Eastern Redbud, Day 2

It snowed. Woke up at 5:30 this morning and went jogging; felt great all day.  I hope this tree isn't dead.

Eastern Redbud, Day 1

We desperately need some shade in our front yard, so last fall I planted an eastern redbud seedling on the devil strip.  The little tree sprouted along the banks of the creek that runs through my parents' backyard.  It had a few leaves last year and it looked like a redbud, but I'm not 100% on that.  Also not completely definitive that the little fella made it through the winter, but my Peterson's Guide says that this species should blossom sometime in March, so we will see.

The Definitive Cat Poster

I stumbled upon this image at http://icanhascheezburger.com/ this morning.  I like cats.

I actually kept some resolutions!

In 2010, I managed to not eat sweets and my jogging regimen improved.  My weight dropped from 251 to 190, and man, I feel a lot better.  There's still a lot of room for improvement.  This year, I'd like to run 1500 miles, which averages out to about 28 miles per week.  In 2010, I wanted to run 5 days per week, but this proved a little difficult, because of my hectic schedule at the blood center.  Another resolution: count calories.  I did this for a while back in 2002 or 2003, when I first got into jogging, and the weight really peeled off for a while.  I have heard and read that this is the best and simplest way to lose weight, and this morning I purchased an app strictly for this purpose.  Resolution #3--and this may prove to be the most difficult: avoid fast food and gas station snacks (e.g.-slim jims and combos).  Let me declare right now that qdoba and chipotle are not fast food.  Also, note that the resolution says to avoid fast food, but I understand that in some cases, like when we're in the car on the way to Florida, there is little choice in the matter.  I'd like to get my weight down to around 160 by my birthday.  I haven't been that light since middle school, at least, but it's obtainable if I set my mind to it and use a little willpower. 

Dogs

I don't care for dogs.  I think they smell, they invade my personal space and their fur feels greasy.  I think dogs belong outside (behind a fence) and houses where dogs live inside generally smell like dogs, which is a disagreeable smell to me.  Yes, as a youth, my family owned dogs--mostly shepherd types--which remained outdoors.  Our Australian Shepherd, Cider, wouldn't have it any other way: he despised coming indoors.  He was the last good dog that ever walked the face of the earth.

and btw, I'm not pointing any fingers, but...

Dog Manners Tip #3: It is inappropriate to bring your pet to a barbeque or party without him or her being invited. Even with family. Always check with the party host.

Microcentrum retinerve

Also known as a leaf-imitating Katydid.  I spotted this guy on the way out my front door to fetch the paper this morning.  The steamy August morning air caused the lens to fog a little, giving him the characteristic Cybil Shepherd soft-light look.  All-in-all, it's been a great summer for insect watching--I can't remember the last time that I've seen so many butterflies, grasshoppers and june bugs.

Bowerbirds

Yesterday morning I woke up thinking that I had a strange dream about reading an article in National Geographic about birds that decorated their homes with leaves, flowers and rubbish in order to attract mates, only to realize that I *really* did read such an article while half-asleep the night before.  They're called bowerbirds and apparently they're the only other animals in the world besides humans that decorate their homes for aesthetic purposes.  

Knowing is half the battle.

Tipula paludosa

I always thought these guys were mosquitoes, but interweb research indicates that it is indeed a Crane Fly.  I think he's missing a couple legs.  Miranda spotted him on the wall in the living room this morning.  He seemed to be a little disoriented, perhaps due to the trauma of losing two appendages.  Feeling sorry for a creature in such a precarious state, I declined to squash him, grabbed it with some tissue and let him fly away in the backyard.  Also, taking pictures of little things from far away with a giant zoom lens is not very easy.

Kentucky Wonder Beans, Day 29

Crap.  It appears that some sort of creature has eaten all the leaves off the lone wonder bean.  Now, all that remains is a stalk .  I'm no botanist, but I don't suppose that the plant will continue to grow in this condition.  I was unable to take a picture as it has been raining a Georgia flood this afternoon.  Miranda took it well.  She actually seemed to be quite excited that she was responsible in some manner for feeding a wild animal.  We'll just plant more.

Kentucky Wonder Beans, Day 28

The beans have been growing for more than 28 days, but this is the 28th day that I've taken their picture.  I think I'm finally starting to get my new schedule under control.  On Wednesday, Miranda and I planted the one surviving bean plant in the vegetable garden area in the back corner of the yard.  Hopefully, it will get enough light to prosper.  The pumpkin that we transplanted in the same area a few weeks earlier seems to be doing well, and pumpkins have never taken well in my yard before.  I may plant a few gourds along the fence, and that will probably be it.  This is probably the most light-deprived area of the yard.  Yesterday I went out and bought some components for our family's small aquarium.  I may go out this afternoon to purchase some plants for it, but fish won't be added for a couple weeks, until the water gets conditioned.  It won't be anything fancy: just a couple guppies, gouramis, maybe a couple platys, and an algae eater.  I've always found aquariums to be quite soothing to watch, except for a brief period when I owned a fish that was hell-bent on murdering and torturing all the other fish in the tank.

Kentucky Wonder Beans, Day 27

I think I'm gonna just post pics on Wednesdays and Saturdays from now on.  My work schedule has been keeping me away from blogging, but thankfully not jogging.  This is the only bean plant that made it.  In a few days, it may get transplanted to the backyard.

Kentucky Wonder Beans, Day 26

A squirrel knocked the pot over this morning.  I witnessed the entire thing.  Pot remained intact.  No harm, no foul.  My bamboo emerged yesterday, and I replanted the elephant ears on the devil strip in the front yard.