AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS FROM THE ARCHIVES

I am going back to January 2014 for this post and probably the first time I ever saw white pelicans. 

These were taken at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Florida, link here.

A lot of the birds are wild and tend to fly into the park in droves when it is feeding time for the resident birds. I don’t see any bands on their legs, so are assuming they are wild.

 I read that those bumps on their beaks appear on both male and female pelicans during breeding season, but once breeding season is over they fall off. These make them more attractive to prospective mates and it is called a nuptial tubercle. The photo below has two white ibis sharing the log with them.

Here are a few more facts. 

White pelicans have one of the largest wingspans of any North American bird at 9 feet.

White pelicans sometimes work together to herd fish to more shallow water where they can feast on them more easily.  

From the time an egg hatches until the bird leaves its nest and becomes independent, the parents provide 150 pounds of food.

White pelicans are pretty accomplished thieves, stealing from other pelicans and cormorants so they don’t have to do the work themselves.

They breed on islands in shallow wetlands with many other birds, including other white pelicans and also cormorants.

Unlike brown pelicans that fly high above the water and then dive down into the water to catch their prey, white pelicans get their body weight by feeding from the water surface, dipping their beaks into the water to snag fish and other aquatic animals.

White pelicans are one of the heaviest flying bird in the world. An average white pelican weighs between 7 to 20 pounds. 

Females lay 1 to 3 eggs in a slight depression in the ground. Both the male and female will incubate the eggs - not the other way other birds do, but with their giant orange feet. Eggs hatch in about a month and usually, only one will survive to leave the nest. Chicks leave the nest - fledge - when they are about 10 weeks old.

Except for the fact that males are slightly larger than females, the two appear identical. 

Thanks for looking and I hope you all have a happy Thursday. 

REMEMBERING THE TULIPS - FROM THE ARCHIVES

I found these looking through my old photos, going back to 2014. We were walking around Meadowlark Gardens, newly discovered by us at the time. The tulips were in bloom. I always look forward to this time of the year. 

I was practicing close-ups.

but above everything, I was enjoying those gorgeous yellow tulips...

newly opened with perfect petals.

For a change, not much narrative today.

Thanks for taking a peek and enjoy your day.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - EASY AND HEALTHY SHRIMP SCAMPI - MAKES 4 SERVINGS

 Wishing those who are celebrating a very happy Labor Day. Thank you to all of you who help keep us going.

We are not doing a lot of cooking, no new recipes this past week again. We are a bit late in our food shopping, and it will be off to the supermarket in the next day or so to restock. 

There is no link and the blog I originally got it from seems to have disappeared. I don't remember much except I did say we enjoyed it, and I decided to add it to my list of seafood dishes on here. 

This is a healthy version of Shrimp Scampi. From the photos it looks like I overdid it on the parsley, and I would suggest just adding enough to your own taste.

Easy and Healthy Shrimp Scampi 

Makes 4 servings

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1-1/4 lb. medium raw shrimp, 

peeled and deveined, tails left on.

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine 

(we used a Sauvignon Blanc)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon parsley 

(the extra tablespoon will be used for a garnish)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 lemon wedges

In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil. Sauté the shrimp until just pink, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon transfer the shrimp to a platter and keep them warm.  

In the skillet, combine the broth, wine, lemon juice, 1/4 cup parsley, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.

Boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by half.  Spoon the sauce over the shrimp.  Serve garnished with the lemon wedges and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.

What did we think of this dish?  Having not tried this recipe before, I wasn't sure what to expect but we thought it was excellent and served it with a mixed green salad.

Squeezing the lemon over the shrimp always seems to add a nice zing.

That's about it but if you have any questions I will do my best to answer them. As I mentioned, this was from several years ago, and I haven't made it in quite a while. We did seem to enjoy it though, and I will be putting it back in rotation.

A CHANGE OF PACE - PAPER BAG BRIDE

Before I continue, I have had problems with publishing comments the last few days or so. I was doing just that, answering comments, and then the glitch happened and put a spanner in the works. It stopped for a while and then came back. I seem to remember someone saying the same thing and am thinking it is one of those blogger issues. I am even slower than normal catching up, but hopefully this will correct itself like it usually does. Fingers crossed!

As for today's post, this is my own very short poem, put together years ago. My apologies to all those great poets out there but sometimes, very rarely, I can look at something and string a few words together. Just a short little ditty, just for fun and a change of pace.

I looked in a window

And what did I see?

No wonderful jewels

To wear in her hair.

A bride half-clothed in this heat,

With a long, long train of

Plastic bags flowing behind her feet.

How sweet!

We were in Fredericksburg several years ago, walking by a large industrial-sized building on a main road. Being the nosy/curious person that I am, I peered inside and saw the mannequin. It looked like the beginnings of an art exhibit. No information on the door or windows, and have no information.

Thanks for looking, have a great weekend and take good care of yourselves out there.

A CHANGE OF PACE - ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL CATERPILLAR

 These were taken a while back, but I came across them again recently. 

The Zebra Swallowtail Caterpillar (Eurytides marcellus) is a specialized green or black larva that feeds exclusively on the leaves of native pawpaw trees (Asimina species). Found across the eastern United States and southeast Canada, this caterpillar takes about two to four weeks to develop before transforming into a black and white striped butterfly with long hindwing tails. The photo below comes from Wikipedia and this is a link with more photos and information.

They live mostly in moist, low woodlands, river valleys and swamps where pawpaw trees grow.

They eat only the leaves of native pawpaw trees (Asimina species).  Adult butterflies however, sip nectar from open flowers like milkweed, verbena and zinnias, and frequently gather on damp soil or mud puddles to drink water and minerals. 

Eating pawpaw leaves makes the caterpillars and adult butterflies unpalatable or poisonous to predators like birds and spiders. Caterpillars have a special orange, forked neck gland called an osmeterium that pops out to release a foul odor when frightened. Evolution has given it lots of protection.

Adults from later broods can live up to six months, which is unusually long for a butterfly.  

Butterflies and their ancestors have been on earth for at least 200 to 300 million years. The evolutionary timeline of the Lepidoptera order (which includes both moths and butterflies) reveals how these creatures adapted over millions of years:

300 Million Years Ago (Moth Ancestors): the earliest primitive ancestors of moths first emerged. They were tiny, nocturnal, and lived in ancient, humid forests.

200 to 236 Million Years Ago (First Wing Scales): fossilized wing scales found in the ancient rock and prehistoric dung place early moth and butterfly lineages firmly in the Triassic and Jurassic periods. They flew alongside early dinosaurs.

100 Million Years Ago (True Butterflies): modern day-flying butterflies officially split from nocturnal moths during the Cretaceous period. Recent genetics studies show they originated in North and Central America before spreading globally.

I found the above information online, thanks to Google's search engine.

Thanks for looking and 

I hope your day is a great one.

RANDOM PHOTO AND AN OLD FAVORITE

I took this photo ages ago and came across it recently. It is one I saw sitting on the stem of a dried-up lotus pod.

It shows a male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis). It is easily recognized by its powdery blue abdomen, striped thorax and striking green-blue eyes. A pale face, banded markings on the thorax and clear wings with dark veins. Frequently found near ponds, marshes and slow-moving waters across North America, so I read.

Here are other interesting facts that I found on Google.

The only "Dasher": it is a monotypic species, meaning it is the sole member of its entire genus (Pachydiplax).

The "Obelisk" Handstand: to avoid overheating on hot days, it raises its abdomen straight up towards the sun. This obelisk posture minimizes the surface area exposed to solar radiation.

Illusory "Long Wings": its species name "longipennis" translates to "long wings". However, its wings are quite average; the name exists because females have an exceptionally short abdomen, making their wings look much longer by comparison.

Illusion of Blue: the powdery, chalky-blue color on the male's abdomen is not actually caused by blue pigment. Instead, it is an optical illusion created by a waxy coating called pruinescence, which scatters light.

Pollution Tolerant: unlike many delicate insects, the blue dasher is highly adaptable and thrives in polluted environments, storm drains and urban runoff parks that other species flee.

Fierce Mosquito Hunters: they are incredible assets for pest control. A single blue dasher can capture and eat hundreds of mosquitoes and gnats every day.

Rapid-Fire Egg Layer: when breeding, a female can dramatically lay between 300 and 700 eggs in a span of just 30 seconds by tapping her abdomen on the water's surface. This website here has photos that show the difference between a male and female and also has a lot more information.

Extreme Aerial Territory Battles: males are aggressively territorial. They guard their hunting perches by executing frantic, high-speed loops and vertical rocket chases against rival males.

Gender Color Shifting: juveniles and females primarily sport yellow and brown stripes. However, as females age, they can gradually turn a dusty blue, mimicking the males.

Aquatic Underworld Beginnings: before taking flight, they spend the vast majority of their lives (up to 11 months) underwater as aquatic nymphs, breathing through internal gills and aggressively hunting tadpoles and small fish.

If you are curious about these fascinating insects, there is a wealth of information out there online.

Thanks for looking and 

I hope your week is going great.

SOMETIMES I NEED ONLY TO STAND WHEREVER I AM....

 

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER, SORT OF…

Not that I can read the mind of a gull flying overhead, but there was this one the other day.

And not a French fry in sight. He is trying to eat healthier also.  

Are those sardines up there? We are going to be very brave and open up a can this weekend. It's a super food and we're trying such things lately. Gregg's dad and my dad were big fans of sardines. I remember eating them as a child. Anyone out there like them? If so maybe you have an idea how we can add it to something, to make it more palatable to the non-fishy fish eaters.

The birds have been scarce at the feeders lately and that’s how it's going on this

Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder.

Thanks for the visit and have a great weekend.

 

POETRY IN MOTION - DARTMOOR PONIES - OLD FAVORITES

Ask me to show you poetry in motion, 

and I will show you a horse.

~Author Unknown~

I took my photos on Dartmoor (UK) in 2015. 

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - INTERESTING STORY ABOUT THE DOG

 This is another from my archives. We are all of different faiths and beliefs. However, I hope all dog lovers will enjoy this story. The dog I mentioned below has long since moved on with his humans.

This is dedicated to my sweet four-legged neighbor across the street, with his cold, wet nose often pressed against the glass door, who always barks a welcome when I return home from a trip be it long or short. I wave and he wags his tail.

How the Dog Got a Cold, Wet Nose.

When a man named Noah started building a boat in the middle of the desert, everybody laughed. They thought he was daft. But Noah wasn't listening to them, he was listening to the God of the Hebrews, who said to build a boat.

So Noah built a boat. Noah called his boat an ark. When he finished it, he rounded up all the animals, two by two, to travel on his ark. People laughed at Noah's opossums and panthers and penguins. They laughed at his cheetahs and chinchillas, giraffes and gazelles, and rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses. Into the ark went all the animals, two by two.

Pretty soon, it started to rain. It rained, and it poured, and it rained some more. People stopped laughing and the ark started floating. Noah and his family and all the animals, two by two, rode safely on the waters.They sailed for 40 days and 40 nights. When the rains stopped, out of the ark came Noah and his family and all of the animals, two by two. Except one.

No one could find the little dog. Noah searched everywhere. He looked on the first deck. He looked on the second deck, then the third deck. Finally, in the farthest corner in the lowest deck, he found the little dog. The dog was shivering and standing with his nose pressed hard against the side of the boat. "Come here, little dog!" called Noah. "It's time to come out! Here, doggie, doggie!"

The little dog wouldn't move. Noah gently pulled him away. "What's this?" said Noah. "A hole in the ark! The ark might have sunk! Little dog! You kept us safe - me, my family, and all of the animals, two by two! With your little nose!"

The little dog was proud. But mostly, he was hungry. "Little dog," said Noah, as he pulled out a juicy bone, "so all the world and all the generations will know your great deed, your nose will always be cold and wet, just as it is today."

That's how the dog got his cold, wet nose. When you feel it, remember the little dog who used his nose to protect Noah, his family, and all of the animals, two by two.

~Stanley Coren~

Thanks for visiting and 

Happy Sunday Everyone.

Enjoy your day!

RED BUDS AND A POEM

 

Look, the trees

are turning their own bodies 

into pillars

of light, 

are giving off the rich 

fragrance of cinnamon

and fulfillment,

the long tapers 

of cattails

are bursting and floating away over

the blue shoulders

of the ponds,

and every pond,

no matter what its

name is, is

nameless now.

Every year 

everything

I have ever learned

in my lifetime

leads back to this: the fires

and the black river of loss

whose other side

is salvation, 

whose meaning 

none of us will ever know.

To live in this world

you must be able

to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it

against your bones knowing

your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go,

to let it go.

~Mary Oliver~

(9-10-35 - 1-17-19)

One of my all-time favorite poets. This photo was taken at Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, Virginia in May 2009. Probably not the same time of the year that the poem is describing but this is also a favorite photo I wanted to reshare. 

Our weather over the last few days showing the highs is below.

Tuesday, May 19th - 99°F / 37°C

Wednesday, May 20th - 81°F / 27°C

Thursday, May 21st - 73°F / 23°C

Friday, May 22nd - 57°F / 14°C

Saturday, May 23rd - 55°F / 13°C

Sunday, May 24th - 69°F / 21°C

As of 5-24-26 it has been raining for the last two days, with more to follow, so no walkies for us until the sun shines again. It won't keep us inside though. I am sure we will find something to do.  

What has the weather been like in your area?

FROM MY ARCHIVES - McKEE'S BOTANICAL GARDEN IN VERO BEACH, FLORIDA

It is hard to believe our visit took place 2014. In many ways it seems only yesterday. I shared all the statues before and if you missed them, or would like to see them again, you can click on the label below this post that says McKee's Botanical Garden_Vero Beach_Florida, it will take you to them. Apart from a distant look at the fisherman in the third photo from the bottom, this is just the garden. I also add a little history below that I found online. Three of the photos I have already shared. Please note that my narrative is from 2014 so the exhibit changed long ago, and probably other things too. I would highly recommend checking out their website and also online to see what others say if you ever find yourself in that area. That being said, I wouldn't have any hesitation going back for another visit if we were in Florida.

I can't say enough how much we both enjoyed this garden and loved walking around viewing all the amazing fauna.  

You can take a look at their website at this link. 

"In 1922 the McKee-Sexton Land Company was established in Vero Beach, Florida. This partnership purchased an 80-acre tropical hammock along the Indian River in 1929, and McKee Jungle Gardens was born."

(Not real but I remember having to look twice to make sure.)

"With the help of landscape architect William Lyman Phillips, now known as the pioneer of tropical landscape architecture, the basic infrastructure of streams, ponds and trails was designed.

"Native vegetation was augmented with ornamental plants and seeds from around the world as Arthur G. McKee and Waldo E. Sexton set about assembling one of the most outstanding collections of water lilies..."

"and orchids."

"By the 1940's more than 100,000 tourists were visiting McKee Jungle Gardens each year, making it one of Florida's most popular attractions."  

"In the early 1970's attendance dwindled due to competition from new, large-scale attractions and the garden was forced to close its doors in 1976."

"The land was sold and all but 18 acres were developed.  The remaining acreage, zoned for additional development, sat vacant for 20 years."

  

"In 1994 the Indian River Land Trust launched a fund-raising campaign and successfully purchased the property on December 1st, 1995 for $1.7 million."

"Close to $9.1 million was raised to purchase, stabilize and restore the Garden. The Garden held its formal Dedication in November, 2001."

There is a beautiful building called the Hall of Giants and is the one remaining building from the old McKee Jungle Garden, a favorite tourist attraction from the 1920's to the 1970's.  

It is made out of cypress and heart pine logs and was originally built in 1940 to house the enormous table we found inside.

(I noticed the Fifer statue is also here.)

This is the largest one-piece mahogany table in the world. The single slab of Philippine wood measures 35 feet 10 inches long and is 5 inches thick. Waldo Sexton first saw it in 1903 at the St. Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition. He purchased it nearly 20 years later when he found it in a basement of a New York City warehouse and had it shipped by boat to Vero Beach.

After the gardens closed in the 1970's, the table disappeared from the scene...

but when the McKee Botanical Gardens opened in 2001, the table came out of storage and was again installed in the Hall of Giants.

It was here that was a popular gathering spot for community events, including football banquets, corporate annual meetings and Chamber of Commerce dinners.   

An interesting bit of trivia I learned was that on each St. Patrick's Day in the 1950s, Dodgers President Walter O'Malley hosted Vero Beach's biggest spring party at the McKee Jungle Gardens. The entertainment often came via the playing field: Hall of Fame Umpire Jocko Conlan sang high Irish tenor. Maury Wills whom I read should have been in the Hall of Fame, played banjo. One year first baseman and soon-to-be TV's Rifleman Chuck Connors, recited "Casey at the Bat." My Dad and I loved to watch 'The Rifleman' when I was a kid, and we had no idea that he was previously a professional baseball player, also a basketball player. Link here if you don't know who Chuck Connors is.  If you are a lot younger than me, you might not.

It was with great pleasure that we explored this beautiful garden. The 'fisherman' bottom right you might remember from my other post.

If you find yourself in Vero Beach and you want to explore the next best thing to a tropical paradise, I hope you will make that right-hand turn like we did. It was an amazing place. 

This is a brown anole I believe? However, I couldn't identify an exact match of pattern online. Perhaps there is someone out there who can help me with an ID? Thank you in advance.

I've enjoyed looking back at my old posts. I hope you have too.

Thanks for visiting and 

I hope your week has started out well.