Posts in Category: Nature
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a term currently used in jest, referencing an inexperienced person who has much to learn. Its use originating from the television show Kung Fu (1972-1975) in which the student, Young Caine, is taking instruction from his Master Po who nicknamed his student “Grasshopper” as a term of endearment.
This grasshopper showed up today for Emilia’s birthday party/cookout. We made a traditional Romanian dish, called mici, a grilled minced-meat made from beef, pork and lamb. The size of a small sausage, mici means ‘little’. Served on a bread roll with mustard and a cold beer.
Busy flower
Busy day for this flower, a butterfly and an incoming bumble bee. Must taste very good to them.
Crabtree Falls
On the way back from Charlotte, NC, we took the Blue Ridge Parkway for it’s beautiful views. Near milepost 339 is a stop to see Crabtree Falls. It is a 2.5 mile loop hike to view the falls, well worth the time. Even if you make the decision to take a shortcut on the trail and end up sliding 15 yards on your back and your camera gets covered in mud <wink>.
Morning on Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock State Park near Asheville, NC features a 315 foot granite monolith. The rock is accessible via elevator and provides stunning views of the nearby countryside. The park was privately owned until 2007, when the State of North Carolina purchased it from a family for $24 million. The park offers hiking trails for all skill levels, spectacular views, and a 404-foot waterfall, Hickory Nut Falls.
One year
Celebrating our first year together as husband and wife, we went camping at East Fork State Park near Cincinnati over Labor Day weekend.
Here we are at the lake enjoying the sunset together and contemplating the rest of our lives, which will become even more special. Baby number one is on the way, due in April.
Hummer H3
Emilia and I acquired a new item in the backyard this Summer.
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is 7-9 cm long with an 8-11 cm wingspan, and weighs 2-6 g. Adults are metallic green above and greyish white below, with near-black wings. Their bill is long, straight and very slender.
The adult male has an iridescent ruby red throat patch which may appear black in some lighting, and a dark forked tail. The female has a dark rounded tail with white tips and generally no throat patch, though she may sometimes have a light or whitish throat patch.
The male is smaller than the female, and has a slightly shorter beak. A molt of feathers occurs once per annum, and begins during the autumn migration.
Dragonfly
Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies. Dragonflies are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands because their larvae, known as “nymphs”, are aquatic. Adult dragonflies do not bite or sting humans, though nymphs are capable of delivering a painful (though otherwise harmless) bite.
Sunflower
The sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas, with a large flowering head. The stem of the flower can grow as high as 10 feet tall, with the flower head reaching up to 12 inches in diameter with the “large” seeds. What is usually called the flower is actually a head. The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets, which mature into what are traditionally called “sunflower seeds,” but are actually the fruit of the plant. The inedible husk is the wall of the fruit and the true seed lies within the kernel.
Cicada
A cicada is an insect with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the globe. They are known as “dry flies” because of the dry shell they leave behind. Cicadas do not bite or sting, are benign to humans and plants, and therefore are not considered pests. Many people around the world regularly eat cicadas: the female is prized as it is meatier. The name is a direct derivation of the Latin cicada, meaning “buzzer”.