Art – Page 4 – a curious nature

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!

It’s National Lollipop Day! 🍭

July 20, 2025

Zentangle patterns: Double 8, Wakka, Verve, Monkey Fist, Stikz, Windde, Thumbprinz, Vilbert, Bunny Buns, Watusee, Printemps, Binary, May Blossoms, Bunnyline

Lollipop Lollipop – oh-lolli-Lollipop! 🎶

Today, Flambé was craving a generous dollop of whimsy and an extreme sugar rush to feed her ever insatiable sweet tooth. Today, she insisted on choosing the National celebratory day that would simultaneously satisfy both her exorbitant desires. Today, Kat took a calculated leap, gracefully “sticking” her landing on one of those oversized spirals of sweet colors-on-a-stick. Today, Flambé picked National Lollipop Day!

While Kat is frantically licking her paws to break free of that giant Lollipop, my task was to learn stuff about those ultra-sweet confections.

Lollipops have been around for how long? Apparently no one is really sure how old the ‘lollipop’ is, but it’s likely this treat on a stick has been around for centuries. There’s even speculation that during prehistoric times, a form of ‘lollipop’ may have preserved nuts and berries in honey. Then as sugar became commonplace, lollys “popped” up as a popular treat in 16th century Europe. In the 17th century, the English enjoyed boiled sugar candy treats on sticks, which made the candies easier to eat. And in the mid-19th century (1860s), confectionaries and medicine shops in the U.S sold ‘lollipops’ in various forms.

The Name Lollipop ….. may have been used for centuries. A word sounding much like ‘lollipop’ was heard in Europe as early as the 4th century. Nomadic Roma people (also called Gypsies) migrating throughout Europe, had a tradition of selling candy apples on a stick. Red apple in the Romani language is loli phaba. In the late 18th century (1796), English lexicographer¹ Francis Grose recorded the term ‘lollipop’ that was likely derived by combining the words ‘lolly’ (which means tongue) and ‘pop’ (which means slap, describing the slapping or popping sound one made when sucking on hard candy). But it wasn’t until 1908, when Mr. George Smith, an American candy store owner and inventor from New Haven, Connecticut, developed a machine that could produce large quantities of hard candies mounted on sticks. Thinking about what to call those popular treats, he finally decided on Lollipop, the name of his favorite racehorse “Lolly Pops.” Smith trademarked the lollipop name in 1931.

Today, the modern Lollipop comes in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors (usually brightly colored), and flavors (usually fruit flavored). Some have fillings, like bubblegum, soft candy (think Tootsie Pops), soft chocolate, jawbreakers, and fizzy candy. Some are even medicinal (where medicines for weight loss and cancer treatments are added to the candy). And then there’s the novelty lollipops! Some contain unusual items like a mealworm larvae, scorpion, cricket, or ants, suspended in the clear-as-glass candy, so you can see the bugs while sucking on the lollipop! Some novelty lollipops have non-edible centers, like a flashing light, a small toy, or even a motorized device attached to the stick that makes the candy spin around in your mouth!

Lollipop Pop Culture – By now you’re probably humming one of Shirley Temple’s favorite tunes, “On the Good Ship Lollipop.” Maybe you’re thinking about “The Lollipop Guild” gleefully welcoming Dorothy to the Land of Oz. Did you ever (or maybe you still do) count the number of licks it takes to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop? I always questioned whether Kojak (you know, the TV series from the 70s) actually became more of a tough guy while sucking a lollipop. Hmmmmm?

Celebrate National Lollipop Day – The phrase of the day must be Lollipop Fun! You’re never too old to enjoy a brightly-colored, spirally-twisted lollipop. Buy a bagful of Tootsie Pops or Dum-Dums and share them with your family, friends, and neighbors. Visit a local candy-making factory and watch how they make these sweet treats on a stick. Try out one of the unique novelty lollipops, if you dare. Write a short story or a poem about lollipops and illustrate it in a kaleidoscope of colors. To me, lollipops remind me of riding a carousel pony, possibly named “Lolly Pops,” while at the carnival.

Now that Flambé has freed her paws from that giant spiral-shaped lollipop, she’s busy licking her way to the soft tuna center. That should keep her out of mischief for the rest of the day! Meanwhile, please let us know what your Lollipop Fun plans are for the day. Maybe share your favorite lollipop shape, color, and flavor guaranteed to put a big smile on your face!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

¹A lexicographer is a person who compiles dictionaries. You know …. of ‘Webster’s Dictionary’ fame, Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. He has been called the “Father of American Scholarship and Education”.

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!

Happy National Love a Tree Day!

May 16, 2025

Zentangle Patterns: thumbprints, cobbles, Lumpi, Cruffle, Shattuck, lightning, thorned Pokeleaf, sweet pea, mythograph, Icantoo, remo, greenery vibrant, feathering s-curve, boundary, Arcflower, hepmee, Quabog, raindotty, tsui

And many thanks to Lynn Mead for sharing her Tree of Life Labyrinth pattern. Super fun to give a whirl! The easy to follow directions can be found on tanglepatterns.com posted 08/14/2021

Today, May 16th, just so happens to be National Love a Tree Day! It’s the official day to celebrate all of life’s joys brought to us by the trees we share this planet with. Whether you love reading in the shade or taking a bite out of a fresh fruit pie, National Love a Tree Day encourages y’all to get outside and enjoy a tree.

A Changing Landscape

We all know many tree species live many many years; some live to be several thousand years old. According to the U.S. Forest Service, about 766 million acres of forest land exists in the United States today, a number that’s held steady since 2012. But the nature of our forests has changed over the last 400 years, due to changes in management practices and demand. Population growth, rural and urban development, along with a variety of land uses (like conversion of forests to agriculture use) resulted in a steady decline of forested acres between 1630 and 1910; a decline from 1,023 million acres to 753 million acres or 46% to 34% of the total land area in the U.S. Since that time until the present, where people choose to live and how the land is used has been constantly changing. While some urban forests increase, other areas see a decline. Tree planting programs improve landscapes but human activities and population growth continue to impact these ecosystems.

We All Benefit from Trees

Trees provide more than just beautiful landscapes and a shady canopy on a sunny day. They play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate as well as give us oxygen. Large quantities of carbon are stored in their tissues as trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They provide habitat and structure for strong ecosystems.

How to Observe National Love a Tree Day

This is a good day to plant a new tree native to your area, or spend some time enjoying the beauty of the trees, Take time to learn how to care for the trees you have, too, whether you live in the mountains or the desert. Write down all the reasons trees are important to you. If you have a favorite tree, or a tree you’re not familiar with, begin a little research project about that (or those) species, and journal about your findings.

What will you do today to celebrate trees?

Happy National Love a Tree Day!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

A Fiery Hot Hummer!

May 14, 2025

Nope …. that’s not a title typo!

Of all the hummingbirds migrating through central New Mexico, the male Rufous ‘hummer’ (Selasphorus rufous) is the most spectacular. Showing up when our hot Summer temps begin to soar, he has two things on his mind ……. #1. find the best patch of nectar-rich tubular flowers, and #2. keeping that patch all to himself to refuel before completing his 4,000 mile migration from southern Mexico to southern Alaska. Upon arriving from Mexico, the flashy 2-1/2” long Rufous, garbed in a feathery cloak of flame colored oranges and reds, quickly lays claim to an area of sweetly blooming flowers that may include penstemon, columbine, scarlet gilia, Indian paintbrush, mint, lily, fireweed, larkspur, currant, and heath. Determined to defend his patch against all invaders, he performs a quick flower flyover. If satisfied the coast is clear (for now), he takes up a strategic observational post by perching on a nearby tree branch to watch for rival hummers.

Ever alert and constantly in motion, his perch gives him a great vantage point to scan the area by looking right and left/up and down, all the while making quiet chittering and chipping noises. If another hummer, and especially a male Rufous dares to enter his territory and sip from his flowers, oh no! Becoming highly agitated, the perched bird spreads his tail while flashing his colorful gorget (throat feathers) seconds before dive bombing his competitor, loudly screaming his alert call while attempting scare off the thief. If this tactic doesn’t work, i.e. the rival is determined to hold his piece of air space, a duel is declared.

Rufous hummers are well known for their aerial acrobatics. Perhaps you’ve witnessed their display, which likely put you in awe of this little powerhouse. If not, what you’ve missed is their incredible speed of initial attack, their precision, the cacophony of noise coming from such a tiny blur of a bird, the maneuverability of numerous aerial loop-de-loops and J-pattern sky displays allowing them to dive repeatedly at their foe, and their tireless determination in defending their rights to their flowers. It’s a spectacle you have to see to believe!

The Rufous will attack not only males and females of their species, but hummingbirds of all species, and even large insects, all with the audacity to steal precious nectar from his prized flowers.

And never, ever sit near or below a hummingbird feeder when there’s a Rufous in the neighborhood. I learned the hard way after being attacked over and over again by a surprisingly intimidating Rufous hummer. Despite being thankful I chose to wear a hat that afternoon, a large dose of common sense had me backing away from his feeder for fear he might have a stroke before drawing blood. My heart still races when recalling this thrilling yet scary encounter.

While reading about the Rufous, I learned that all ages and both sexes of this species are aggressive, even during their brief 1-2 week migration stopovers. This is certainly very good information to know about, having only witnessed males launch themselves at intruders, myself included!

Can’t wait for Rufous migration season!

Have you learned something new about this wildly fascinating and fiery hot hummer of southern Mexico, the Western US, Canada and southern Alaska? If you have a Rufous or any hummingbird story to share, please do! Oh, I also hope you’ve enjoyed my colored pencil artwork of a male Rufous about to sip nectar from a freshly blooming penstemon.

Work in Progress …… showing an almost completed composition on smooth Bristol paper and a few of the Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils used in creating this Rufous hummer and penstemon.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Dance of the Bagworms

May 9, 2025

On a warm Spring morning, wandering around a grove of American Sycamore, I became curious about these magnificent trees: where in the US are they native; why are some leaves larger than the palm of my hand and some half the size; what about those odd pingpong sized seedballs lying on the ground everywhere you look ….. why don’t they roll away in search of an ideal spot to pop open so the seeds can germinate …… when the seedballs are kicked, stepped on or crushed beneath a car tire, do the 1,000’s of seeds inside blow away to sprout ….. are the seeds (all or some of them) even viable ….. do the seedballs make a good ink or dye or maybe they’re edible or even medicinal……. what, if any wildlife species eat the seedballs or seeds; and ooooohhhhhhh, sycamore bark! Why does this tree’s bark flaunt a pastel palette of greens, yellows and pinks. These and many more questions came to mind that it seemed about time the American Sycamore became a subject for my nature journal, until ……………..

There! In the tree above my head, I spotted a most curious thing. Parting a few of that sycamore’s beautiful Spring green palmate-shaped leaves was a bundle of dead brown and beige leafy bits and sticks all haphazardly glued together. Wishing to get a closer look at that elongated ornament shaped “thing,” I found it was securely suspended from a branch. Trying to puzzle out this fascinating mystery while searching for my pen knife, a stiff breeze blew through the tree. It was then a I noticed hundreds of those 2-3” long bundles all over the tree; from the base to its crown!

Curiosity is the Essence of Nature Journaling

What continues to draw me to nature and nature journaling after so many years are the surprises in the familiar and in the unknown. I know well enough that new encounters in nature are infinite; you just have to open your eyes and look. Having learned by carefully observing what appears to be familiar, often leads to new discoveries. That’s when my curiosity kicks into high gear ….. when it’s time to engage in some serious poking around to figure something out; to learn what the “thing” is.

Curiosity, for me, is the very heart and soul of nature journaling. The ‘art’ of curiosity even precedes skill in observation. It’s what drives me out the door in the morning and fuels my exploration. Curiosity fills the mind with countless questions if for no other reason but to develop a deeper understanding of the natural world.

But I “wax philosophical.” Needless to say, my curious discovery on that warm and breezy Spring morning prompted an abrupt change of mind for my next blog post (this post). Anxious to learn about the “thing” suspended from a tree branch, probably minding its own business, I proceeded to cut it down (along with two more) and popped them in a bag along with a few sycamore leaves and seedballs.

Later that same day …….

Upon completing my journal sketches of sycamore leaves and seedballs, and posting a few photos to iNaturalist for an initial ID, it was time to take a closer look at my discovery. Reaching into the bag for one of the “things” (wiping my hand free of spider webbing?), I placed it on my examination table surrounded by several hand lenses, a larger magnifying glass, a penknife, and 2 pairs of tweezers. Before beginning the dissection, I noticed about a dozen black pepper-sized bits moving about the “thing.” Thinking tiny spiders had come from the bag, I didn’t give them a second thought (should’ve been curious!).

This bagworm bag was the subject of my dissection. Notice the pepper-sized black dots next to the bag ….. those are wiggling 1st instar larva.

iNaturalist ID Pick :::::::::::::: BAGWORM MOTH ::::::::::::::: iNaturalist ID Pick

(awaiting genus/species ID)

A Bagworm Moth!

How cool is that!?!

The opened bag of a female Bagworm moth. She’s very dead, but her progeny are escaping as fast as they can.

Dissection resumes ……

After finding out the “thing” I’ve been pondering over is the Bag of a bagworm moth, I learned the Bag was built during last Spring, Summer and Fall by either a male or female bagworm moth. If a male, the Bag would be empty; if a female, the Bag would contain her remains …. she would’ve died last fall after a male fertilized 500-1,000+ eggs she overwintered inside her body until Spring when newly-hatched larvae would emerge from the bottom of the Bag and begin the species’ life cycle all over again.

The Bag, that took about 10 minutes and all my dissection tools to open, contained the black and mushy remains of a female and 100’s of wiggling/dancing larvae! They were on the move; escaping from the now wide open Bag, and quickly covering my examination table like a pepper grinder out of control.

And my effort to open the Bag? This made sense after reading about the high tensile strength of the silk they produce. These thin strands of silk, 10x stronger than that produced by silkworms, is used in abundance to construct their Bags.

The coolest thing ever! Notice the either late 2nd or early 3rd instar larva, no longer naked, but swaddled in very chewed up leafy bits glued together with strong silk. This dude was hiking up a sycamore branch, continually chewing, wiggling, and gluing.

After disposing of all the naked 1st instar larvae waggling and dancing across my examination table, I placed the dissected Bag, the two whole Bags, and collected leaf material into a clear plastic ziplock to observe what would happen. Over 10 days, the number of larvae multiplied and the naked 1st instar caterpillars grew in size (at least to 2nd instar) while building their individual Bags from tiny bits of leaf litter! Their wiggling dance seemed to be the way their silk strands wrapped and secured leafy bits around their bodies. It’s been fun to watch all the activity.

Have you ever encountered one or more of the 1,350+ species of bagworm moths? What materials were their Bags made from? Please share your experience with these fascinating members of the butterfly/moth family of insects.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Pass the Mustard, Please! Happy National Pretzel Day

April 26, 2025

Pretzels! Who doesn’t love pretzels?

Put down that can of chips or box of square crackers and show your love for one of the most versatile snacks ever …… the Pretzel! Whether you like the snap of crispy twists or prefer them soft and chewy, grab your favorite and join the National Pretzel Day celebration today, April 26th.

Zentangle patterns: Wakka, Triptd, Naf, Bzings, Wob, Shattuck, Aleuba, Tunnel Vizion, Reverse Lollywimple, Taco/Tearce, Tentoculus, Therefore, Tofube, Seedwayzxtra,Spangle, Strutz, Pop Cloud, Raindotty

Just where did this addictive snack come from?

Pretzel historians offer a few origin stories, but usually share the most likely and often told legend from the Roman Empire. Apparently in 610 A.D., an Italian monk wanted a way to reward his child students for memorizing their prayers. Instead of baking loaves of morning bread, the Monk twisted thin strips of the dough into symmetrical loops by intertwining or knotting the two ends before folding them back on each other (today’s familiar “pretzel loop”). The shape he made was said to resemble a child with his arms crossed in prayer. The Monk called his invention ‘pretiola’ meaning ‘little rewards’.

From then on, these soft ‘little rewards’ became popular in Austrian bakeries and in all of Germany, and so on throughout the world.

Not being satisfied with baking only soft pretzels, in 1850, Julius Sturgis bought a hard pretzel recipe from a local tramp (wonder why a tramp would have such a recipe? Thoughts?). After baking and baking, and perfecting the recipe, it was clear to Julius the hard pretzel was a success. The pretzel’s popularity quickly spread, inspiring many other bakers in central Pennsylvania to make their own versions of the hard pretzel. But the original ‘Sturgis’ hard pretzel was a keeper. In 1861, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, located in Lititz, Pennsylvania in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, became the first commercial pretzel bakery in America.

Naturally, die-hard fans of the warm/soft pretzel weren’t won over by the overwhelming appeal of the hard/crispy version. With the soft pretzel market still alive and growing, by the 20th century soft pretzels became very popular not only in Philadelphia, but in Chicago and New York as well.

The Pretzel of Today

How many shapes and flavors of pretzels can you think of? Here’s my lists …….

Hard pretzel shapes: traditional loop, thick and thin; stick shapes, both thin and in thick rods; twisted, clockwise and counterclockwise; round rings with and without knots; thick stumpy bite-sized nuggets, filled and unfilled; chip shaped and waffle shaped.

Hard pretzel flavors: salted, cinnamon sugar, peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly, honey mustard, cheese, honey wheat, honey butter, ranch, ranch and jalapeño, garlic, sea salt caramel, sour cream and onion, and buffalo wing.

And for soft pretzels …… it’s all about the dipping sauces and coatings: Of course there’s yellow mustard, garlic mustard, melty cheese, melty beer cheese. But there’s also chocolate dipped, aioli, truffle hot sauce, buffalo ranch, cinnamon sugar, and marinara.

Can you add more?

Pretzel Fun Factz!

Pennsylvania is the center of American pretzel production for both hard and soft pretzels, producing 80% of the nation’s pretzels.
Today, the average Philadelphian consumes about twelve times as many pretzels as the national average.
Philadelphia opened a privately run “Pretzel Museum” in 1993.
The annual United States pretzel industry is worth over $550 million.
The average American consumes about 1.5 pounds of pretzels per year.

How will you celebrate National Pretzel Day 2025? Here’s a few ideas …..

Enjoy a bag of your favorite hard pretzels, and gift one to a friend.
Visit your local bakery or even the mall to sample their selection of warm soft pretzels.
Try a game of “Toss the Ring” with ring-shaped pretzels.
Go on a pretzel scavenger hunt.
Host a pretzel and beer party for your neighborhood.
Bake a batch of soft pretzels for the party and have everyone bring their favorite dipping sauce.

And now ………

Curiously, Flambé has been following my post with fascination. Always hungry, could it be she’s developing pretzel cravings? What baker, in their right mind, would ever scent a batch with eau de fish? If a pretzel maker thought mackerel flavored twists would ever be popular, they might just be crazy (or not?). Becoming more famished by the minute, Kat insisted on explaining her ‘irrational’ excitement in a “Blitz” poem (a style created by Robert Keim.¹). She felt this poem style not only suited all the twists and turns found in a properly-constructed pretzel loop, it best expressed the twisting and turning pathway her mind took to explain herself and help us “get it!” What do you think?

¹Shout out to Michele Lee, My Inspired Life blog post dated 04/05/2025, for sharing her amazing Blitz poem and providing the rules to create one too. Thanks Michele!

As always. Thanks for stopping by!

Here are the guidelines for the Blitz poem, created by Robert Keim:

Line 1 should be one short phrase or image (like “build a boat”)
Line 2 should be another short phrase or image using the same first word as the first word in Line 1 (something like “build a house”)
Lines 3 and 4 should be short phrases or images using the last word of Line 2 as their first words (so Line 3 might be “house for sale” and Line 4 might be “house for rent”)
Lines 5 and 6 should be short phrases or images using the last word of Line 4 as their first words, and so on until you’ve made it through 48 lines
Line 49 should be the last word of Line 48
Line 50 should be the last word of Line 47
The title of the poem should be three words long and follow this format: (first word of Line 3) (preposition or conjunction) (first word of line 47)
There should be no punctuation