Hobo Jungle

[rogruth]

Wayne,
Thanks again for the beauty of the desert, both flora and fauna.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Time for another flower?

Latin binomial: Caesalpinia pulcerrima
Common name: Red Bird of Paradise
Location: Tucson, AZ, my front yard
Camera: Panasonic DMC-SZ3
Date: August 12, 2017
Time: 3:57 PM
Shutter: 1/1600 sec
F number: f/9.0
ISO: 800
Focal length: 4.5 mm (35 mm equivalent: 25 mm)

Very enjoyable photos, Wayne.
Would you say the Pistil , female, parts of that flower are the football-shaped bulbous objects, and that the male parts, the Stamen, are the tall thin narrow things sticking up, with what looks like the pollen atop them? But I don't see any room for the Ovary and see no Stigma. Or could the Ovules be inside those large football-shaped objects !!!???

Secondly, would you say that sexual Fertilization is accomplished by the wind, alone, or that, judging from all the color and those inviting petals, that there are insects that frequent those inviting flowers? I don't even know if there are bees in deserts, or butterflies, to be attracted to such beautiful landing-strips to assist with the transfer of pollen. What have you observed to be the facts of it there? (I ask because I know you have not missed a single thing out there on your biking adventures. )

[webenda]

Very enjoyable photos, Wayne.
Would you say the Pistil , female, parts of that flower are the football-shaped bulbous objects, and that the male parts, the Stamen, are the tall thin narrow things sticking up, with what looks like the pollen atop them? But I don't see any room for the Ovary and see no Stigma. Or could the Ovules be inside those large football-shaped objects !!!???

The footballs are flower buds from which the flowers emerge.
The flowers have long stamens, and are pollinated by butterflies, especially swallowtails that flutter their wings while feeding.

The stigma is tiny and hard to see nestled down at the bottom of the stamen stalks.
The ovary is at the base of the tiny pistil and hidden from view.

Secondly, would you say that sexual Fertilization is accomplished by the wind, alone, or that, judging from all the color and those inviting petals, that there are insects that frequent those inviting flowers? I don't even know if there are bees in deserts, or butterflies, to be attracted to such beautiful landing-strips to assist with the transfer of pollen. What have you observed to be the facts of it there? (I ask because I know you have not missed a single thing out there on your biking adventures. )

The desert is swarming with bees, both native and from domestic beehives.

Said the spider to the bee,
Won't you come dance with me?

I was at the QT on Valencia Rd at Camino De La Tierra when I noticed the bees flying in and out of the trash cans. In one trash can, a bodacious garden spider had woven a delicate web. The bees were flying right through the web, tearing it up. Then, suddenly, a bee got hung up in what was left of the web. The spider wasted no time wrapping the bee up for dinner. As the spider rotated the bee I could not help but be reminded of country dance spins.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Thanks very much, Wayne, for so thorough an answer and for replying so soon. Thanks again.
Murph

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Wonderful poems and great photo, Wayne. Nice to see Jon back.

And I love the jack'o'lantern. No idea how to spell that.

Tramp, Good to see you posting. Would you like to share news of your continuing, I trust and hope, success at the gallery? I would imagine the upcoming Holiday season would promise even further sales of your work.
Murph

[Tramp]

Murph, just for you. My latest Mirrored Landscape drawing sold for 30k in 15 minutes of being hung on the wall. 5 other collectors want MLs. I might be on to something. Also I innovated a new kind of frame made out of Lucite. Everyone seems to like it.

How's that? Cheers!

Oh! And someone stole my Babe Ruth drawing.

[rogruth]

Murph, just for you. My latest Mirrored Landscape drawing sold for 30k in 15 minutes of being hung on the wall. 5 other collectors want MLs. I might be on to something. Also I innovated a new kind of frame made out of Lucite. Everyone seems to like it.

How's that? Cheers!

Oh! And someone stole my Babe Ruth drawing.

Congratulations, Tramp. That price for your art is an indicator ofwhat may be in the future'
And so is the stealing of your drawing.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Murph, just for you. My latest Mirrored Landscape drawing sold for 30k in 15 minutes of being hung on the wall. 5 other collectors want MLs. I might be on to something. Also I innovated a new kind of frame made out of Lucite. Everyone seems to like it.

How's that? Cheers!....

That's wonderful news! Joyous! Such serious money for your work must be an indicator of what is yet to come. You're just getting warmed up, I suggest. You certainly aren't going to go downward from such prices.

When you got the first check for such a fabulous price, I'd imagine you were nearly ready to jump and cheer right out loud!

When people visit the gallery and enjoy and consider your work, are you often present? If so, and if I may inquire, what do they say to you or ask you about your work?

Are there ways in which you feel your days of adventure riding the rails influenced your creativity and your message(s) ?

This is great fun for us here to hear about your success . Do keep us in-the-loop, Tramp.
Bravo!!
Murph

[webenda]

Rufus,
Health situation?

There was this witch - turned me into a newt.

I'm getting better.....

You call that avatar better?

I do Roger. It is a rather nice caryatid.

Caryatid.jpg (461.98 KiB) Viewed 3301 times

car·y·at·id
ˌkerēˈadəd,ˈkerēəˌtid
noun
a stone carving of a draped female figure, used as a pillar to support the entablature of a Greek or Greek-style building.

Do not confuse the name "Caryatid" with "katydid" like this one doing exercise stretches on my hat.

ka·ty·did
ˈkādēˌdid
noun
a large, typically green, long-horned grasshopper native to North America. The male makes a characteristic sound that resembles the name.

[2railjon]

And here I am thinking I’m the only one who’s mother in law turned them in to a newt!

[MurphOnMillerAve]

That Katydid's rear-end seems like it means business, nasty business. And I wonder if the bowed head indicates it is cleaning itself, pleasuring itself, or aiming its antennae at a rival or enemy, threateningly......?

[webenda]

That Katydid's rear-end seems like it means business, nasty business. And I wonder if the bowed head indicates it is cleaning itself, pleasuring itself, or aiming its antennae at a rival or enemy, threateningly......?

None of that Murph, it was laying eggs on my hat. What you see is the egg laying position of the female Creosote Bush Katydid.
The eggs did not stick, they fell off.

[webenda]

And here I am thinking I’m the only one who’s mother in law turned them in to a newt!

Imagine my surprise to find myself inside my hat instead of wearing it! I managed to crawl around and get on top of it. I seem to have wings now... if only I could figure out how to use them.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

That Katydid's rear-end seems like it means business, nasty business. And I wonder if the bowed head indicates it is cleaning itself, pleasuring itself, or aiming its antennae at a rival or enemy, threateningly......?

None of that Murph, it was laying eggs on my hat. What you see is the egg laying position of the female Creosote Bush Katydid.
The eggs did not stick, they fell off.

You certainly are one alert, academic gentleman! I can't even imagine the odds of your having a camera at-the-ready on the happenstance that such a critter would land for an egg laying session, and on your hat, no less! Do you usually have a traditional camera ready , or do you have an iPhone in-pocket?

So that seemingly 2-pronged contraption at its bottom are the ovipositor?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

And here I am thinking I’m the only one who’s mother in law turned them in to a newt!

My MiL would never do that to me - we drink the same kind of beer,