Category: Uncategorized
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When Polka-dots Go Bad
My friends and family know I love bugs. It makes me really happy to be known as the person you can send random bug pics to, whether for ID help or just to share something cool. Unfortunately, this summer I’ve had several instances where my reply has been negative. It hurts a little to do…
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Nature is for Everybody
There’s been a lot of chaos in the last few weeks. US politics has swung drastically to the right. And the people now in power have been whittling down our freedoms at a pace that’s frankly terrifying. That being said, I want to go on record that this blog supports trans and nonbinary people, 100%.…
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Resolutions 2025
I like setting resolutions. Sometimes I think of them more as goals, especially if it’s something concrete and measurable (like post at least 12 blog entries this year). I’ve heard other folks refer to them as setting their intentions for the year. That speaks to me too, in particular for less definable things. Be more…
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12 Days of Solstice
What if we celebrated 12 days from the winter solstice, instead of from Christmas? What kind of things might we celebrate and honor? Here are my suggestions.
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Duck Envy
I love the wintertime. Not just because I enjoy cozying up in cold weather, although that’s pretty nice– and Luna gets extra cuddly too when it’s cold out. But my main reason for loving winter is that’s when lots of duck species show up in my area. Huge flocks (or rafts) sometimes show up in…
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Feeling Like Snow White
I recently had what I’d call a Snow White moment, one that feels so magical it was like the scene in Snow White where she sings to the forest animals: I was sitting in my living room, probably reading or playing a game on my phone. Luna was insistently scratching at the sliding door onto…
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Blogtober- Foul Odor
I usually think of flowers as lovely, sweet-smelling decorations. They’re actually plants’ reproductive organs, though, and some are distinctly weird. The fragrant, colorful ones like roses and asters attract bees and butterflies for pollination. However, other kinds of flowers are downright stinky, because they evolved to attract a whole different set of insects. Rather than…
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Blogtober: poison
The idea of poison is really interesting among insects. Many plants have evolved toxins within their tissues, presumably because it reduces the amount of animals that eat them. But then several kinds of insects evolved not just tolerances, but preferences for these toxic plants. Insects like caterpillars (larval moths or butterflies) can build up those…
The Contented Naturalist 