Aromatic Distraction

A semisweet aroma arising from the large bush by the birdfeeders interrupted my yardwork; I had to discover the source. White blossoms that I hadn’t noticed before burst from nearly every branch of the waxleaf privit plant. While its fickle fragrance confused the senses, (Did I like the smell or not?) the beauty of it’sContinue reading “Aromatic Distraction”

Easier In than Out

Small wavelets rippling from the side of the pool revealed that something was not happy in the water and wanted out. Expecting another one of the ubiquitous small frogs, I sauntered over with a skimmer net to rescue the struggling creature. To my surprise, it was a harmless little ribbon snake so desperately seeing escape,Continue reading “Easier In than Out”

Lyrid Lore

Yesterday morning, an annual meteor shower occurred as earth crossed the orbit of a distant comet and hit debris that had been shed from its tail. The meteors radiate from the constellation Lyra and hence, they are called Lyrids. The constellation’s brightest star is seen near the top of the photo. I first watched theContinue reading “Lyrid Lore”

Drought, No Doubt

Docks are aground with no boats around; the water level at Henderson Lake by Inverness reflects the general drought condition in central Florida. Last year we were nearly 10 inches below normal, and the rainfall is four inches below normal so far this year. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows our area somewhere between “extreme”Continue reading “Drought, No Doubt”

Sibling Synergy

The “old Moon” rests “in the arms” of a new, grinning, crescent Moon with earthshine illuminating the portion of the Moon that is shadowed from direct sunlight. Above and to the left, Venus adds to the beauty of the scene like a supportive sibling, the sister of Moon and Earth. Indeed, they are all brothersContinue reading “Sibling Synergy”

Stromato-what?

Its called a stromatolite (stro’-mat-o-lite). It’s a fossil remnant of mats of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. The microorganisms grew in mats, bound together by slimy secretions that allowed entry of nutrients but protected them from environmental hazards. This allowed them to form three dimensional “microbe cities” that took knobby shapes. The top imageContinue reading “Stromato-what?”