Runaway Menace

The vine is kudzu (Pueraria lobata), one of the many non-native invasive plant species that were brought into this country for a purpose, but then got out of hand, especially in the southeast. The joke about how to plant kudzu is, "Take a piece of the vine to the middle of a BIG field, drop it and RUN!!!" It's not that fast, but it's not called the foot-a-night vine for no reason. It will easily cover this entire building and silo and quite probably the nearby trees by the end of the summer.

2 Things Challenge: Organic/Chaos

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Organic/Chaos.
Since my screen persona is Eeyore, and thistle is Eeyore's favorite food (probably not so much because of the taste as much as he doesn't think he deserves any better) I had to eventually get thistle on the blog. Even though thistle starts out quite well organized, with rather pretty and regular flowers, which grow into bigger balls of purple color, ultimately, to spread it's future and the survival of the species, thistle must rely heavily on massive, overwhelming chaos. This one was growing in an abandoned field, so I'm quite sure it had no artificial fertilizer, pesticides, or color added, therefore it is totally organic.

More Backyard Wildlife

My blog has seemed pretty slow to load lately, so I'm trying a new way to get the larger images without going through flickr. The blog image seems just as large and clear as going through flickr, but when you click it, the resultant image is not quite as large. I think it will be faster though.

The bumblebees are busy doing their thing, pollinating everything in site. This is one of the clearest shots of one of these guys I've ever gotten.

Meanwhile this dove was just chillin' out on top of the swing, surveying the world and gettin' some rays.

Backyard Wildlife

Carolina Anole

Look close and you can see me in his eye.

Fledgling Mockingbird

This little guy was not long out of the nest. His mom was still catching bugs, etc. and feeding him when he would spread his wings and open wide. Look close at his mouth, and it looks a little bloody. I don't know what she's been feeding him.

Lay Lake Dragonfly

This is another of the many types of dragonfly that hang out at Lay Lake. A previous one is here. Or maybe it's the same kind, just at a different point in the life cycle/molting process.

2 Things Challenge Brilliant/Hidden

The 2 Things Challenge this week is Brilliant/Hidden.
While in Florida on business a while back, my wife and I got to eat at the Sundowner Restaurant on Key Largo. As we left, this is what we saw, the brilliant sun hidden by the clouds and horizon. I think I know how the restaurant got its name.

Join us at the 2 Things Challenge site for other interpretations.

Amish Friendship Bread

A friend got my wife started making Amish Friendship Bread. This batch had blueberries and tasted a little like a blueberry muffin. That's the starter for the next batch in the cup.

Hot shoe mounted flash with an old alcohol bottle for a diffuser.