Looking For Grass?

This illustration is by Arwin Provonsha with the Purdue Department of Entomology. It's an illustration of a Say's firefly. There are more than 175 species of fireflies (actually beetles) in the U.S. but that number may be decreasing.

This summer I sat out in my yard patiently waiting for little Ruby to arrive. For some things there's not much you can do but wait.

Each evening I was treated to a massive display of firefly luminosity. But my backyard was the only place in the neighborhood where they were in such abundance. I attribute that to my tall grass areas where I'm establishing a native grassland.

I want little Ruby to be able to catch fireflies in a jar when she gets older. So I'm asking a favor of you. Quit cutting your grass please. The neighbors may complain but the fireflys won't.

One time when I was a kid we smuggled a bag full of fireflies into a movie theater and let them go. It wasn't as dramatic as we had hoped it would be. Mostly they didn't do anything. But it was a fun project none the less. I still remember it.

The Future of Parts

The whole is more than the sum of the parts. But the parts are so damn cute. Babies remind me of how simian we are. Toes reflexively squeeze around some imagined branch. Arms grab ahold of mom when startled. One day these hands will paint a picture or write a poem or dig a weed out of a garden. These toes will learn to pick up underwear from the floor without bending over or trace circles in the sand of a beach. For now they flail about without control or even awareness. How does that happen?

Collect Your Neon While You May

Top picture: 21 different options for the Times Square New Years ball lit by LED lights. (Photo captured from the New York Times web site. Photo by Ian Hardy.)

Bottom Picture: Neon sign captured at 8:15 on 9-1-08 along Bardstown Road.

I love the glow of neon and I can't remember a time when I didn't. The vivid glow of neon in the wanning evening light is magical. But it is a living fossil that feeds on a steady diet of fossil carbon. It takes tons of carbon to keep neon going night after night, year after year. I doubt there will be many more years left in the neon history books. Go capture images of them while you can. And if you don't mind sharing those images I would love to have you send them to me.

The future of commercial lighting is the LED. At mere fractions of the energy cost of neon you can create signs that flash ever changing patterns of light. Entire buildings could be covered in LED lights for the same cost of one large neon sign.

But even though I want to see our global energy budget reduced I will still miss neon.

Rockin Through Five Generations

My mothers grandmother was rocked in this cradle.
So was my mothers mother.
So was my mother.
So was I.
So it's about time to wash the sheets.

Brazil Isn't Brazil No More

My nephew George graduated from high school back in May. As part of his graduation gift I challenged him to go on a Kentucky road trip. There were dollar values for getting to destinations, extra cash for pictures of county courthouses, bonus cash for animal yard art and the encouragement to take pictures of church marquees with those witty sayings like "What is missing from CH CH? UR" Or my favorite..."Jesus Is Sufficent" (sic)

Photographs were required proof of getting to a destination. This picture, which by the way I like, is by George from his road trip.

It turns out that Brazil Kentucky has had a name change. It is now Chestnut Flats. That puzzles me since the American Chestnut has been wiped out. Seems like it ought to be the other way around. Chestnut Flats should now be Brazil. But who am I to go against local opinion. All politics is local.

Here are some of the other destinations on the challenge:

DESTINATION (MAP PAGE – GRID) VALUE

BESSIE, KY (74, I-3) $20
WOODMAN, KY (57, H-8) $20

TYEWHOPPETY, KY (62, H-5) $10
MONKEYS EYEBROW, KY (58, E-4) $10
THOUSANDSTICKS, KY (71, E-7) $10
EIGHTY-EIGHT, KY (82, A-5) $10

RABBIT HASH, KY (22, H-2) $5
AWE, KY (29, I-8) $5
BLACK GNAT, KY (66, C-4) $5
ROBERTA, KY (33, E-8) $5
BRAZIL, KY (52, G-5) $5
LIGGETT, KY (88, D-3) $5
EDSEL, KY (41, E-8) $5
SHOULDERBLADE, KY (54, H-2) $5
FRAKES, KY (87, F-6) $5
PROTEMUS, KY (76, H-4) $5
SLAUGHTERS, KY (44, H-5) $5

If you end up going to all of these places you will have a good idea of Kentucky geography. Let me know if you hit any of these hot spots. Who knows... the cash value may be good for you too. Like I said...who knows?

I Like It Slimey

I've said it before and I'll say it again. One day I want to have blue ribbon okra. In fact, if that ever happens I'm gonna throw a big party to celebrate.

Full discolsure. This is NOT my okra. So...no big party yet.

Ruby Entered in State Fair - Does Not Win

We entered Ruby in the State Fair Vegetables and Melons division. We contemplated entering her in the fruits and nuts section, but frankly... that division is very competitive and Ruby has very little time to practice with all the pooping and peeing she is involved in. So we opted for the less popular pepper section; specifically the bell peppers division. In short, she did not win but we are very proud of her none the less and have high hopes for next year when we may enter her as a watermelon.

I just re-read the rules and believe we fell down a bit on Rule #9 in the Vegetables and Melons division. Rule #9 reads: " 9. All vegetables must be fresh and clean. Exhibits must be displayed on white paper plates or similar trays furnished by the Fair."

This, of course, is any fathers nightmare. She didn't win because I didn't put her on a white paper plate or similar tray furnished by the Fair. My little girl lost because of me. And this was her first State Fair experience. Ruined by me. I will make it up to her and hope this doesn't set the tone for our entire relationship.

Note to Ruby: One day you will read this and know that I was the one that prevented you from having a perfect career as a winning State Fair vegetable. Please know how much I love you and forgive me my shortfalls.