June 2025 – a curious nature

National Catfish Day

June 25, 2025

*Zentangle patterns: Alibi, Valance, Bacon, Kisses, Zinger, Fento, Coy Fish, Peepz+FishFace merger, Bublz*

I’ll never forget my first taste of catfish! Just the memory of that meal makes my mouth water. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

When I was about 9 yrs old, my aunt and uncle invited the family for a visit to their home in Nashville. My jolly Aunt Sis, always the organizer, planned an entire week of non-stop fun and sightseeing that included a firefly safari, touring a life-sized Parthenon replica, exploring Civil War battlegrounds, front row seats at the Grand Ole Opry, and an overnight camping trip into the Great Smoky Mountains. I especially remember the drive into the mountains. The narrow road, which seemed to twist and turn for hours, was flanked on each side by an impenetrable forest of hardwood trees, the view broken only by roadside cafes spaced 2-5 miles apart. These cafes, with their hand-painted signs, all advertised the same daily lunch special —- 2 fresh caught catfish fillets/breaded with cornmeal and deep fried/served with a pile of hot hushpuppies and slaw/$1.75 to-go. “Could we stop, could we? Please, please, pleeeeaaaassssseee!” Knowing the sight of these cafes would be too hard to resist, Aunt Sis had already planned to stop for lunch at a very special one; Cataloochee Creek Catfish Cafe. She said they always fried up and served the freshest catfish and hushpuppies in all of the Great Smoky Mountains. Two hairpin curves later we had arrived. Oh what an aroma!

Needless to say, my clever Aunt Sis was right! That catfish was (and still is) the best ever! Whether the little one-room Cataloochee Creek Catfish Cafe is still in business, and whatever species of catfish they served up that day may forever be a mystery. But I’ll always have a fond place in my heart (and stomach) for catfish…………. So ……………

when discovering June 25th is a designated National Day in honor of the catfish, I took notice (and so did Flambé – either hoping for a new friend or a take-away meal!). About time I learned a little something about catfish. And of course I wanted to share.

Why the name “Catfish?”

In addition to not being remotely related to any fish species, it’s well known that most cats are not big fans of water. So how did the catfish get its name? The most likely origin of the name “catfish” comes from the 1610s when mariners referred to the Atlantic wolf-fish as a “catfish” due to its ferocity. But later the name was given to a freshwater fish found in North America’s river systems. This odd looking fish had barbels protruding from its jaw and chin that resembled cat whiskers. Also when this fish was removed from the water, it made a purring sound. It may be one or both of these cat-like similarities that led to the common name “catfish.” ….. Oh, and about those barbels that grow out of the jaw and chin of most all catfish species. They function as sensory organs; used for tasting and feeling their environment.

How do you enjoy your catfish?

In 1986, catfish made up the third-highest volume of finned fish consumed in the U.S., with the most commonly eaten species being the channel catfish and blue catfish. Today, catfish is still a popular dish; one that can be prepared in many different ways, including baking, deep frying, sautéing, and stewing.

Traditionally, the fish was coated in cornmeal and fried. Many still enjoy catfish fillets prepared this way, or prefer baking or frying fillets or even the entire fish. If you fry the entire fish, do you also savor the crunch of the crispy tail? Spices complement catfish, and it’s also yummy served with a little lemon and butter. No matter what method you prefer, this tender whitefish always separates easily from the bones.

There are 38 known species of catfish in the U.S., and 22 are found in Tennessee. But the most commonly caught in the state are the flathead, the channel, and the blue catfish. The flathead is reported to be the tastiest of all. Perhaps the catfish I loved so much as a kid were from the flathead? To this day, my memory has me convinced those fried morsels from yesteryear remain the tastiest I’ve ever enjoyed. (Until further research unveils what hushpuppy ‘species’ were the perfect melt-in-your-mouth side-kick to those delicious cornmeal-breaded flathead bits, I remain clueless ….. but insatiably curious).

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL CATFISH DAY

While baking and frying catfish may be the most popular ways to enjoy this flavorful fish, they’re not the only way. How about some catfish pasta dishes or catfish soup? If you’ve never tasted catfish before, #NationalCatfishDay encourages you to explore catfish dishes bursting with flavor.

Until next time …… add a little catfish to your menu!

As always thanks for stopping by!

And now, for your entertainment and enlightenment, why not take a few minutes to read these

Fun to Fascinating Catfish Facts

Catfish are found on every continent except Antarctica, with the highest abundance in tropical waters of Asia, Africa, and South America.
New species of catfish are regularly being discovered, and by 2030 the number of identified species may reach 5,000.
Catfish exhibit a wide range of sizes, from the tiny candiru (1/2” long) to the giant Mekong catfish, which can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 600 pounds. The largest catfish caught on record was 646 pounds and 9 feet long.
Catfish typically live between 15 and 20 years, but some can live up to 60 years.
Around 1,600 species of catfish may be venomous. Their venom glands are associated with the bony spines in front of their dorsal and pectoral fins. Used in defense against other fish, venom is released if a spine punctures another organism. If a person is punctured by a venomous spine it can cause severe pain and swelling; the wound may become infected. However, a few catfish species – the striped eel catfish and the Asian stinging catfish – have a venom so strong it can lead to hospitalization or even death for humans.
Most catfish are nocturnal.
Electric catfish can discharge up to 350 volts and seem to be immune to high shocks themselves.
Catfish are sometimes known as “swimming tongues,” because their bodies are covered in about 100,000 tastebuds that detect chemicals present in the water.
Catfish can produce and detect sounds using the Weberian apparatus, a structure connecting their swim bladder to their inner ear. The hearing of some catfish species is so good that it can be used as a form of echolocation in dark, murky waters.
Some species have flexible teeth that bend as the fish scrape algae and other food particles from rocks, preventing wear and tear.
Unlike many fish, catfish typically lack scales; they have smooth, naked skin.
Some catfish including the Mekong catfish have been known to fast.
Large catfish usually migrate huge distances and create ecological links between parts of a river miles apart. Catfish native to the Amazon River make some of the longest migrations of any freshwater species: covering up to 5,000 miles when swimming back to their birthplace. Large catfish usually migrate huge distances and create ecological links between parts of a river miles apart.
The Asian walking catfish, an air breathing species, sometimes resembles a dark, bloated slug and can survive for 18 hours, moving up to 3/4 miles on land to travel between water bodies. Much like slugs, they are often seen after periods of rain or flooding, their long and sweeping barbels helping them navigate the land.
In 2021 scientists coined a new term – “reffling” – after studying the movement of the armored suckermouth catfish which uses its mouth, tail and a “grasping” pelvic fin to haul itself across dry ground. They can survive 30 hours out of water, provided a layer of mucus keeps them moist.
Similarly, some catfish have a climbing style known as “inching”, where they alternate between using suction from their mouths and their pelvic disc to shuffle up vertical cave walls.
The Mekong catfish is one of the world’s most endangered fish species. It’s population is estimated to have decreased by 90% in the last decade.
Large catfish are especially at risk of endangerment due to habitat loss, the building of dams, river pollution and hunting. Losing them would be a huge loss for species diversity, and would also threaten the ecosystems they live in.
While some catfish species are at risk, others have become invasive. Invasive species often disturb the food webs and biodiversity of an ecosystem because the native wildlife is not adapted to their presence. The blue catfish was introduced to the Chesapeake Bay for recreational fishing, but have since become an invasive. Like most catfish, blue catfish are generalists and opportunistic feeders, having created a predator-prey imbalance in Chesapeake.
The Asian walking catfish (mentioned above), has become highly invasive in Florida. Its ability to breath air and “walk” on land has greatly accelerated its invasive nature.
There are between 34 and 44 families of catfish and at least 3,400 different species, depending on taxonomic classification.
The End!

Sketchbook Revival 2025 ….. Binge Fest Extravaganza!

June 16, 2025

What a whirlwind celebration! Sketchbook Revival (SR) 2025 Binge Fest was so much fun. And Wow! Two jam packed weeks of creativity was over in the blink of an eye!

Karen Abend, SR creator, host extraordinaire, and wonderful artist, came up with a brilliant idea for the SR 2025 session. I would swear the creative gears inside her head were spinning with delight as she declared, “Yureka! I’ve got it!”

Beginning on May 27th thru June 9th, Karen generously opened up the SR historic vault and set free all of the workshops conducted the first 5 years of SR (2018-2022)! That unbelievable offering came to more than 130 one-hour-long workshops of inspiring, hands-on, and creative play time all instructed by well-known experts in artistic fields associated with Sketchbook Journaling.

Challenge presented ……. Challenge accepted.

Since I’ve been participating in SR each year since 2018, and attended most of these workshops in the past, my goals and strategies to tackle the challenge were these:

Complete a minimum of 4 workshops daily;
Two workshops should involve a project outside of my comfort zone, such as portrait drawing, fantasy, word play, collage, and properly stitching my own SR sketchbook so it wouldn’t fall apart during the 2-week challenge, etc.;
Two workshops should involve projects within my comfort zone, such nature subjects, urban sketching, whimsey, and lettering, and those using watercolor pencils, graphite, and ink;
Develop fresh, interesting, and imaginative sketches during the workshops;
Allow Flambé to play along;
Slow down, breathe, and enjoy the 2-week marathon without becoming overwhelmed;
Recognize and gather take-away tips and techniques to bring into my Nature Journaling practice and Zentangle storytelling.
Keep sketching and sharing.

After two weeks of play, I was able to fill up my handmade and successfully stitched SR 2025 sketchbook! With a total of 46 pages completed (doubling up workshop projects on a handful of pages), including several pockets with inserts, I was pretty happy (and a bit exhausted).

If you’ve participated in SR in the past, or maybe took on the 2025 challenge as your first time, you know how intense (in an exhilarating way) it can become. If not, and would like to learn more, check out this link

This link will take you to Karen Abend’s website where you can ask for more information about Sketchbook Revival. https://karenabend.com

Hope my collection made you smile and laugh! I certainly got a kick out of the experience.

Well, until Sketchbook Revival next year, thanks for coming along!

Front and back of the concertina book that tucks into the pocket above.

My hand sewn, one signature SR 2025 Sketchbook.

National Dragonfly Day

June 14, 2025

What is all the buzzz today? Why it’s National Dragonfly Day!

Zentangle patterns: Yolo, Jive & Jazz, Narwal, Flies in the Air, Flyz, Anuleaf, Dragonfly, Kelp, Moonpie, Beetleleaf, Onamato, Trigue, Sheleaf, Bubblz, Centipede

Always landing on the 2nd Saturday in June, the annual dragonfly celebration pays tribute to this fascinatingly unique and beautiful insect that’s been flying over our planet for nearly 300 million years. Wow!

There’s no mistaking the fossil record. Dragonflies have populated the airspace for nearly 300 million years, some with 3-foot wingspans. Paleontologists say they may have had 6-8 foot wingspans, making them the size of a bald eagle!

As scary as that may have looked to their prey, the 2-5 inch wingspans of modern dragonflies, combined with their body makeup, make these animals some of the most accurate and ravenous hunters known today.

It’s a warm summer day and the air above the wetlands is full of countless insects such as mosquitoes, true flies, mayflies, and midges. Perched motionless on a tall reed is a metallic colored dragonfly, and she’s hungry. To feed an insatiable appetite, she’s always on the hunt for her next meal. To satisfy her hunger, she has evolved into one of the most skilled predators in animal kingdom.

A Green Darner Dragonfly hangs onto a blade of marsh grass

But are dragonflies really that good? And if so, why?

Consider the proverbial ‘King of the Jungle;’ lions are frequent hunters, but might be successful only 20% of the time. Birds of prey, like owls, falcons and hawks, average a 25% success rate. But dragonflies catch their prey 95% of the time! Now I’d call that amazing. Dragonflies owe their survival to two key characteristics:

Eyes – in addition to three simple eyes, dragonflies (and bees) have two large compound eyes; the largest of any insect. With 30,000 facets per eye, both compound eyes together cover most of their head. This multifaceted eye makes a dragonfly acutely sensitive to movement. Because each of the 30,000 facets face a different direction, dragonflies have almost a 360 degree field of vision. This means they can see you from behind as they wing on by. ……. And speaking of wings! ………
Wings – When compared to all other insects, dragonflies are the most skilled, agile, and the fastest fliers of all insect species. With muscles attached directly to their wings, they not only can fly at speeds up to 35 mph, but are able to maneuver like a helicopter. They can fly straight up or down, forward or backward, side-to-side, upside down, and can even hover and pivot in place while keeping perfectly level. To understand how dragonflies achieve backward flight, high speed cameras revealed they angle their bodies vertically, at a 90-degree angle to the horizon. They’re also capable of independently moving and twisting each of their four wings to improve flight control.

Look! A Mosquito Hawk!

It’s been reported that one adult dragonfly can capture and eat from 30 to 100 mosquitos a day, earning them the name ‘’Mosquito Hawk.” Considered such prevalent mosquito predators when they are adults, a dragonfly nymph feasts on mosquito larvae too, devouring as many as 40 a day!

And How About these Dragonfly Fun Facts!

A dragonfly is classified as an Odonata, which is the family of flying insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies. Odonata means “toothed one” in Greek. However, dragonflies don’t have teeth. The name refers to its serrated mandible, which comes in handy for holding and crushing prey.
There are around 5,000 species of dragonflies around the world.
Dragonflies can live for years underwater as predatory larvae (aka nymphs). At the end of its larval stage, the nymph crawls out of the water, its exoskeleton cracks open releasing its abdomen (which had been packed in like a telescope), then out come its four wings and its entire body dries and hardens over the next several hours.
Most adult dragonflies live for only a few weeks, but some do live up to a year.
Dragonflies can live in the winter but are normally small and stumpy in size.
Dragonflies use both their feet and mandibles to catch their food.
When dragonflies mate, the pair first forms a flying, loop-like structure known as a mating wheel or mating circle. Then the male grasps the female’s neck with claspers on his abdomen to transfer his sperm. Sometimes, he will continue to guard the female from other males until she lays eggs in the water. If a female doesn’t consent to mating, she might play dead. Or, she might wrestle away her suitor by twisting, shaking, flying backward or clinging to a reed to prevent takeoff. In some cases, the female might even take control of the flight, then dunk the male into a body of water, buying herself time to flee.
Mysterious swarming behavior – sometimes 100’s of dragonflies of different species will gather in swarms, possibly to locate new and/or better habitat, for feeding, or migration. Not much is known about this short-lived behavior, but it is being studied by members of the Dragonfly Swarm Project. You can read more about the Swarm Project here: https://thedragonflywoman.com/dsp/ And you can report seeing a swarm through this website: https://thedragonflywoman.com/dsp/report/
The Scarlet Dwarf is the smallest known dragonfly. Less than two centimeters long, it’s only 0.59 inches long (15 millimeters), and has a wingspan of about 0.79 inches (20 millimeters). These dragonflies are native to Southeast Asia, as well as China and Japan.
Many species of dragonflies migrate annually. To track them, scientists attach tiny transmitters to their wings with a combination of eyelash adhesive and superglue. One of their findings revealed the two inch dragonfly called the globe skimmer has the longest migration of any insect — flying up to 11,000 miles across multiple generations between India and Africa. Aided by winds, the globe skimmers cross the Indian Ocean stopping at islands along the way. They have even been spotted at altitudes of around 20,000 feet in the Himalayas.
Of the 445 kinds of dragonflies in North America, only 9 of these species (or 2%) migrate regularly. One of these species is called the green darner which migrates in swarms. They complete a multi-generational migration from Canada and the northern U.S. to the Gulf Coast and Mexico in late summer and fall, and then return again in the spring. By tracking the migration, it was found their journey covered over 800 miles one way. To accomplish this feat, they travel only every third day, averaging 7.5 miles per day.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (2021) found that 16 percent of the 6,016 species of dragonflies and damselflies that were studied are at risk of extinction as they lose the freshwater breeding grounds needed to maintain their populations. Clearing of forests in South and Southeast Asia as well as in Central and South America has driven habitat loss for the insects, and in North America and Europe, dragonflies are most threatened by pesticides and climate change.

The Good Luck Insect

Not surprisingly, the dragonfly has symbolic meaning in almost every part of the world. Many cultures believe this insect symbolizes good luck. Because dragonflies have such short lifespans, they also represent new beginnings and change, especially for strength, growth, courage, and happiness. A few ancient cultures say dreaming about a dragonfly indicates you are in a powerful transition in your life.

Here’s a Few of those Symbolic Dragonfly Beliefs. Do you know of more?

Native Americans believe a dragonfly symbolizes life transformations.
South American cultures believe the dragonfly symbolizes good luck and prosperity, and many artists include the dragonfly in their work.
European cultures see the dragonfly as a symbol of change and adaptability, and are included in many of their folklore stories and beliefs.
Asian cultures believe the dragonfly represents good luck, prosperity and new beginnings.
South Africans believe dragonflies are a sign of spirits and bring good luck. Africans also hold dragonflies in high regard because they are water gods who bring rain.

A South Dakota dragonfly resting on a milkweed

How Will you Celebrate National Dragonfly Day? Here’s a few ideas:

Learn about the species of dragonflies near you.
Visit your local wetland habitats to observe dragonflies, as nymphs and as adults.
When you travel in the summer, search out new-to-you species of dragonflies and record your observations.
Learn about the symbolism of dragonflies in your own culture.
Sketch or paint a dragonfly in its habitat.
Photograph a dragonfly and share on social media using #NationalDragonflyDay.

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It was great fun and so eye-opening to learn about this species. A few months ago I watched a nature program about dragonflies and how they fly like stunt pilots. It was fascinating, and gave me a whole new appreciation of these insects. Can you imagine living in the dragonfly’s world 300 million years ago? Wonder if they could also fly like a helicopter?

Please share your dragonfly stories. Have you ever tried to catch a dragonfly? Have you seen one flying upside down or hover? What colors of dragonflies have you seen? Let me know if you enjoyed this post about dragonflies, and give it a Like!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

High on the Views: Camping Above the Rio Grande

June 6, 2025

Such an awesome-inspiring place to spend a Spring week in New Mexico!

Three of the five big boys! Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep.

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument …..

comprises a breathtaking 245,000 acre area of the northern Rio Grande rift valley in north central New Mexico. Established as a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) national monument in 2013, the rugged wide-open plains average 7,000 feet in elevation before dropping into steep narrow canyons carved into the landscape by rivers that have been flowing for millennia.

The confluence of two of these rivers, the Rio Grande and the Red River, occurs in the northern Wild Rivers area of the Monument. It’s at this confluence where the gorge is its deepest at 800 feet, and its widest from rim to rim measuring 3/4 mile. It’s an impressive view from the la Junta (“the Meeting”) Overlook. All of the views from anywhere along the rim are impressive.

We backed our RV (‘Felix’) into what must’ve been the best designated camping site ever ….. #9 on the southern loop in Big Arsenic Springs Campground. After setting up, we discovered that Felix rested only a few steps west was the rim and the long plunge down to the Rio Grande! But immediately south of us, the rim formed a small peninsula where nearly every afternoon I could be found sketching the plants growing from the basalt cliffs, or the swifts and turkey vultures soaring along the cliffs and over the river aided by the canyon’s updrafts. This skinny little peninsula quickly became my favorite sit spot; then late one morning it became priceless …….

Can you spot our RV? We were precariously perched above the Rio Grande, right on the rim of the gorge!

I could hear them approaching, like a swarm of bees. In a matter of seconds I was witnessing a cacophonous chorus of 100’s of pinyon jays. These noisy birds quickly moved in and onward while descending, like they were famished, on this year’s piñon pine cone-laden trees in large erratic groups, all the while screaming, “Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!” Where exactly they came from or where they went remains a mystery. All I know was the spectacle must’ve lasted a good 10 minutes or more, as I watched wave after wave of these birds pass by. I still get goosebumps (jaybumps?) recalling those exciting moments.

We had planned to spend only one day camping in the Monument, but every morning we decided to stay at least another and then another day. We hiked every rim and interior trail (sometimes more than once), spent hours at all of the Overlooks getting ‘High on the Views,” were thrilled with our chance encounters of five (5) Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep rams (twice in one day), and marveled at how the forces of nature* collaborated to carve the narrow and steep 800 foot deep gorge within the Monument.

But alas, it became time to pack up our home away from home. Even tho a string of completely clear days allowed sun to shine on our solar panels from sunup to sundown, keeping Felix’s battery purring happily our entire stay, it did nothing to recharge our potable water tank. So the morning we found the water indicator light teetering on ‘Empty,’ was the day we headed for home (after enjoying a farewell hike, of course) with my nature journal full of sketches and memories for a lifetime!

Do you have an especially special place where you can spend time in nature? Please share your discovery and what makes it so awesome!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

*Geology 101

From the overlooks throughout the Monument, we could see stacks and stacks of basalt and ash lining the narrow canyon walls of the Rio Grande Gorge. It’s hard to imagine the volume of material deposited during two very active periods of volcanic activity that occurred 5 and 3 million years ago. Soon after these events, water moving through the major drainage in the area (today’s Red River) began eroding pathways into these deposits as it flowed downstream into the 10-16 million year old rift valley. Geologists refer to the ancient Red River drainage as the ‘original Rio Grande’ because the still-closed San Luis Basin to the north (in south central Colorado) would not overflow for a few million years. Then 400,000 years ago, coinciding with a change in climate resulting in an overabundance of snow and rain, the San Luis Basin filled and spilled. As water does so well, this new and powerful river, today’s Rio Grande, moved ‘downhill’ towards the ‘original Rio Grande’, cutting through everything in its path (including the ancient volcanic deposits). When it converged with the ‘original Rio Grande,’ the erosive force of both rivers became enough to eventually carve out an 800-foot deep gorge in the Rift.