Category Out and About
Nails wish they were this tough
On the 9th of November I had to stop over at the shop by the processing tower where I work. This is a tall building full of equipment to separate soybean seeds from plant debris, insect parts, and other non-seed items. Pretty industrial. Concrete and steal all around. Not the sort of environment one imagines […]
A turkey of a post
Too many things on my plate right now. But I do have a picture of a Tom and two hen turkeys. They are too wrapped up in each other to notice someone stop to take their picture.
Pests parsimoniously, and persistently purloining plenty…
Not all the biodiversity on the farm is welcome right there on the farm. There is space for the weedy species over yonder by the ditch. Herbivorous insects, and in particular those choosing to chew our crops could get along nicely by the edge of the wood. White tailed deer could mosey down to the […]
Dropping the ball
Philosophical reflection on New Years and a New Decade… how might we all do better
You’re not connected to a network
Oh my. Is that serious Doc? How long have I got? What if the neighbors find out? I hope it’s not contagious, or perhaps – I should hope it is. A couple weeks ago Alan Jacobs left a note at his (macro?) blog Snakes and Ladders about his efforts to shrink his exposure to the […]
Hawks and Doves
A red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, stopped by the house last weekend. A juvenile I believe. We see hawks now and then, they’re not all that rare in these parts… but one tends to see them out in open country and not so much near human habitats. This particular hawk wasn’t the least bit shy – […]
Watching from the sidelines
The St Louis Cardinals won’t be in the baseball playoffs this year. My heart will eventually mend. The Cardinals probably shouldn’t be in the playoffs, they didn’t really deserve it this year – but they did have a chance. They’ll be back. I now find myself cheering for the Chicago Cubs. A strange development. If […]
Earth Day 2018 – what side are you on?
Last year on this date Ruben Anderson and I each posted an Earth Day piece. [1, 2] Looking back one year – here in the U.S. the Trump Administration had only three months under its belt, but the fierce political dichotomies leading up to DT’s election had been brewing for quite some time. Every subject […]
When a turkey trot is insufficient
Turkey trots have been a tradition at Thanksgiving for quite a while now. In Columbus Ohio next month, the 31st annual run to benefit Central Ohio Easter Seals will take place. And if you have an interest, you can check it out here. Humans running as turkeys is one thing. Turkeys running is another. Wild […]
Five gallons of death
That sounds pretty yucky. And it should. Hidden within this bucket are almost five full gallons of dead Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica). These insects are serious herbivores and in significant numbers can render serious harm. In the face of an outbreak of these fiendish little coleopterans one might choose to spray chemicals, deploy pheromone traps, […]
Gulliver's Pulse 
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