More mouths to feed

Luckily, I’m not the one to do it.


I was busy with other tasks this morning and neglected to do my morning check of the mantis egg sacs, but judging from how many were swarming around when I finally did notice this one, they’d probably gotten started in the very early morning hours. Only a couple were still displaying a slight forehead bump that’s the last read more

They’re trying to avoid me

It’s almost 4 AM right now, and don’t ask me about my sleep schedule. But yesterday evening (as in, about seven hours ago,) I checked on the mantis egg sacs in the yard because I know they’re due – actually overdue, going by previous years. Nothing was happening then, so as I stepped out this morning at 3-ish I only glanced down at the nearest one in passing, since it sits read more

On this date 58

Yes, this topic has not died yet, but there’s a special reason for it to occur this time, and we’ll get to that. Right now, let’s see what was happening on this date in history. Pretty recent history, and nothing at all historical. Pretty self-centered, to be blunt. But it’s a blog, which as I’ve said before, is an exercise is thinly-veiled narcissism. If it’s read more

I let my guard down…

… and of course someone snuck in.


In this case, it was the first of the mantis egg cases (oothecas) hatching. There are several in the yard, including four now that had been naturally placed there – three Chinese mantids and a Carolina. I was doing routine checks, but the last one discovered, deep under an untended thicket of mostly vines, I now realize that read more

Profiles of Nature 8


This week we’re getting acquainted with Mordecai, part of our Street People series, candid slices of urban blighted hellscape. Mordecai is a member of the “Mants,” a gang that holds sway over the Azalea Bush On The Right, and takes no shit from anyone he’s been known to spray-paint trite, unoriginal designs onto walls where the cops can’t read more

Profiles of Nature 3


In today’s Profile, we have Szczęście in her favorite headshot, the industry term for the flattering portrait necessary if you intend to do anything at all in show business (as opposed to the gamer term which is decidedly less family-friendly.) Szczęście has every intention of making it big in Hollywood and has the acting chops to do so, but she’s read more

Cleaning out the fridge

I mentioned earlier that I might do this, and you’d hoped that I wouldn’t, I know, but here it is anyway because I’m sadistic. In sorting video clips, I realized I had a handful (well, 25) that I’d been pleased to get – they just weren’t enough to justify editing and uploading, and while I’d waited to see if I’d get some more to make a complete read more

K? K

As promised in the last post, this one now ties the record for the most posts made in a year, so everything after this is gravy, and whatever photo I put here will be the 1,000th picture uploaded for the year. Which is pretty damn good, I have to admit, but it has a few caveats. As always, there’s a small handful that were other peoples’ images, and some odds-and-ends stolen from the read more

Podcast: Improvements

So here we have the… second? Is that right? Holy shit, that’s bad… podcast of 2020, kinda pathetic but whatcha gonna do: withhold your payments? Yeah, that’s right, sit down and hush up.

This time though, we’re going into improvements. No, not improvements that have been made, but improvements that will be made. Maybe. Hopefully. Soon… ish…

It’s actually read more

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