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Erin

Coddiwompling through life, guided by my love of nature and insatiable curiosity.

Chasing Patience

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Me, Foghorn, and Sandy, Rockport, Texas August 2019

As you can see in the photo above, I have trouble being still. My lack of patience has been a lifelong struggle (every single report card from elementary school made note of that fact).

During the last few years of my grandmother’s life I spent a lot of time with her, hoping to absorb (by osmosis) some of her calm and patient demeanor. One memorable afternoon, I explained my thought to her and my sweet grandma leaned over, patted my hand, and said with a smile, “Not in this lifetime, dear.”

Mic drop. Ah, so that’s where I got my sass!
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Iridescent Rainbow

Last month this unusual bivalve caught my eye while I was walking on the Mustang Island beach. Since the amber exterior is leathery in texture and not a hard surface, I had to soak it in bleach and let it dry outside for a long, long time to disperse the strong, fishy odor.

As you can (kind of) see in the second photo, the shell’s interior made my effort worthwhile. The Atlantic Pearl Oyster (Pinctada imbricata), as the name implies, can create desirable, nacreous gemstones. Which actually led to some problems for the species. On his third trip in 1498, Christopher Columbus collected some pearls which in turn led to a major pearl harvesting industry off the coast of Venezuela. Their popularity led to a massive depletion of the population.

I may not have found a pearl but I still feel like I discovered a bit of treasure.

 

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Play Ball!

Friends and I attended a Corpus Christi Hooks game tonight (farm team for the Houston Astros). It felt great to be back at a ball park after missing out completely last year. Midway through the lineup I recognized a name from my alma mater.

A quick Google search confirmed that JJ Matijevic played for University of Arizona Wildcats 2015 through 2017 (the team went to the College World Series his final season). After allowing the Frisco Rough Riders a Grand Slam during a wild seventh, the Hooks hung on to win. It was a wonderful summer evening for baseball!

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Not So Long Wings

Worn Female
Vibrant Male

I came across this colorful pair at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge last month. Despite their Latin binomial, the wings of the Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) are really not that much longer than others. Perhaps a more appropriate name would’ve referenced their frosty blue coloration. Or, here’s your word for the day, their pruinose blue coloration. Good ahead, look it up, I’ll wait…cool word, right?

 

 

 

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Feeding Frenzy

Food Arrives
Down the Hatch
Lots of Hungry Mouths
Chaos Ensues
Chaos Continues
More Chaos
Someone’s Gonna Lose an Eye
Enough!
Flight Practice

I stopped by the Bent Oak Rookery last month to see how things were progressing. It was quite a bit noisier than my first trip since this time the nests were filled with hungry fledglings.

I cringed watching this feeding process as the young Great Blue Herons (GBH) vigorously attacked their parent with sharp pointed beaks in their quest for regurgitated food. I kept thinking that someone was gonna lose an eye.

Years ago my friend Julie was on the receiving end of a beak up her nose while helping to rehab a GBH. So I know they can cause a substantial amount of damage (and not an insignificant amount of pain).

I never wanted to have kids but let me also state for the record, I never want to be the parent of a GBH.

 

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