insects

On this day, I give to you George Orwell’s Notes on Nationalism.

A single red-headed woodpecker is something of a rare spot.

I imagine that two is even rarer.

(Cropped and 'shopped for color/tone, but otherwise intact.)

Oh. My. Gah!

The eastern wood-peewee is a flycatcher. Like most local flycatchers, it is drab, but it has a sweet, plaintive whistle in two phrases, "peeeeaweee, peeahhh." It sits on open perches watching for insects, which it will attack in mid air. Occasionally it will drop to the ground for prey.

We went out and sat on the rocks next to the last shoals in White's Creek before it leaves our yard and watched the mayflies hatch and do their thing, dancing over the rapids in the air then landing on the surface of the water for just a moment to lay their eggs and take off again.

The ephemeral adult life of these delicate and beautiful insects is illustrative of the simplest meaning of life...

As many of you already know, I am not a fan of bugs of any variety. They wig me out. However, this made me laugh this morning.

Lots of geeky scientific details.... (Link...)

Some initial notes:

Reposting this one 'cause I thought it was funny.
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Six o'clock Mass this evening went something like this for me.

The italics are sung and the small font is whispered out the side of my mouth.

• “Did Insects Kill the Dinosaurs? (Time)”
• Man sees “mark of the beast,” cuts off and microwaves his own hand (AP)
• “Half Of 26-Year-Old’s Memories Nintendo-Related” (The Onion)