Art – Page 3 – a curious nature

EggTober 2025/Submission Four ….. Days 25 – 31

It’s All in a Day’s Work!

November 3, 2025

EggTober 2025 has officially ended! And Wow … I’m so eggs-cited to share Submission Four, the finale, with all-y’all! The eggs showcased for Days 25-31 +1 (yes, another random bird flew in and laid a bonus clutch on the last page) are all snug in their New Mexico nests. Also, you’ll notice a bit more text surrounding those nests.

Following Submission Three, where my narrative focused on the different layers of the eggshell membrane, I was curious about how avian eggshells are constructed. Then I wanted to know more about the entire reproductive system of birds, from ovulation to fertilization, to egg laying. And Then I couldn’t rest without knowing about the embryo, the yolk, the egg white, and all the bits and pieces you see when cracking open an egg! I didn’t know any of this, and if you don’t know, you’re head is about to explode in wonder!

The Avian Oviduct and Egg Formation

It takes about one day to build an egg. But to prepare for the journey, about 7 to 9 days before the egg will be laid, the Yolk must be formed. Here’s the story of …..

The Yolk …..

….. formed in one of the many Follicles of the Ovary, the vitellus or Yolk begins as an immature Ovum that is stimulated to enlarge over several days by receiving deposits of yolk material. Once growth is initiated, over the next 7 to 9 days the Yolk’s formation intensifies as 99% of its nutrient-rich layers are deposited until it’s fully formed. Now mature, the Follicle ruptures and the Yolk is released in a process called Ovulation.

And this is where the Journey through the Oviduct begins! Over the next 24 hours, the developing embryo acquires the many layers it needs for nourishment, respiration, and protection until it’s formed into a perfect egg ready for laying. The entire journey takes place in the Oviduct …..

….. which can be divided into several regions: the Infundibulum, Magnum, Isthmus, Uterus, and Vagina. What happens in each of these regions is nothing short of fascinating!

Infundibulum – After Ovulation, the Yolk immediately enters the funnel of the Infundibulum (the Ostium) where the Ovum is fertilized and the Chalazae is formed. With the help of ciliary action, it takes 30 minutes for the Ovum to move through this region of the Oviduct to the next, the Magnum.

Magnum – It’s this region where the Yolk, together with the now developing embryo and the Chalazae, gets a protective coating of protein-rich Albumen, a process that takes about 3 hours to complete, before moving along to the Isthmus.

Isthmus – The Inner and Outer Shell Membrane Layers and the Nucleation Sites are formed in this region of the Oviduct. This takes about an hour before the package is delivered to the Uterus.

Uterus – This is where five of the six layers of the outer Eggshell are formed. They are the Mammillary Layer and Mammillary Bodies, Organic Matrix Layer, Crystalline Palisade Layer, Vertical Crystal Layer, and Shell Pigment Layer. Also, as much as one-third of the protein in an egg is added while in the Uterus.

It takes about 20 hours for the egg to move through the Uterus while these layers are deposited. And as the egg moves, it twists and turns. When it’s time to add pigment, the rate of rotation adjusts to ‘paint’ the species-specific patterns we see on the eggshell, leaving a visual record of the egg’s movement in the Uterus. For example, if streaks or elongated tracks on the shell are required, movement is more rapid than when creating round spots, blotches, speckles, or bands. After pigment is added to the outer shell structure, the layers of background color and any markings are enclosed in calcite crystals.

Vagina – The last region of the Oviduct where the Cuticle (the Bloom) is added to the shell just before the egg is laid.

The egg is now complete. The entire process, beginning with the release of the mature Yolk and Ovum from its Follicle until the egg’s final touches, takes 24 hours! And the timing ensures the egg is always laid sometime during the day.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Glossary and Other Interesting Things

Albumen – refers to the “white” of the egg. The Albumen is an effective barrier against microbes that might cross over and cause disease in the developing embryo. Albumen contains over a hundred antimicrobial proteins.

Chalazae – two spiral bands of white, stringy tissue that suspend and hold the Yolk in the center of the Albumen.

Crystalline Palisade Layer – A tough, mineralized structure of calcium carbonate crystals that grow into dense columnar units above the Mammillary Bodies (the mineralized base of the crystalline eggshell). The amount of shell deposited is determined by the time spent in the Uterus.

Eggshell – Depending on species, the eggshell represents from 9-15% of the total weight of the egg.

Eggshell Formation – The Crystalline Palisade Layer is essential to the process of eggshell formation which takes place in the Uterus.

Nucleation: The process begins at the Nucleation Sites, located on the External Shell Membrane, which are the specific places where the mineralization of calcium carbonate begins.
Initial growth: As calcium salts are deposited and crystallize, inorganic calcium carbonate crystals grow around and outward from the Nucleation Sites, forming the cone-shaped Mammillary Bodies; the first, innermost calcified layer of the eggshell, anchored to the External Shell Membrane. This base of mineralized shell provides mechanical strength, and serves as the main source of calcium for the developing embryo’s skeleton.
Maturation – The calcium carbonate crystals continue to grow into the dense columnar units that form the Crystalline Palisade Layer, creating a tough, mineralized structure that protects the embryo. The amount of shell deposited is determined by the time spent in the Uterus.

Follicle – an enclosed cavity in the Ovary

Labile Medullary Bone – a temporary, highly porous, and woven bone tissue that forms, driven by hormonal changes in female birds, in her medullary (marrow) cavities in the period leading up to and during egg-laying. As a highly porous, woven bone, medullary bone has no significant mechanical function or structural strength. Its role is strictly metabolic.

The word labile means the bone is unstable and readily undergoes rapid and frequent change. Once the egg-laying period is complete, hormones change and medullary bone is reabsorbed.

Labile Medullary Bone Formation and Calcium Requirements – It’s interesting to note that an egg-laying hen requires 10% of her the total body calcium reserves during each 24-hour period she is producing eggs. To meet this calcium requirement, primarily for eggshell formation, it’s necessary that her plasma (blood) calcium levels triple during egg formation. This calcium is mainly obtained from increased intestinal absorption and a highly labile reservoir found in the medullary bone. In other words, to meet the calcium requirement, the hen’s body naturally produces it as medullary bone.

Mammillary Bodies – The first, innermost calcified layer of the eggshell, anchored to the External Shell Membrane. These cone-shaped Mammillary Bodies form the base of mineralized calcium carbonate which provides mechanical strength to the shell, and serves as the main source of calcium for the developing embryo’s skeleton.

Nucleation Sites (aka Organic Cores) – form in the Isthmus region of the Oviduct, and are found on the External Shell Membrane. Composed primarily of organic material (proteins, proteoglycans, collagens), they are the specific locations where the mineralization of the calcium carbonate shell begins. In other words, the Nucleation Sites provide the initial template or “seed” for calcium carbonate crystals to start forming.

Oviduct – the tube that transports the developing egg with embryo from the Ovary to the Vagina.

Oviduct … Only One? – Yup! Most bird species have only one Ovary and adjoining Oviduct, the other having degenerated when the hen was, herself, a developing embryo. This evolutionary modification probably resulted because egg production from two ovaries would deplete the female’s body of calcium to excess. As has been demonstrated in chickens that are on a calcium deficient diet, egg production ceases.

Ovulation – The process in which the mature Yolk and Ovum is released from its Follicle in the Ovary and is received into the Oviduct through the Infundibulum.

Ovulation Rate – Within 1 hour after a hen has laid an egg, the next mature Follicle in the Ovary ruptures (aka ovulates), releasing the mature Yolk and Ovum.

Ovum – an unfertilized egg

Pigment or Not? – Whether an eggshell is white, or decorated with a background color and/or markings, it’s appearance is influenced first by the species of bird, then by lifestyle and nest location. The specific color of an egg is an adaptation to its environment. This is where camouflage and/or thermal regulation may be required.

Thermal regulation is still being studied, but where camouflage is beneficial, egg color depends strongly on nest locations:
- White eggs – prevalent among birds like pigeons, doves, swans, many seabirds, etc. These birds often build concealed nests where camouflage isn’t necessary, or inconspicuous locations are chosen for nesting where white coloring helps camouflage the eggs, reducing the risk of drawing attention.
- Blue or green eggs – Bluebirds, robins, sparrows, parrots and other birds that lay pale to bright blue, blue-green or green eggs blend in with the sky or the foliage of nesting sites, providing natural camouflage.
- Brown or speckled eggs – Brown or highly marked eggs with speckles, spots, blotches, or scribbles provide excellent camouflage for ground-nesting birds like quail, avocets and killdeer. The mottled appearance of these eggs blend well against rock, sand, soil, foliage and branches. The eggs’ colorations are camouflaged well in nests woven from a variety of materials to nests that may be nothing more than a scrape or depression in the ground.

Shell Pigment Layer – Pigment granules are deposited on the outer shell structure, forming color layers which are then enclosed in calcite crystals.

Sperm Storage – a female bird need mate only once for the sequential formation of her eggs to be fertilized. In other words, each newly ovulated egg that arrives at the Infundibulum, which occurs every 24 hours (more-or-less), becomes fertilized from a single mating. That’s because female birds can actually store sperm in Sperm Storage Tubules (SSTs). SSTS are tubular “invaginations” in the Infundibulum where sperm can be kept alive for 2 to 15 weeks (depending on the species), and can be released after Ovulation.

Uterus – the Shell Gland

Yolk – The nutrient-bearing portion of the egg containing most of its fat, minerals, and many of its proteins and blood vessels.

Yolk Behavior – The Yolk always rotates so the developing embryo floats to the top, regardless of the egg’s position

Zygote – the fertilized Ovum

Wow, gosh! I’m egg’s-hausted ….. how about you!?! But wasn’t that a fascinating journey through a bird’s oviduct? A literal look behind the scenes!

And that concludes my Inktober/EggTober 2025. Researching so much information not only took me down some fascinating rabbit trails, but everything I learned in the month of October blew my mind! And everything I uncovered had to be shared with you all. The bounty was voluminous, resulting in each Submission eggs-panding to accommodate nearly everything. Yes, you read that right ….. I nearly got everything shared, and there’s still so much more to learn about past, present and future bird eggs and all eggs in general. Maybe once my notes are gather and organized, and I pursue answers to countless questions on the when’s, why’s and what-for’s, it will be time for EggTober 2026!

Did you participate in this year’s Inktober? Maybe my four submissions gave you ideas for Inktober 2026? Share your thoughts and ideas. Meanwhile ….. That’s all for now, yolks!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

P.S. in case you missed any of my previous EggTober 2025 Submissions, you can catch up with the following links: Submission One, Submission Two, and/or Submission Three! Enjoy!

EggTober 2025/Submission Three ….. Days 17 – 24

October 25, 2025

October is ‘flying” by! It seems amazing how quickly my Inktober 2025 sketchbook is filling up with daily EggTober watercolor paintings of bird eggs. Week three is now complete, and the eggs of eight more breeding birds of New Mexico can be viewed below. As with Submissions One and Two, included are a few fascinating facts about bird eggs, this time with a focus on the eggshell.

In case you missed my first and/or second EggTober posts, and would like to catch up, click the following link(s) to read Submission One, and/or Submission Two.

A Bird’s Eggshell

At first glance, you may think all bird eggs are covered in a hard, solid shell. You would be right about the shell being hard, but have you ever taken a close look at the shell surface? The outer shell appears to have dimples, a bit like a golf ball. Those dimples are pores in the eggshell. Bird eggs are considered “amniotic” which means their eggs not only have a hard shell; they have a porous membrane to allow for oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. Also, an important characteristic of amniotic eggs is they resist dehydration, which is why birds can lay them on dry land. So, is the porous membrane sandwiched between the eggshell and the ‘egg white’ (albumen), and why?

In Submission Two, I noted that the typically oval-shaped bird egg is able to withstand the weight of the incubating parent(s); the shell having the strength and resilience to withstand external pressures which minimizes the chances of the developing embryo becoming deformed or suffering bone fractures. So, just how thick must an eggshell be, yet still allow the developing embryo to breathe?

What are the main functions of the eggshell?

The shell of an egg contributes to successful formation and development of the embryo, by providing protection, respiration and water exchange. The eggshell is also the major source of calcium for the development of high-calcium consuming organs, like the skeleton, muscles and brain.

But what we think of as the eggshell, is actually Eight Separate Layers (!) that stack together from the outside of the egg to the inside where layer eight meets the albumen. It’s through these layers that the embryo breathes.

These layers, from the outside in, are the Cuticle layer with Pores, Shell Pigment layer, Vertical Crystal layer, Crystalline Palisade layer, Organic Matrix layer, Mammillary layer with Mammillary Bodies, External Shell Membrane layer, and Internal Shell Membrane layer. These will be summarized below. I’m also compiling a more complete description of each layer and detailing their importance, which should be complete and posted before the end of the month.

But before taking a brief ‘look’ at the eight eggshell layers, I wanted to share a snapshot about their thickness ….. because, quite frankly, I couldn’t imagine how all those eight layers manage to fit!

Eggshell Thickness

Most bird eggshells must be thin enough for the chick to peck through when it hatches, but at the same time it must be thick enough to bear the weight of the growing embryo inside, and the weight of the parents incubating it. The thickness of eggshells varies among species and individual birds, but also among individual eggs laid in a clutch. Eggshell thickness is also influenced by factors like the bird’s age, diet, and where the measurement is taken on the egg. In general, bird eggshells are usually 5% thicker at the mid-section of the egg (the area called the equator) than the ‘bottom’ (the sharp egg pole) and ‘top’ (the blunt egg pole) ends.

To ‘illustrate’ how thickness varies by a few species, the egg of a Blue-tailed Emerald (a species of hummingbird that lays an egg with one of the thinnest recorded eggshells among all bird species) has a shell that’s 0.029 mm (0.0011 inch) thick. Compare that with an Ostrich egg, the largest egg with the thickest eggshell in the world, measures in at 1.92 mm (0.08 inch) thick. For many common species, like the Mallard, shell thickness is around 0.337 mm (0.013 inch); a domestic chicken eggshell varies from 0.33 – 0.36 mm (0.013 – 0.014 inch) thick.

It may be helpful to relate these small sizes in eggshell thickness to an average human hair, which can be anywhere from 0.06 mm (0.0024 inch), to 0.10 mm (0.004 inch) thick. I’m still amazed how an eight-layered eggshell happens!

Structure and function of eggshell layers: Cuticle layer and the Pores, Shell Pigment layer, Vertical Crystal layer, Crystalline Palisade layer

Cuticle (aka Bloom)

The Cuticle’s primary functions are to act as a physical and chemical barrier against invading microbes, protect the eggshell pores, and regulate the exchange of gas (Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide) and moisture (water vapor). The Cuticle also affects the egg’s wettability, which helps prevent water and bacteria from entering, and fine-tunes the eggshell’s appearance, including ultraviolet (UV) reflectance.

Eggshell Pores

The texture of the outer eggshell is due to the Pores that form openings in the Cuticle. Depending on species, there can be anywhere from 7,500 to 17,000 Pores covering an eggshell, most located at the blunt end of the egg (the top end where the air cell is located). Each Pore is connected to a Vertical Pore Canal that penetrates the next five eggshell layers, down to the External Shell Membrane. The shells of most bird eggs have simple, straight pore canals that widen slightly toward the openings through the Cuticle. The exceptions are found in swans and the ratites (the group with ostriches and emus), where their Vertical Pore Canals are highly branched. Covering the exterior opening of the Pores of all bird species (except pigeons and doves [hmmmm ….. wonder why]) are tiny plugs or caps, which may act as pressure-sensitive valves.

The Pores and their canals provide a critical passageway for gas and moisture exchange between the inside and outside world. This exchange allows the developing embryo to breathe by taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Shell Pigment Layer

The Shell Pigment Layer serves multiple critical functions, including camouflage, thermoregulation, and protection for the developing embryo. The colors and patterns come from two main pigments, protoporphyrin (brown/red) and biliverdin (blue/green), and their function varies depending on the bird’s environment and nesting behavior.

Vertical Crystal Layer

The Vertical Crystal Layer provides mechanical strength and structural integrity. Its tightly packed, vertically oriented crystals form a dense, outer layer that protects the embryo from physical shocks, while also being integrated with the Palisade Layer (below) to form a tough, ceramic-like structure. This outer layer’s density and arrangement make it resistant to impact.

Crystalline Palisade Layer

The Crystalline Palisade Layer serves two primary functions: providing mechanical strength and regulating gas exchange for the developing embryo. This is a thick, mineralized layer, that forms a dense matrix of calcium carbonate crystals, and is critical for protecting the egg’s contents while also aiding metabolic processes (i.e. all the chemical reactions within the embryo that are essential for life).

Structure and function of eggshell layers: Organic Matrix layer, Mammillary layer with Mammillary Bodies, External Shell Membrane layer, and Internal Shell Membrane layer

Organic Matrix Layer

The Organic Matrix Layer plays a crucial role in controlling biomineralization, forming the shell’s microstructure, and providing antimicrobial defense. Consisting of proteins, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans, this layer acts as a scaffold that controls the eggshell’s strength and protective properties.

Mammillary Layer and Mammillary Bodies

The Mammillary Layer and Mammillary Bodies form the foundation for the rest of the eggshell. Their primary function is to provide the calcium for the embryo’s skeletal development. This inner layer is composed of calcite microcrystals that dissolve easily, allowing the embryo to extract about 80% of its calcium needs before hatching.

This layer also helps during the “pipping” process because its globular texture makes it easy to crack and break through the shell from the inside. Pipping is the,process where the chick breaks through its eggshell to hatch. There are two phases during pipping: internal and external. Internal pipping is when the chick breaks through the Inner Shell Membrane Layer (see below) to reach the air cell and take its first breath followed by chirping! This first phase not visible from the outside and can take 12-24 hours. External pipping is when the chick uses its egg tooth to peck a visible hole or holes in the eggshell, a process that can take a few hours to a few days, requiring the chick to rest frequently… those outer layers of shell are hard. The long time due to the chick needing to rest This can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. The final step is “zipping,” where the chick turns in the egg, cracking the shell into two halves to fully hatch.

External Shell Membrane Layer

The External Shell Membrane Layer functions primarily as a barrier to protect the egg’s contents from bacterial invasion and to prevent moisture loss. This membrane is made of proteins and acts as the first line of defense after the Cuticle, preventing microorganisms from entering the egg.

Internal Shell Membrane Layer

The Internal Shell Membrane’s primary functions are to provide a barrier against bacterial invasion and to support the formation of the hard eggshell. It also helps prevent excessive moisture loss while allowing gases to pass through, a process that becomes more significant when the External and Internal Shell Membrane Layers separate to form an air cell.

Summary

Eggshells! I never knew they are such complex structures with many unique features. And eggshells are unfathomably critical to the development and survival of the embryo right up until the moment they “Pip” their way into the world. Without their bioceramic characteristics, microscopic pores, front-line bacterial defense systems, color patterns, and their surprising strength despite the shell’s thinness. birds might be something completely different or perhaps might not ‘be’ at all. Something worth pondering!

Hope you have enjoyed Submission Three of EggTober! If so, please leave me a comment. And as always, thanks for popping in!

p.s. Stay tuned for Submission Four, landing in your in-basket next week!

EggTober 2025/Submission Two ….. Days 9 – 16

October 16, 2025

EggTober progress continued, with zeal, as I worked my way through week two. See for yourself! Check out the bird eggs that randomly popped up from my list of nesting birds of New Mexico. As with Submission One, included are a few fascinating facts about the shape of bird eggs to go along with week two birds.

If you missed Submission One of my EggTober post and would like to catch up, click here.

Egg Shape

The typical oval-shaped bird egg isn’t coincidental. Evolution, influenced by factors such as bird genetics and environmental influences, produced a “smart egg;” a perfectly shaped package just right for survival ……..

October 9th and 10th

1. Structural Strength

The oval shape provides greater strength and resilience, reducing the likelihood of breakage during incubation. It withstands external pressure more effectively, minimizing deformation or fractures in the developing embryo.

October 11th and 12th

2. Optimal Space

The oval shape maximizes the volume available for the embryo, ensuring proper development and sufficient reserves of nutrients, including proteins.

October 13th and 14th

3. Temperature Distribution

The oval shape promotes the even distribution of heat. When a female bird incubates the egg, her body heat is utilized to maintain warmth. The egg’s oval shape aids in evenly disseminating her body heat, ensuring a consistent temperature for the embryo throughout the incubation process.

October 15th and 16th

4. Prevents Rolling

The blunt, flat end of the oval egg shape helps prevent rolling within the nest. This stability safeguards the eggs, preventing them from accidentally falling from the nest or assuming an improper position.

Summary

While most bird eggs exhibit an oval shape, slight variations in shape do occur among different species. These variations are influenced by the birds’ lifestyles and specific incubation requirements. Overall, the oval shape plays a vital role in the reproductive ecology and physiological adaptations of birds.

Hope you have enjoyed Submission Two of EggTober! If so, please leave me a comment. And as always, thanks for popping in!

p.s. Stay tuned for Submission Three, landing in your in-basket next week!

Native American Day/National Indigenous Peoples’ Day

^{October 13, 2025}

^{Today is the second Monday in October ….. a day to pause and honor the deep roots, rich cultures, and enduring spirit of the first peoples of this land. Native American Day celebrates the history, contributions, and resilience of Native American tribes all across the nation.}

^Yesteryears

^{Native American Day honors all Native Americans. South Dakota led the way, officially changing Columbus Day to}^{Native American Day}^{in 1990 after a “Year of Reconciliation” was declared by Governor George S. Mickelson. California soon followed. In recent years, the movement has gained national momentum. Many states and cities have chosen to celebrate}^{Indigenous Peoples’ Day}^{on the same date. Then in 2021, President Joseph Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation for}^{National Indigenous Peoples’ Day}^{, marking a significant step in acknowledging and respecting the history and contributions of America’s first inhabitants.}

*^{Zentangle patterns: Pacpaw, Bilt, Keeko, Mogo, Amath, Tribal, Moonlite, Rain}*

^Present-day

^{Celebrating the second Monday in October is more than acknowledging the past ….. it’s a day to recognize the living cultures that continue to enrich our country’s tapestry. It’s an opportunity to move beyond stereotypes and learn about the diverse traditions, languages, and stories that have shaped this continent for millennia. Native American Day also highlights the efforts to revitalize and preserve hundreds of indigenous languages, each one a unique expression of culture and knowledge. When we celebrate Native American Day, we celebrate the incredible diversity of traditions. Instead of a single culture, there are hundreds of distinct nations, each with its own unique customs.}

^{Storytelling and Art Making}

^{Native Americans have a powerful storytelling tradition of oral history, where foundational stories, lessons, and legacies were and still are passed down through generations. Many of these stories of life and culture are told through artwork, from ancient pictographs (rock paintings) and petroglyphs (images cut into rocks by pecking, incising or abrading) created by the indigenous peoples that lived throughout America, the intricate beadwork of the Plains tribes, the iconic pottery of the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest, to contemporary painting and sculpture. Native art is a cornerstone of American culture.}

^{New Mexico Rock Art}

^{Images painted on and carved into rock that were used in ancient storytelling can be found throughout my home state of New Mexico. Many of these sites are protected and preserved by federal designation as National historic landmarks, National Parks, and by the Bureau of Land Management as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and as a significant part of our Archaeological heritage.}

^{Traditional cultures and customs continue to fascinate me, and in “drawing” attention to the important contribution rock art has and continues to play, I wished to shared some of the designs (symbols) created by Native American tribes indigenous to the 4-corners region of the Southwest, with focus on those found in New Mexico. The Kokopelli symbol, the dancing flute player, is a familiar and favorite character throughout the area and has many meanings tied to fertility and harvest. The symbol depicted shows Kokopelli with a hump in his back where he carries seeds ready for planting, while he plays his flute, a symbol of warmth. He also carries a sunflower disk flower (the ‘complete’ inflorescence) to display fertility, the Sun symbol for happiness, and several crop symbols designed by the Acoma, Hopi, and Navajo.}

A Kokopelli created in 2017 … on toned grey paper and colored with Prismacolors

^{The very first known Kokopelli images appeared on ancient Hohokam pottery, dating from between 850 and 750 C.E. The drawing of the Kokopelli petroglyph, in the bottom left of my panel, is inspired by one of these first images that was discovered near Embudo, NM.}

^{Ideas to Celebrate Native American Day …..}^{Learn, listen and engage by}^…..

^{.…. reading a book by a Native American author, such as Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie or Tommy Orange,}

^{….. exploring a museum or a state historic site to learn firsthand about the lives and history of the region’s tribes,}

^{….. purchasing authentic arts, crafts, and goods from Native artists, which directly supports and helps preserve their cultural practices,}

^{….. attending one of many community- or university-hosted talks, film screenings, or celebrations such as a powwow}

^{Thank you very much for stopping by!}

Switched the Midge!

A Fourwing Saltbush Gall Mystery Solved

September 30, 2025

If you’re a fan of weird twists in nature (like me), and enjoyed my November 25, 2024 post, “A Quirk of Nature: Fourwing Saltbush,” you may have lost many hours of sleep wondering how I could’ve missed such an obvious mistake! You know the one. The labeling error made when naming those cottonball-like insect galls hugging the Fourwing stems.

In my confusion (or wishing to cover all options?), I seemed to believe two different midge species were somehow responsible for the same gall.

Are they Rosette Bud Gall Midge galls or Fourwing Saltbush Wooly Gall Midge galls?

Decisions, decisions.

My Quandry quite clear, it was time to consult the experts.

A short 10 months later, confirmation arrived from the iNaturalist experts in all things “Fourwing.” All the puffy galls are none other than those made by Fourwing Saltbush Wooly Gall Midges!

And the answer to my question is well timed, as the stems of the female Fourwing shrubs are once again ‘heavy’ with Wooly Gall Midge galls. Now I know! Now you also know!

Enjoy this official correction, at long last, and wishing you sweet dreams.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

PS: My journal page was created by first sketching in graphite the two Fourwing stems, followed by outlining with loose ink lines from a Micron 005, adding a background of both soft and medium charcoal – blending with a stump, then using a Tombow Mono Zero eraser to clean up the ‘cottonballs,’ before adding watercolor pencil, color splatters, and eraser lines randomly placed through the charcoal background. A bit experimental, and lots of fun.

Floss is Flying 🪂 !

It Must be Fall …….

September 22, 2025

Like soft, fluffy snow! Glistening orbs of silky gossamer are floating about the neighborhood, drifting hither and yon in the gentle breeze. Suspended beneath each orb is a single reddish-brown winged seed that appears to coax its wind-propelled puff in a safe descent to the ground. But the white floss (the Coma) wants to fly, and it becomes a tug of war. As the weight of the seed overwhelms the ability (and the desire) of the floss to carry it, their brief relationship is severed. But both get their wish …. the floss flies free as the seed drops to the ground, hopefully landing in an ideal spot to overwinter and sprout next spring.

Welcome Fall!

When the air is full of Horsetail Milkweed parachutes and their ‘riders,’ I walk along the neighborhood roadways and collect a bounty of their new-crop seeds + floss to set free around our property. If they find the right soil, moisture, and light conditions for spring germination, the seeds will not only form the beginnings of a stand of these beautifully blooming, creamy-white milkweed flowers, but the plants might just play host to Monarch and Queen butterflies!

Now wouldn’t that be dandy!

(Of course, mature seeds from new plants will undoubtedly entice a hungry crop of well-dressed Milkweed Bugs next Fall. That’s OK! They have to eat too!)

My Journal Pages ……

For something different, instead of using ink and watercolor, all sketches on these pages were created in graphite. The pods, seeds and the milkweed bug were sketched from my collected samples using a mechanical pencil loaded with a fine point HB lead. The touches of color were added with water soluble graphite.

Thanks for stopping by ….. And Have a Fabulous Fall!

Shifts in Nature

August Littles ….. 2025

September 8, 2025

Ohhhhhh, what a sweet month …… August. It almost got away from me without sharing a small collection of Littles¹ that reflect the inevitable shifts in nature that occur during the month. It’s always hard to imagine summer winding down; where did the time go? But as surely as butter melts on freshly baked bread, undeniably, August forms a reliable bridge between summer and autumn. It’s a time of change and transition; abundance and harvest; transformation and a period of letting go.

So before I “let go” and before the snow flies (and it will), here’s a handful of little discoveries during the month of August:

-A female Wheel Bug gone slightly astray while searching for a protected place to overwinter the eggs she’s about to lay.

-A female Soldier Beetle doing her best to attract a mate by sending out pheromones while munching late season pollen from the disk flowers of a brilliant yellow Showy Goldeneye.

-An acorn that made it to maturity, ready to drop beneath a still green-leaved Gambel Oak soon to be decked out in radiant fall colors.

-Some hot red trumpet-shaped Scarlet Gilia flowers, still irresistible to hummingbirds until migration, will all be pollinated in time for seed set and mature.

-The snowy white fruit dangling from the draping branches of Roundleaf Snowberry shrubs are ripe and ready for plucking by hungry birds flying south for the winter.

-And plump purple-black Chokecherry berries that will become a juicy dietary supplement for black bears needing to bulk up for hibernation.

Enjoy!

And as always, thanks for dropping by!

¹“Littles” is part of a blog series I began posting several years ago, beginning in January 2023. The concept was inspired by Fay (thanks again Fay!) who came up with the idea for her blog madebyfay.wordpress.com

If you’d like to read more of an explanation, check out my January 2023 post, Winter Birding on Sedillo Hill

National Find Your Inner Nerd Day

You Might Be A Nerd If ………

August 23, 2025

*Zentangle patterns: Flukes, laced, TunnelVizion, Furrballs, Paradox, Sppedwayxtra, Shattuck,*

Today’s the Day! Embrace your Inner Nerd, and set her free.

Back in the 1950s, the term “Nerd” was frequently heard to describe someone in a negative sense: “He’s not attractive;” “She’s awkward at socializing;” “What dorky glasses he’s wearing;” “She’s so shy.” Before that time, “Geek” was the popular word in play. However, many of today’s Nerds and Geeks have proudly broken free of those decades-old definitions by tossing them aside and rewriting dictionaries.

While the terms “Nerd” and “Geek” are often used interchangeably, some dictionaries are splitters. You can find Nerds described as people typically associated with intellectual pursuits and academic achievement, often focusing on mastering skills and knowledge, where Geeks are known for their intense enthusiasm of specific hobbies or interests, particularly in areas like technology, science fiction, or gaming.

Not to nit-pick an officially-designated celebration, it appears National Find Your Inner Nerd Day has merged Nerd with Geek, matching a 2024 dictionary definition….. and I paraphrase: “Nerd” is someone who’s extremely enthusiastic and wise about a subject or something they’re passionate about, and who excitedly and obsessively talks about it while paying extraordinary attention to details.

Are you an Inner Nerd?

Deep down inside do you identify with parts or even all of those words and phrases that attempt to describe a Nerdy you? You do? Awesome! Still not sure (or “On the Fence” and)/or not willing to admit to your Inner Nerdiness? Being someone who’s a self-identified Nerd, having recognized and accepted my quirkiness for decades, let me help!

You might be an Inner Nerd if:

-you’re an academic, a book-worm, into classic movies, or a Trekkie;

-you knit holiday clothes every year for your dog, all your friend’s dogs, the neighbor’s dogs, and the humane society;

-you collect Pez dispensers, antique buttons, bars of soap, or banana labels;

-you collect Adventure Labs, GeoArt, EarthCaches, TravelBugs, and Geocoins;

-your house is full of stuffed toys from around the world; you ask friends to bring you a skein of yarn every time they travel somewhere new; the closet in your craft room holds more bolts of fabric than Hancock’s of Paducah, because you ‘never know;’

-you’re passionate about learning as much as you can about anything new and then sharing everything with everyone you meet;

-you’re obsessed about your daily creative practice in the fine arts (drawing, painting, music, song, dancing, acting), or creative writing (poetry, prose, essays, short stories), or in the culinary arts;

-you have a rock from every state in the U.S., a pressed leaf from every deciduous tree in your county, a photo of front doors from all your neighbors’ homes, and neighboring neighbors’ homes;

-you’re obsessed about scrapbooking, making botanical inks, filling journal after journal with nature sketches, storytelling, song writing;

-your collection of art supplies rivals Jerry’s Artarama; your own more ukuleles than Jake Shimabukuro;

-and on and on and on!

Being a Nerd is about embracing what you love and sharing all of your nerdy habits, collections, hobbies, and passions. Being a Nerd is about wanting to inspire others to embrace their inner nerdiness, too! Isn’t it time to show the world how amazing your differences are? Isn’t it time to embrace your quirkiness and share what you love?

And if you need more convincing, have no fear! Nerds are some of the coolest people in the world, if not the world’s most creative and successful. They’re always up for learning new things and love to share what they have learned with others. National Find Your Inner Nerd Day gives permission for everyone to explore their inner nerd, because everyone has a little inner nerdiness inside ready to be set free! Nerds aren’t weird, Nerds are wonderfully unique! So let’s celebrate our quirky nature and love ourselves for who we really are.

Let’s Celebrate Our Inner Nerd

If you’re a collector of things, take the day to share your treasures with other people. Give them a glimpse inside your mind and share your enthusiasm about your collection.
Join a local club that offers similar interests to yours. Book clubs, art clubs, bird watching clubs, nature clubs, car clubs, astronomy clubs, cooking clubs , and stamp collecting clubs can always be found. The best way to meet people like you is to find people like you.
Attend a convention, such as Comicon, Star Trek, Anime, QuiltCon, National Narrow Gauge, and Association of Speciality Cut Flowers, and see how fun and enthusiastic Nerds really are! Start by searching in your local area to find something that interests you.

And lastly ……. Are you a self proclaimed Inner Nerd? Are you ready to finally submit to your Inner Nerdiness? What are you obsessed about; passionate about? Do you have an insatiable curiosity about one thing; lots of things? Are you a collector (of what); a dedicated and driven learner? Please share your uniqueness with family, friends, and me! Oh how I’d love to know!

I hope this post was fun! As always, thanks for dropping by!

P.S. I’ve been a self-proclaimed Inner Nerd for most of my life (and that’s a lot of years!). It’s been an ever changing, non-stop circular journey of obsessions and passions involving art, music, science and nature. Right now I’m passionate about nature journaling on a daily basis, and the joy of non-stop learning and sharing the limitless diversity of our natural world. Oh, and I’m crazy about my daily connections with art, Flambé, and storytelling through Zentangle.

The Cowpen Daisy ….. One of the Happiest Sunflowers Ever!

Part 1 ….. Can There Be Too Many Sunflowers?

August 5, 2025

It was the Fall of 2024. A small cluster of Cowpen Daisies (Verbesina encelioides) flourishing on the severely disturbed ground surrounding our new home was going to seed. Waiting several weeks until the migratory birds ate their fill, I spent an hour or so collecting as many remaining dried seeds (cypselas) as possible, stuffing full two quart-sized ziplock bags. About 1/3 of the seeds I scattered around the house where they would overwinter on the ground. The rest were poured into large pill vials that were labeled with species name, location, and date, then placed in the refrigerator to simulate cold storage until Spring.

Cowpen Daisy cypselas (seeds) 08/04/2025 at Punch

It was late April 2025. The chances of heavy frost seemed a distant memory. My fingers crossed, I chose a sunny 42 degree morning to liberate those refrigerated seeds from 6 months of cold storage, and scattered them in disturbed areas not seeded last Fall. Then I waited like an expectant parent, watching for signs of germination, worrying that runoff from late season snows might wash away my scattered seeds, expecting that flocks of migratory birds would gobble them all up, and hoping for gentle rain showers to swell those thousands of seed coats to aid those tiny embryos in growing their first roots (radicles) and first leaves (cotyledons).

Then early June 2025. Success! Cotyledons were literally popping up everywhere, which meant the radicles were already expanding into the soil. They were especially crowded where I’d scattered all the cold storage seeds, and germination was obvious where seeds had been scattered the Fall of 2024. By early July, those Cowpen daisies were crowding out many of the other native species I’d also seeded in the same areas.

Backyard and overflow Cowpen Daisies, robust growth after Fall 2024 seeding (08/03/2025)

And now it’s early August 2025, and what a dazzling show! Even though the sunflower yellow flowers of Cowpen Daisy are small (2” wide), there are up to 75 long-stemmed flowers on each plant that can grow from 4-5’ tall! They are so dense, the backyard fence is hardly visible, our walking paths are totally draped with 4” long leaves, and if there’s a rattlesnake lurking around under our massive Cowpen Daisy canopy, we’d probably (hopefully) hear him well before he slithered into view!

Goals and Lessons Learned

I’ve learned a lot by parenting these Daisies; from the best time to scatter seed (in the late Spring following cold storage) and where (not so close to other desirable natives or pathways), to managing the mass of growth (by organizing through selective removal). Our initial goal of seeding and growing native plant species was to attract and help feed wildlife (pollinators, reptiles, rodents, birds and mammals), and we are optimistic that achieving this goal long-term seems realistic with the success we’ve had to date. However, because so many of our native plants are losing the battle against habitat loss caused by invasive species encroachment and takeover, land development, and climate change, we will continue to explore ideas to expand our initial goal to address the habitat situation. As we gain insight about the best native plants to grow to help restore our disturbed soils, we will learn and share with our neighbors those species that: are drought tolerant; aid in building soils; are effective at invasive weed suppression; provide wildlife benefits; and increase plant diversity.

Cowpen Daisy and pollinator 08/01/2025 at Punch

Happy – Happy – Happy! Will I be collecting Cowpen Daisy seed again this Fall? You bet! Having all that sunshine yellow around our home is thrilling. Every morning all those thousands of sunflower faces looking East towards a new day are about the happiest sight ever! And having such wild, uninhibited growth of a native annual out our back door has been ideal for observing the pollinators that benefit from the abundant nectar and pollen, enjoying the aerial acrobatics of several phoebe families that have been feasting on those pollinators, and promises to be a perfect spot for bird watching this Fall when all those cypselas ripen into high protein food.

Can’t wait!

Do you ‘know’ a special native plant? How about a native butterfly garden? Are you a bird watcher? Maybe you enjoy the occasional deer, coyote, or bobcat wander through your yard? Please share your favorite wildlife encounter!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Bordered Patch (my photo/2023 – on butterfly bush)

National Sunflower Day

August 2, 2025

Zentangle patterns: Eeric, Dollpin, Alla, Citrus, Snowflower, Fancy Flower, Crizzy, Suru, KGI, Maryhill, Xplode, Lilyeyes, Odee, Sooflowers, Peaceout, Bulb Lantern, Arrowtree, Adobe

Sunflowers!🌻 Absolutely the happiest flower on Earth. Wouldn’t you agree?

Sunflowers, a symbol of adoration, loyalty, and longevity, represent happiness, friendship, and intelligence. Much like the sun, sunflowers reflect vibrancy and an energy of life. While National Sunflower Day is the official day to celebrate these beautiful flowers, why not declare the entire growing season reason a-plenty to radiate your inner sunshine and mirror the smiling faces of every sunflower encountered!

Then and Now

Did you know sunflowers have been around since about 1000 BCE? In the U.S. indigenous peoples used sunflowers as a valuable food source, for oil, paint, and textiles, and during ceremonies. Some archaeologists even believe sunflowers may have been cultivated before corn. Today, sunflowers are still used for food (seeds, salad mixes) and beverages (tea), cooking oil, in beauty and skin care treatments, for medicinal purposes, and for hobbies and crafts.

The sunflower crop

The U.S. is a mass producer of sunflowers, particularly in the plains states, and is a major crop in both North Dakota and South Dakota. The average cultivated sunflower plant is five to six feet tall, and the central face of disc flowers can grow bigger than a human head. As the weight of the sunflower head becomes heavy, it begins to fall forward causing the petals to fall off. Shortly after the harvest begins. On average, one sunflower can produce up to 2,000 seeds per head. In 2022, North Dakota produced 762 billion pounds of sunflower seeds!

The Happiest and the most Intelligent flower

Have you ever noticed sunflowers track the sun, from sunrise to sunset? It’s true! Sunflowers follow the sun’s movements throughout the day. You may notice that before sunrise, a sunflower is in sort of a sleeping position with its head slightly down. As the sun comes over the horizon, the flower awakens and slowly lifts its face to ‘look’ directly at the rising sun. As the day progresses and we observe the sun moving from east to west, so too does the sunflower by turning its face in sync with the sun’s apparent movements until sunset.¹ When the sun sets in the evening, sunflowers nod off to sleep, but not before untwisting themselves and slowly return to face the east. Ingenious!

¹However, on very hot days, sunflowers tend to avoid looking directly at the sun to keep from overheating. And I’ve noticed on cloudy days, sunflowers may appear confused about the sun’s location, seeming to make their best guess on which way to face.

A season of yellows and oranges

Although you can find flowers in the Aster (sunflower) family in the Spring, August is the peak growing and blooming season for these cheerful plants. Brilliant displays of yellow flowers welcoming the morning sun can be found wherever sunflowers grow. Witnessing fields of sunflowers is guaranteed to lift your spirits as you oooooh and aaaaaaaah at their breathtaking beauty.

Ideas to celebrate a day, week, month or year of sunflowers

Spend a day with a wild sunflower and watch its face track the sun.
Take a drive to view fields of sunflowers to see their true beauty in mass.
Give a bouquet of sunflowers to a friend to brighten their day.
Add sunflower petals and seeds to your salad.
Create a painting of your favorite sunflower and frame it to enjoy year-round.
Try your hand at a Zentangled sunflower bouquet ….. there are as many pattern possibilities as there are blooming sunflowers!
Plan a road trip to North Dakota in August and coordinate places to stop to visit sunflower fields and get updates from local farmers who cultivate sunflowers.

A collection of cowpen daisies in my backyard.

If you missed celebrating this year’s National Sunflower Day, no worries! Every time you come across any sunflower, of any size, anywhere, pause and hold a personal celebration in honor of its splendiferous magnificence!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sunflower photos were taken in our backyard ….. all volunteers too!