Mama never forgets her birds,
This very large Turkish guard dog protects the alpacas on the Cedar Brook Alpaca Farm from predators. He patrols the paddocks all night and sleeps all day. He was awake on Saturday because it was Open House at the farm. The dog chases off coyotes and other predators that attack alapacas. He has a large warm barn and a large run for the day time. There are signs on his fence warning people to stay clear of him because he is very protective of his alpacas.
Blueberry season is winding down here. It's been a great year! This is one of my favorite and easiest blueberry recipes. I add as many berries as the batter can hold and I never put on the topping. Sometimes I sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioner's sugar. Sometimes I don't. I can't wait to see other people's recipes this week! Happy HoT Day!
These are macros of lupine Wingnut and I found in Glover while signing up for swimming lessons (to see his photos of the lupine, click here). Above you see the radial symmetry of lupine as you look straight down from the top of the plant.
Mathematically, a line is defined by at least two points in the same plane and is not curved. But we often speak of the line of a figure and that line can be curved as in these last three photos of lupine blossoms.
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Queen Anne, wife of James I of England, was an avid lace maker, and is the namesake of the flower. The tiny purple dot in the center represents a spot of blood caused by a needle prick to the queen’s finger, and this tiny sliver of color was thought to cure epilepsy. Black swallowtail butterflies flock to them like cats to catnip. Farmers consider it an invasive weed, and the milk from animals that graze upon it is supposed to taste a bit bitter and carroty. The plant is also called bee’s nest, bird’s nest, crow’s nest, and devil’s plague (seems a bit harsh!). The carrots that we eat today are believed to be derived from this wild variety, and to revert to it when not tended or cultivated. Queen Anne’s Lace roots have also been used as a coffee substitute, like chicory.from Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide:
Queen Anne's Lace is just beginning to grow here but will not flower for quite awhile. I call it the "fractal flower." And making one of these fractals is on my todo list.
- 'Daucus' is from 'daukos', which is Greek for carrot.
- 'Carrot' is Celtic meaning 'red of colour'.
- The are numerous legends about how this plant became associated with and was named after Queen Anne, wife of King James I of England.
- Devil's plague was a common name given by farmers who found this weed difficult to control; rantipole means rude and reckless.
- It is not known if there are benefits associated with having a purple flower located in the center of some flower clusters. A study showed that insects were neither attracted nor repelled by the presence or absence of the flower.
- The first year roots of wild carrot are reported to be edible, but care must be taken to not mistake poison hemlock for wild carrot.
These are all examples of caddisflies, collected during an aquatic insect and crustacean field trip on the Missisquoi River by our fifth and sixth graders. You can see the caddisfly emerging from their homes of pieces of twigs, plants and silk that they make. 
Interestingly, caddisflies and stoneflies are signs that the water in which they live is very clean.
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I photographed this Eastern Kingbird while it was hunting insects in the beaver bog. Not a great photo, but proof that he was there! You can see more (and similar) photos of him here.
This is a turkey vulture in flight over my head last week. Bird walks with Mr. T — in the past and hopefully long into the future — are some of my fondest memories. While he was not present when I captured this vulture (see close-up photos here of this stunning bird that only a mother could love), he is the inspiration for my bird photos and he has given me the gift of his love of birds and birding. Lately, we saw the first eastern bluebird reported in Barton Town this season. Special moments with a special person are memories to cherish.
Heads or Tails or Heads or Tails
I have an interest in fractals (shapes that are self-similar). I have moved on to making fractal flames, which you see here. Several bloggers have asked me how to make these flames, so I spent Saturday writing a tutorial for using Oxidizer, the Macintosh fractal flame software. You can see the tutorial here if you are interested. I already need to update the tutorial because I learned more about using the software Sunday when I created these images.
Heads or Tails or Heads or Tails
David at Useless Facts posted Useless facts: More on Brains — The Woodpecker Factor which pointed me to this article at New Scientist, which I have lifted in full because of the humor. I hope you enjoy my photos (I took these shots outdoors, not through the bird window) and information.
These photos will open full-sized in a new window when clicked.Heads or Tails or Heads or Tails
Our "first day of Spring" was Sunday and I spent hours gadding about in the sun with my camera. My neighbors here were also enjoying the sunshine. The cream colored horse, usually sparkling clean, dozed in the dirt. I remember the first time I saw her lying in the sun during my first spring in this house. Not knowing what horses do, I was certain that she had died. I was actually on my way to tell my neighbors that their horse had died when the pretty horse heard me and stood up. I shamefacedly, but happily, returned home. On days like that day, you'll get nowhere fast if you ride these horses!
Heads or Tails or Heads or Tails
Friday Fractal