Creek Jots 2 August

Moth Mullein Morning

â–¶ Distracted earlier in the week by the now-pleasant-memory of the Warm Hearth event, the Panasonic Lumix LX7 that came Wednesday has finally had a field trip. I’m a long way from comfortable with this camera, but it’s macro capability was the reason I wanted it, and so far, it’s looking like a good choice.

â–¶I have pulled down two tomato cages with six foot plants in fruit. There is an unusual blight on those two plants, and it seemed the lesser of the evils to sacrifice two plants than to loose the rest of them. Although that may yet happen. And I’d be crushed.

â–¶We have what is now most decidedly a randy rooster who is beating up on Houdini. Free to a good home. Or a crock pot of your choice. Rooster will be looking for Mr. Snowden. Both need a new home. Our operators are standing by.

â–¶ There was a large and engaged audience yesterday for my words-images-words sandwich. I left the house with a plan, and ended up changing it all on the spot. It is gratifying when the group as a whole seems to “get it” and be supportive of the writing and photography in service to what I hope is the greater good. Book and notecard sales were brisk. Takes away the camera consumption guilt a bit.

â–¶Learned yesterday at Warm Hearth:  The Polish gentleman was in the audience, for whom Dr. Richard Hoffman named the unique-in-all-the-world mealbug that is found only there–Puto kosztarabi.

â–¶And…the didgeridoo is now accepted as a valid therapeutic intervention for sleep apnea. Don’t be surprised if there is not a D-doo band on campus there soon. And I know who to blame!

CAPTION: Moth Mullein at daybreak with the Lumix LX7 [Click to enlarge]. I started to color correct to take out the blue cast, but that is the prevailing light temperature at that hour. So I chose to show what the camera sees at 7 am, rather than force the white that the eye expects and interprets when looking at this white pasture “weed.”

Share this with your friends!
fred
fred

Fred First holds masters degrees in Vertebrate Zoology and physical therapy, and has been a biology teacher and physical therapist by profession. He moved to southwest Virginia in 1975 and to Floyd County in 1997. He maintains a daily photo-blog, broadcasts essays on the Roanoke NPR station, and contributes regular columns for the Floyd Press and Roanoke's Star Sentinel. His two non-fiction books, Slow Road Home and his recent What We Hold in Our Hands, celebrate the riches that we possess in our families and communities, our natural bounty, social capital and Appalachian cultures old and new. He has served on the Jacksonville Center Board of Directors and is newly active in the Sustain Floyd organization. He lives in northeastern Floyd County on the headwaters of the Roanoke River.

Articles: 3008

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Wonderful macro shot, Fred. I know you will love your brand new technology. Those techie geniuses just keep outdoing themselves.

  2. If the rooster knew government secrets that the rest of us — in a democracy — should know, that would be superb! I’m guessing that’s not the case! 🙂

    However, I do hope that someone will adopt him. Otherwise, rooster are edible… as I know from childhood experiences on my grandparents’ farm.