the · affected · provincial’s · almanack

Found him hanging under one of my angel's trumpets.

Came across these gems after ripping up a beaver dam that was flooding an orchid bog. The gods were pleased. Had them last night, and they were delicious. ( Read more... )

Back on that maritime jaunt, I found a tagged horseshoe crab stuck in the debris of a concrete building. I took his tag number, and emailed it to the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. Turns out you do get a snappy little pin--just got mine in the mail, along with a certificate of participation (and you can bet that's gong on the resume!) So if you find a tagged horseshoe crab, call it in. Your lapel will thank you.

Horseshoe crabs are ancient arthropods, and are among the last remaining animals of their kind. Horseshoe crabs have copper-based blood, if you can believe that.

During the new and full moons of May and June, they gather along the Delaware Bay where they mate en masse. We came across a major mating site yesterday, with hundreds of crabs. Many were stranded by the tide and had to be put back into the water. We must have rescued about fifty live crabs between the three of us. One of the live crabs had a tag from the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, with a contact number. Our man Ed was quite excited. "You get a pin!" he exclaimed.

( Images behind cut. )

Other plant nuts on LJ have mentioned this, so I suppose I'll join the crowd.

I'm looking forward to reading Amy Stewart's book. Much of it is likely to cover facts I already knew but it's such a fun premise:


Looks like her book tour will be taking her to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden on Sunday, May 31st. Might be worth the trip.

The cover looks familiar, but the sales rank sure doesn't. ;)

Fell from our tree in a storm, and was promptly abandoned. Put the eggs back in the nest and left it there, but there's little to be done, sadly. Beautiful, though. Beautiful and sad, that is.

We came to pay our respects to Alexander Wilson, the father of American ornithology. ( Read more... )

I found this carpet of needle-like crystals in a muddy tire rut on a trail out in the Pine Barrens. Some were almost four or five inches tall. Not sure what causes the ice crystals to form like this rather than simply forming sheets of ice. Maybe it's the mud in the water?

I do like how the pine needles and ice needles seem to intertwine--crystal and vegetable versions of one another. ( Read more... )

This was a huge tome: the binding was extremely fragile, but the pages were in nice condition.
( More images of botanical plates behind cut )

Joel also showed me an original edition of Alexander Wilson's famous work, American Ornithology. Wilson worked himself to death hand coloring each of the plates in all his books. In fact, he died a year before it was finally published. He's buried at the Old Swedes' Church in Philadelphia.( Read more... )

PS: I'll be paying a visit to Wilson's grave tomorrow afternoon before attending that screening of Helvetica tomorrow evening. Care to join me, my fellow Philadelphians?

Over the summer my friend Joel Fry, Curator of Bartram's Garden, treated me to a couple hours' perusal of their collection of books and manuscripts. Most significant among the items are their rare American, British, and French editions of William Bartram's book, Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, the Cherokee Country, the Extensive Territories of the Muscogulges or Creek Confederacy, and the Country of the Chactaws. Containing an Account of the Soil and Natural Productions of Those Regions; Together with Observations on the Manners of the Indians.

The book is a groundbreaking work of American natural history--the first book of its kind, really. Published in 1791, it was eventually followed by the works of Alexander Wilson, Thomas Say and John James Audubon--all of whom owed a debt to Bartram. ( Passages from the book )

( His influence on the Romantic poets )

( Photos of the original American edition )
( Photos of the later British edition )
( Photos of the French edition )

Made a quick foray into the Pine Barrens with my partner-in-pine Bill yesterday. The weather was perfect: wet, mild, and dim. Also found the new beaver dam that has reflooded Webb's Mill Bog. ( Read more... )

All of these images are from my travels through the Olympic Peninsula last month. Some are lichens, but you get the idea.

( Enjoy the amazing variety of form, texture, and color behind the cut. )

( Here is a partial list of the species we encountered. )

If you're curious about the specific identity of any particular mushroom, just ask.

Further down the shore of Lake Crescent is the trail that leads up to Marymere Falls. But to reach Marymere Falls, one must first undergo a ritualized rebirth. At least that's what the charming, mossy tunnel under the road suggested. ( Read more... )

Later that day we reached breathtaking Lake Crescent, which was carved out by glaciers and reaches a depth of over 600ft. ( Read more... )

The Red Cedar at this roadside stop on the way to the Hoh Rainforest was in some ways more impressive than the Quinault Red Cedar, as it was still in its glorious prime. ( Read more... )

A bit wilder than Oregon. The forests come right up to the beach, and the driftwood is spectacular. I'd imagine that swimming in the big angry surf there would be quite dangerous--no way of knowing if you're about to be clobbered by a tree.

~W