Howard’s Big Dig
Bunneh Cuteness
Howard’s Big Dig
Tag: fauna
Howard’s Big Dig
Common Grackle
I’ve been wondering what these black birds were. There are zillions of them out back, but every time I try to identify them online, I can’t summon up a detailed image of them. This is a crappy photo, but it was good enough for an ID.
Rainy Days and Caterpillars
This little guy was hanging out on a sassafras sapling. I love the raindrops clinging to his little hairs and sparkling like tiny jewels.
Skwrrl
Behind Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Harriet says that skwrrlz are evil. She may be right. This little guy sure was charming, though. I’d take a step closer, he’d stop eating and stare at me, then he’d go back to eating and I’d take his picture. Then I’d take another step closer, etc., etc., etc. He let me get just a couple of feet away from him.
I love the way his tail is curled over his back.
He looks like he’s wearing a fur hat.
Bones
I think these are thoracic vertebrae, but I’m not entirely certain. There is a surprising dearth of good chicken anatomy resources available online. I found a few annotated photos and drawings, but none of them were good enough for me to make a positive ID.
Anyway! I got my car back. I always feel kind of silly taking it all the way back to Owen County to have it worked on, but it’s worth it. I called ahead and got rough estimates for everything I needed to have done: new front brakes, turn rotors, four new tires, alignment, new battery, and oil change. When I took it in, I told them that if they went over $600, they’d have to take the difference in a post-dated check, because that was my limit. It came in slightly over that, but they knocked it down to $600 (tax included). It wasn’t a huge deal, because I had a little bit of wiggle room, but I appreciate that they were willing to work with me.
Oh, and new tires? Wheee! I can feel their nubbiness. It’s a reassuring feeling, but it’s going to take some getting used to.
Dramatic Lemur Is Dramatic
Two for Joy
The folks I was cat sitting for had, in addition to Harry and David apples and oranges, a box of pears. I picked them up this morning, and while I was there, I saw two crows in the front yard. In the UK they count magpies, but we don’t have those here, so crows will have to do.
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.
At the end of one year and the beginning of another, joy sounds like a good thing to have.
The Birds
On my way home, while stopped at a red light, I looked up and saw this flock of birds perched on the power lines running across the street.
And not a cloud in the sky!
Bloodsuckers
Leech
Having never seen a leech in real life, I didn’t realize what this was when I took its picture. I went Googling for photos of the same kind of leech, hoping to identify it specifically, but didn’t find any. I can say, though, that looking at pictures of leeches while eating your mid-morning snack is not something I’d recommend. Ugh. Compared to some of the photos I looked at, this little guy is quite charming.
Happy damned Tuesday!
Found
This is some of the junk I picked up while cleaning and hiking out in Owen County last weekend. The ceramic and tile pieces came from the driveway. The former owners were artists, and they used the driveway to break up china for mosaic work. There are little pieces of the leftovers mixed in with the gravel. Every time it rains, more pieces come to the surface, so whenever I’m there, I look around for them.
The little girl’s photo came from inside the house. It was in a pile of stuff I swept up off the floor. So were the nuts and washer and the metal thingumy in the top right corner. I haven’t a clue what it is, but it’s a neat shape and has a nice patina, so I kept it. The stone at the top is a fossil of some sort.
The turkey feather was sitting in the crook of a tree. It looked like a snake, at first glance, because of its pattern and size. Yes, wild turkeys do roost in trees!
red paper boat 