Avalus has sent in some pictures he’s taken on one of his many walks. The first two photos are likely a potato bug, but the red and black bug is a mystery. Can you help? As always, you can click the photos for full-size.
Probably a potato bug ©Avalus, all rights reserved.
Probable potato bug ©Avalus, all rights reserved.
A freaky bug ©Avalus, all rights reserved.
Now we’ve talked a lot about how important wildflowers are in general for all kinds of lovely critters, so here they are.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Teensy tiny bees. The flower has at most a diameter of 15-20 mm. The bee is the size of my pinky finger nail.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
A very fat fly. Probably one of those that try to eat us alive.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
This one dressed all up for the occasion.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Yes, there’s also spiders.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
And pretty birds ;)
Iris at Death to Squirrels has a post up regarding the cruel treatment and unjust imprisonment of a young bi-racial girl with mental health problems. It’s an ugly story about a family looking for help and finding horror instead. It’s not only an indictment of the American mental health system but another urgent example of why Black Lives Matter really does matter. The more I read, the angrier I became, and I encourage you all to go read the story and get angry, too. Then, go sign the petition. I did, but I’m not an American, and the petition needs American voices – lots of them. At the very least, it will let this family know that they are not alone, but maybe collectively, we can get this child the help she desperately needs and offer her a future. Thanks.
Not done with these pictures yet. Just very busy and tired.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
This will be my last post from Beardsley’s Morte Darthur, and I’ve saved one of my favourite images for today. The style is more chaotic than most of the illustrations, and I think it’s deliciously dark and frenzied. Enjoy.
Now King Arthur saw the questing beast and thereof had great marvel. Artwork by Aubrey Beardsley: Le Morte Darthur.
From Avalus.
©Avalus, all rights reserved
©Avalus, all rights reserved
©Avalus, all rights reserved
©Avalus, all rights reserved
Artwork by Aubrey Beardsley, Le Morte Darthur.
A lot is happening in Portland, and Big Media reports are often unreliable or outright false. Our very own Crip Dyke at Pervert Justice has been on the ground risking her health and well-being to report the reality of the situation to us. This morning her report, Still a step away from Pinkerton’s, but it’s bad, is especially gut-wrenching, and it should be required reading. Please, if you haven’t already, head on over and share your support.
For some perspective on the reference to Pinkerton’s, Marcus at Stderr shares a historical look at labour protests in the U.S. with an essay titled How to Riot. It’s an in-depth look at the history of how the American government has handled civil unrest, and it’s frightening.
To round out your reading, I recommend Iris Vander Pluym at Death to Squirrels, whose essay A.G.Barr: Crip Dyke is a “violent rioter and anarchist” hijacking the Portland Protests, brings some insight into why what Crip Dyke is doing is so vitally important. The American government is lying to the public, and it is the on-sight reports from citizen journalists that tell the real story.
I share my thanks to all of these voices for the clarity they bring to a complicated issue.
Crip Dyke, please stay safe.
Poor PZ is still mowing his lawn. Around here Mr regularly sighs “I need to mow the lawn and then we do something else. I like that. I think we will make some hay later in summer in preparation of the degus. For now it’s a pretty wilderness.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Though we should not use that area for feed as there are many raspberries starting their career there right now.
©voyager, all rights reserved
Ahem… (singing) Just me and my Shadow, walking down the avenue (not the old, but the new).
Jack wanted to stop for a rest today, and it seemed the perfect time to snap a pic of our footwear. Jack is sporting his usual handsome greying toes, and I am wearing my feelings on my feet instead of my sleeve.
Avalus is doing some fieldwork with his new camera and he’s spied this flock of storks. He tells me that they’ve been around for awhile and hints that we may see them again.
©Avalus, all rights reserved
©Avalus, all rights reserved
©Avalus, all rights reserved
©Avalus, all rights reserved
©Avalus, all rights reserved
Artwork by Aubrey Beardsley. Le Morte Darthur.
As you may recall, our house is built on pretty steep terrain. The ground floor windows in the front are the first floor in the back. From there you have another treeish metres height difference to the garden. last year we had the stairs remodelled, since the old ones were rapidly becoming accidents waiting to happen. The slopes on either side are still steep and this year we started to stabilise the left hand side so we can put a lamppost on top.
The small area created at the top has been sown with “butterfly meadow” and “wildflower mix”. You can buy these seed mixes easily in Germany as many people are trying to bee more friendly. I also always toss a few handful on the rest of the area, which remains in pretty disarray.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
The dark side of the pumpkin patch. That area is more or less permanently in shade and this year we just didn’t have the nerve to look for something that would thrive there after the slugs ate the first round of plants. Suggestions welcome. But you can see the structure well.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
The pumpkin/squash/courgette patch. they are coming along nicely with several promising plants already. Only I never know what is what. You can also see the bane of my gardening existence: Horsetail. A plant that survived the dinosaurs. Common gardening advice is “nuke it from orbit”. It spreads through rhizomes that are also very fragile and will snap quickly so you’ll never get them all out. But you can make some wonderful fertilizer out of it: put the plants into a bucket with water and let it rot. Stinks like hell, but 100% organic, free and efficient.
©Giliell, all rights reserved