!!
Maybe 20 years ago. The song I was suited up for? U.S. Blues no doubt.
Aug 28

Juvenile Red-headed woodpecker, starting to get a hint of red.

Aug 27

A memory from a friend, long long ago.

Aug 25

Another FB memory, my only Giant Swallowtail in living memory, five years ago today.
Aug 24

Together again. For a moment when the big one was munching on that slim part I thought for sure the little one was going to get excommunicated.

I thought I might spook it when I opened the window.
I think it heard the camera shutter but showed no sign of alarm.

Aug 23

Double-neck fever strikes again. (Continued on it's own blog page.)

Short-scale U-Bass might be perfect for the project.

U-Bass neck screwed on, bridge taped in place.

I'm amazed that the neck's bolt-holes lined up.

Once again the big one reappears to surprise me. First time in bright sunlight. Who knows, in a few weeks maybe a thousand miles away.
Aug 22

Seen in the yard today.

Fully loaded horn tree (adjusted and upgraded ).

Here's an unusual Downy woodpecker. *His red patch is bisected with black, I've never seen that with a young one like this (the patch being forward to the crown rather than back-of-head like an adult).

*I used to think the red crown patch was specific to young males but at least one person said young females could have it too.

Aug 20

Zoom call with brothers Nick & Edwin.

9mm. Yes, still getting stoned.

Aug 19

This morning there were two cats! First I'd seen of the little one. This evening they have their invisibility cloaks on.

Trying to catch the last of the splintered sunlight to break through the trees into my yard and onto the Goldenrod.

Aug 18

Stabilizer added to Horn Tree.

Another FB memory, 6 years ago, Akron's PorchROKR with Any Road band.

Aug 17

Possibly the last time I tried to take Nancy anywhere without a wheelchair. McConnell's Mill with Dad and brother Nick in 2019. When we were kids we used to go there for an Easter picnic.
Aug 16

When I couldn't get the bat shot I turned the camera around for this Ironweed.

A different spider. "Online" like the Assassin bug.

Aug 15

Symmetry doesn't usually happen in my driveway.

First picture of current lineup.

This is a combined image, one shot had a better face and one had better tentacles.

Note: this was shot in portrait mode, up is to the right. This amused me because the Monarch cat appears to be alerted when bombarded by own poop ... what the heck was that?!!! ... near the 7 second mark. This is on my patio but it is a wild cat I've been watching since it was an egg.

August 14

63336!

"Woodstock night" at Venice open mic. Steve's birthday too (center). Video exists but it's really not worth sharing! Ginny on left (seated), Joe Martin, Steve Baggett, me, DJ (banjo).
Check out this lovely tune on Joe's Youtube channel.

I was hoping the red-heads would bring their kid(s) around (and that I'd get a shot).

I found him again. Now an inch and a half.
August 13

11:16pm My lucky "Perseid Firefly" barely made it into the frame.

Obviously not a meteor but I did see a very bright one before I got the camera rolling.

Kent Lanes Open Mic

Jupiter and Venus, before sunrise. So glad I didn't have to drive anywhere for this, photographed from my patio. Decades back when something like this happened (likely the same planets) I drove for a long time hoping to get out from under the cloud-cover. In vain, made me late for work too.

Interesting insect on clothes line, he's online!
I'm told it's an Assassin Bug nymph.

August 12

I gave up looking for this Monarch "cat" a few days ago, then tried again today and there he is. About an inch long I'd say, almost there. Hoping he avoided the invisible perils. Would have liked a better picture but it was early evening. I checked the next day in sunlight but again he was hiding. Not that I know if it's a he or she. Can't tell until they pupate.

Male Ruby-throated hummingbird

My method for storing unused avocado is to 'embed' it in refried beans (or broc/cheese soup). I imagine most folks make guacamole or some other preserving mix but I prefer to keep it as unadulterated as possible.

Not that any sane person would want to follow me for kitchen tips!

August 11

A fun afternoon of music with friends.

Can't You See, with Saam Cabot

Proud Mary, with Saam & Xavier

Kodachrome

If I Fell
August 10

Grand Theft Pye Weed

Joe Pye just moved into my butterfly garden courtesy of a roadside in the next township. Yay!

August 8

August 7

63036

Butterfly Weed

I'm not seeing huge growth but my milkweed seedlings at least look healthy.
August 6

Open mic at Kent Lanes, warts and all. Fun also sitting in with The Wayback Duo. Thanks to host Jesse Carter-Acoustic for the share.

August 5

Two images combined for depth-of-field.

Lovely Zabulon skipper stayed put while I got within inches.

More macro stuff, on Cone flower.

Speaking of pollinators, this bee looks like its been around.

A Coyote just ran through my yard! (10:30am phone pics through screened window)

August 3

Fixing a garbage can lid with reduced styrofoam goo. Whether it works or not, "melting it down" (with acetone) kept a big pile of styrofoam out of the landfill.

Top view

Inner view

I didn't have to look very hard to find a Catalpa Sphinx caterpillar. It's hard to find a spot in my driveway where they don't rain their 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒔 (poop) on my car. There was a day last year you could actually hear it dropping. Shown here with the moth I posted a few weeks ago (no attempt made for relative size but the cat is quite large).

This rapidly growing Monarch caterpillar is now about 5/16".

The Milkweed Tussock moth cat also feeds on milkweed. Surprise! This one is about 7/16", another phone-with-macro-lens shot. I admit I'd never seen one quite this way before.

August 1

Thursday, July 3, 2025

July

July 2025

Eastern Wood Pewee in the rain

I don't get so many photo-ops with the female hummingbird.

July 31

July 30

Macro lens with phone, I eye-balled this Monarch caterpillar at 7/64". I think it hatched today.

July 29

Let the record show I'm finally getting the last of the MW seedlings in.

I think this is a young Carolina Wren that I later saw begging. Here, however, I think the beak is open wide not for food but as part of the sunbathing choreography.

Paw paw tree getting taller than me.

I planted it a few years ago to attract the Zebra swallowtail (I've not seen one yet).

July 27

This is not a combined image, one is on the Swamp MW flower and one is in flight (1/1600 shutter speed). These two lingered quite a while.

I thought I had two Monarchs today but checking the photos later showed three. All females too, one laying eggs for sure. My count is 9 so far.

July 26

Another attempt at the same Monarch egg.

July 25 - Happy Birthday Nick!

Hoping it's not too late I got some milkweed seedlings in the ground with an effort to protect from those who chew (including coffee grounds for slugs).

Call me a Monarchist: Henrietta the Fifth, another egg-layer! On Rose of Sharon adjacent to the MW patch.

Got a new macro lens for phone, here's an egg on Swamp MW. Not great but you can sort of see the linear striations.

July 24

Happy fourth! It's July and I saw my fourth Monarch today. She didn't linger for a photo-op but I watched her leave these calling cards.

July 23

This angle-wing butterfly (my first of the season) was coming and going from the patio so I grabbed the camera and lingered. It kept leaving and coming back.
I suppose I didn't really think it would happen but no harm in extending an invitation for it to land on my hand, which I did, but it didn't. Until... a bit later... it stopped on my other hand, the one that was gripping the camera (which it was tasting). I couldn't have focused that close but that's when I saw the Question Mark underwing ID. Thank you Mother Nature for that magical moment.
PS: This is a combined image for depth-of-field. PPS: Oddly enough, one year ago to the day FB reminded me that I posted a shot of the same butterfly.

If I did a mock-up of what I saw when it was on my hand I might use this shot. The identifying question mark is in the middle of the underside of the hindwing.

July 22

About to fly off into the fading light of the evening.

First tiny Monarch caterpillar spotted on the Common MW.

More Carolina Wren. A minute and a half slowed down to 25% and edited to almost 50 seconds.
July 21

Juvenile Cardinal
July 20

Carolina Wren

Another little bit of odo-symmetry to help balance our out-of-whack world.

July 19

Hairy and Downy woodpeckers
July 18

I don't get tired of this. July 15

A somewhat tattered looking Great Spangled Fritillary

My 3rd Monarch. She laid eggs on the Common and Swamp milkweed.

Could have been better but at least the shadow is in focus.

Butterfly BIFs are even harder than bird BIFs (Bird In Flight).

First Spicebush swallowtail of the season

I hadn't noticed the Rose of Sharon blooming until today. Framed by Lilies.
July 14

Bathing beauty, a young Bluebird from the first clutch.

Synchronized swimming?

July 13

Hummingbird Clearwing moth on Common millkweed

July 9

I left the GoPro running to record Catbird chatter and caught a Monarch headed for the Milkweed jungle. I can't tell if it's a female but it looks like there's a chance. Video (not audio) is slowed down to 25%.

July 8.

Female Red-winged Blackbird. July 6