1 July, 2018            The best mosquito repellent

Box turtle at Pony Pasture yesterday

Watch this video I took of him. It’s ~30 seconds long and it’s a nice video. The woodsy background noises are an added treat: 

Turtles aren’t the best mosquito repellent – as far as I know – I was just happy we encountered one yesterday. And that it was so cooperative. It’s hard (in my experience) to get them to hang around for a while like that. Then saunter off in such nice visibility.

The best mosquito repellent is to keep moving. If you stop to – this is purely hypothetical – photograph a turtle, you will get all ate up. Barred owls are even worse – you have to sit real still for a real long time. You owl photographers must be using some good repellent, because nobody walks and takes quality Barred Owl pictures at the same time. Great work all of you.

A few other pictures from this week, but I haven’t gotten out as much as I’m used to. I still  have the splint on my hand for at least another week. It’s hot to wear plus typing is a challenge.

Here’s an Eastern Towhee from my front yard:

Eastern Towhee outside my window. I’m getting more looks, but no great images – yet.

And yet another of Evelyn’s award-winning gardenias. Every time I smell one, it wins the Grand Prize in the “smells other than chocolate chip cookies” category:

Another of Ev’s gardenias. Maybe next week I’ll use one of her pictures – she grows them and photographs them well

Rose of Sharon has zero scent (I’m sort of sure) and they tend a bit toward being weedy, but I’ve been fond of them since I was but a wee lad. We have a big one in the northwest corner of our backyard:

Rose of Sharon gracing our backyard

That’s all I’m going to post this week – it’s been slow. 2018 is half over – enjoy the first week of the second half! All best,

Jay