OniOniOniArt

Kuhli Loach This morning I woke up to find the kuhli loach on the floor.  The gap in the aquarium lid where it accommodates the filter is so narrow, it is surprising that it managed to make that awful leap. Rest in Peace, loach.

Sliding door pulls from Fukuoka, Japan Recently, I reached a milestone in my little house fund - the halfway mark .  After informing my dear friend J of the happy occasion she said, "you should do something to celebrate."  And so, this suggestion, our discussion of Western Doors v. Eastern Doors (pull-out doors v. sliding doors), and the fact that I've been drooling over these door pulls for at least a year, wondering how I could possibly justify purchasing such glorious items, all culminated in my buying myself a milestone present. I purchased them from an Etsy shop owner in Japan. They are metal, approximately 3" in diameter, feature a pair of phoenixes (or phoenii, as L suggested...I like it), and were manufactured circa 1960. The phoenix feels suited to my life's particular brand of nonsense - burning down to ground zero and beginning again - a common theme in many people's lives that has no doubt maintained the popularity of this symbol. More posi...

American Persimmon (sugar plum)  - Diospyros virginiana Down the dusty road, cicada cacophony and lo! Persimmons! During my evening walk on the long dusty drive that eventually leads to my house, I was surprised to find a persimmon tree full of fruit.  How exciting! I've lived here the last two autumns and never noticed them! (In my defense, they are tiny, perhaps 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, and I have vague recollections of seeing "tiny oranges"). I must confess, I'd never tried persimmons before, so I had to do a bit of research to know when these would be ripe. They should be soft and close to rotting (but not actually rotten) for them to be sweet; wrinkly, translucent reddish-brown skin is a good sign. If they come off the tree with a gentle twist/pull, they should be good, but if they give you any resistance at all, leave them be. An unripe persimmon is very astringent and leaves your mouth in a pucker that lasts quite a long time. Apparently th...

Gastrophryne carolinensis It is always a delight to come across a narrow-mouth frog (also called a narrow-mouth toad), which is frequently heard but seldom seen due to its sheltering nature.  The calls sound similar to the bleating of sheep, most commonly heard around my house after a rain.  This is a young frog, but even as adults they rarely reach 1.5 inches in length.  The shape of the narrow-mouth frog is unique, making it easy to identify: a small pointy little snout, rotund body with relatively smooth skin, and a fold of skin across its head located just behind the eyes.  I noticed him hopping away with the insects in front of the hose as I watered the garden.  I then promptly returned him to his place so he could continue eating ants and termites like a good frog.  Special note: if you handle one, wash your hands. The skin secretions of this frog can cause burning if you rub your eyes or somehow get it in your mouth.

Devil-riders: walkingsticks in the family Pseudophasmatidae (see the little male?) Okay, it's actually my holiday.  To make a long sordid story short, I missed my exciting August travel-vacation and have instead settled on a much quieter retreat at home this week in September. This afternoon was spent fixing up the dirt patch.  Weeds and scorched plants were pulled, compost and mulch were added, and an additional layer of stones was added to either end of the run-off area. While moving a crate out of the way I noticed these two-lined walkingsticks, aka devil-riders.  I don't know anyone who has actually called them devil-riders, except insect books, and people quoting insect books. The female is about 4 inches long, and the little male will stay coupled with her for days while hitching a ride on her back (females can be hard to find when you can't fly). These guys are found in the southeastern US, but are particularly abundant in Florida, and they are vegetarians...

Happy little bonsai It was over a year ago that I sowed the seeds for this dwarf pomegranate ( Punica granatum ). I now forget the variety, but I know it is not Sochi or Nana. S trangely I can find no trace of it online even though that is where the seeds were purchased.  The tree is about 8 inches tall (~20 cm).  Earlier this year, I transplanted this seedling to its bonsai tray and put it in a semi-shaded spot outside.  It bloomed profusely and produced this single fruit: Then I brought it to the office, and despite the sunny window it dropped the remainder of its buds and has produced nothing since (wickedly, I like to think it reflects my general feelings about the place). The pomegranate finally fell off the little tree last week, and curious to see what this tiny fruit, smaller than a grape, looked like inside, I cut it open: All we had was a steak knife! I'm not sure if the seeds turn red or not in the dwarf varieties, but it appears the ...