The Nature of Fall

So when does Autumn become Fall? Or when did Fall become Autumn?  Autumn: a time of full maturity, esp. the late stages of maturity or the early stages of decline.  Ah yes, the Autumn of life. Now does that follow the senior citizen discount age offered by HyVee or by Kohl's? Is that Medicare age or retirement age? Are the "early stages of decline" meant to be physical or mental? And Fall: to drop or descend under the force of gravity.  Or The Fall: the lapse of human beings into a state of natural or innate sinfulness through the sin of Adam and Eve (oh yah, blame it on the relatives!). Or fall: the season between summer and winter. 

A TIME OF CHANGING PALETTES AND TEXTURES

photos from 09 Sept 2012 followed by 17 oct 2012

more solidago rigida

the last of the solidago reds

last of the yarrow reds

A TIME OF SEED DISPERSAL

solidago seeds

Asclepias taking flight

Bidens hitching a ride...Note this is Bidens cernua NOT Bidens josephia...

A TIME FOR STAGES OF DECLINE

gentian september blooms and october seedheads

SIDETRACKS

--I started wondering just how much of the day is spent with me and Yellar stand idle at red lights. So on 11 Oct, using the stopwatch on my phone, I timed the whole day. Unfortunately it was a day of being totally synchronized with the red lights (in my favour). At the end of the day we were idle for 15 minutes and 21 seconds at red lights. 

--I also started wondering about the hawk population. I've read where they say it is increasing, particularly near/in urban areas. I usually see two hawks north of Dodge at 168th in the dead trees. Their hunting ground is probably Northwest Park.  I also see a resident one on telephone poles and wires on 180th between Maple and Fort. So when we traveled to the Sandhills last weekend, we did a hawk count starting from Hwy 92 going west.  We saw a total of 25 while on the road.

--And lastly to ponder - Theories are great because they don't have to be based on proof.  So, my theory is that GNOMES RULE THE UNIVERSE!!!

gute nacht

Fraxinus, Spodoptera & Bolbocerosoma

The vibrant golds of the Fraxinus...are filling up the landscape.  They are absolutely brilliant this year. And the first cold snap - like maybe tonight - and they will be leafless!  Look hard at the landscape and notice all the places filled with the golds of Ash - now envision that same landscape after the Emerald Ash Borer takes its toll! 

 Spodoptera ornithogalli (yellowstriped armyworm) moving quickly across the "concrete trail" at Shadow Lake. These become moths - they are foliage feeders - overwinter as pupae in soil - note the yellowish strip along each side and 2 black triangular spots on top of most segments. 

Bolbocerosoma farctum (fancy bolbocerine) also discovered moving at lightning speed across "concrete trail" - this guy is a geotrupid beetle meaning earth-boring or dor beetle - his shadow looks like he is raising little hands above his head!  Glad I did not pick him up - as I read they would try to burrow into your hand - and that they stridulate rather loudly when handled!  Stridulate: sound production by rubbing together body parts.  Well, if he would have tried to burrow into my hand I too would have stridulated loudly...by rubbing my hands together to eject the beetle!

This beetle led me to Scarab beetles in general and larvae of white grubs - the presence of same in lawns can attract various vertebrate predators such as skunks and raccoons - your lawn will look like it has been aerated after these animals forage in your lawn for grubs.  This can be noticed in several yards as you drive around town - the drought has reduced the food source - and it is getting closer to winter - and the urban wildlife is not yet carrying a sufficient fat reserve - so it becomes a grubby menu...

The most interesting thing about grubs is they can be identified by the pattern of hairs on the tip of their abdomen - termed a rastral pattern.

And this lastly led me to rain beetles - a most patient beetle as mating activity is triggered by rain - and only the male beetles have wings - the larvae live underground and feed on the roots of oaks and confiers - and they can remain underground for as long as ten years - the females are flightless and also live underground - and their range is limited to the west coast - but when all the planets align and the rain is right - it is said that "the female's phermone is blooming invisibly in the air"...