The Daily R-r-r-ibbit

Why I May Be Posting More Often

A bee on some goldenrod in the holler, 9/25/13 [Photo credit: Cathie Bird]

I used to use i-google for my home page. Google is discontinuing this option next month. I checked out other home page possibilities, but could not find any that had personalizing options I liked, not to mention too many ads all over the place. So I decided to use the R-r-r-ibbit as my new home page.

I figured this may help me to be more regular with new posts because I don't want to get bored seeing the same old thing every time I jump onto the 'net.

So, while I keep searching for other possibilities (see some of the links below) I'll keep updating  and re-widgetizing R-r-r-ibbit.

 

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What's out crawling, flying and blooming in the holler this week?

What an awesome week of life in the holler! I don't know if more things are coming out this year because of the wet winter or if I'm just finding more things because I'm looking harder. Whatever the case, I found some wonderful critters and plants this week.

It's dark, thundery, wet and electric here in the holler right now -- huge waxing and waning storm system moving through much of the day -- so I thought I'd blog for awhile.

                                                                                                        [Photo by Cathie Bird]

I'm pretty sure these are Geranium maculatum, one of two wild geraniums that grow here. The other one is Geranium columbinum, the Long-stalked Cranesbill, which I've also seen in the holler (I think).

While I was photographing several bunches of these, I was able to get closer than ever to this West Virginia White butterfly:

Pieris virginiensis, I think. [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Further down the lane I found these wild strawberries. There were lots of them out, but this bunch hanging over a fallen twig really drew me in:

Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry)  [Photo by Cathie Bird]

I also followed this caterpillar for awhile. He was moving much faster than I would have expected him to go and I took many frames, with only about a quarter of them coming out very well. I tried to identify this one online, but no luck yet, though I'm wondering if it might be a species of web or tent caterpillar, since he wasn't far from several trees with webs on them:

                                                                                [Photo by Cathie Bird]

I just happened to notice this wild stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) on my way back to the house after a walk with the dogs and cats one day. A day or two later I was seeing them everywhere along the lane:

                                                                                      [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Just back from a break. About 10 minutes ago I noticed that all of my pets were back here in the "office" with me. (I really love it when that happens, but it is a little tight space-wise.) I also noticed that the storm was intensifying and my head and ears felt like I was in an airplane, changing altitude fast. Then I lost my satellite connection. Woohoo!

Once I could get back online I checked my weather widget and found some weather advisories that were not there when I started updating my blogs this afternoon. It looks like things could get hairy tomorrow, too. I should be able to get some wild water photos by Monday, by the sound of it.

Tomorrow, I'll blog some more on the week in nature up here. I had a couple of other experiences -- with a black locust tree and a hawthorn of some kind -- that I'll share.

Okay. I'm off to batten down some hatches.