Under The Palm Trees

Out of the Sun (and in the Sun)

We’re having so much fun!

November 12th Volunteer Potluck Dinner

Outside of the Palm House…

Unexpected guests…

Wiley, the Coyote

A Tarantula Hawk…

Just so you know, tarantula hawks are the largest members of the spider wasp family of some 5,000-species strong that prey solely on spiders. And you guessed it, tarantula hawks prey upon the largest of all spiders, tarantulas. (sciencefriday.com) According to Justin O. Schmidt, author of The Sting of the Wild, “Stung by a tarantula hawk? The advice I give in speaking engagements is to lie down and scream. The pain is so debilitating and excruciating that the victim is at risk of further injury by tripping in a hole or over an object in the path and then falling onto a cactus or into a barbed-wire fence. Such is the sting pain that almost nobody can maintain normal coordination or cognitive control to prevent accidental injury. Screaming is satisfying and helps reduce attention to the pain of the sting.” (Yeppers, that’s just about the way our Preserve Manager, Ginny Short, explained it! Thank goodness this tarantula hawk was DOA.)

Thirsty Thursdays

We share some brewskis after “work” with Gregg, our neighbor and co-host, and Tyler, our aquatic biologist. Tyler is restoring McCallum pond to its natural state to provide the perfect refugium for pup fish.

Our Big and Little Backyard

Sit back, relax, and enjoy as you scroll through the world we live in…

The Crescent Moon…

This summer I learned how to use the moon as a compass at one of the Summer Reading Programs in Port Orford sponsored by the library and organized by my good friend Cheryl, the Children’s and Teens’ Librarian.

Imagine a line connecting the endpoints of the crescent. Where this imaginary line projects to the horizon, points South. Therefore…