Whatzit?

[chuck]

Asparagus Fern

[webenda]

You got it!

Asparagus aethiopicus, one of the asparagus ferns.
Of course, no fern has flowers, so the common name is a misnomer.
It is a member of the asparagus family, one of which, Asparagus officinalis, I love to eat.

Did you know that Asparagus officinalis was once classified in the lily family, like the related Allium species, onions and garlic. However, genetic research places lilies, Allium, and asparagus in three separate families—the Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, and Asparagaceae, respectively.

[robert.]

You can make it grow white. Place a cardboard box over it while it grows.

[chuck]

There have been a number of adjustments in plant classification since they started looking into the genetic information and not just the appearance of plants. BTW I only found the plant by googling

fern like plant with small white flowers Arizona

and then selecting the image tab to browse.

Thanks for the detailed photo's. I only did a quick search on the first photo as there was no sense of scale. I could tell it was a closeup/macro shot because of the details but I had no idea of how truly small the flowers were until you posted the second with the ball point pen. I didn't get very far until you posted the "fern" clue.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

You two should be conducting an elective class for high schoolers, and colleges, too, on how to think questions through to solutions. Your interactions would be a class many would elect to attend, seeing you interact in front of the whole class until the problem is solved. Inspiring and instructive, indeed.

[sleepmac]

Murph, very astute indeed about Chuck and Wayne interacting.

Dan Weinhold

[chuck]

Large white hexagon is lens flare. That's the reflection of the partially closed iris of the camera lens. Not part of the object. The really good pictures are in an album that I can't find at the moment so we will have to get by with the second string pictures.

[Roy]

A sea lion?

[rogruth]

Almost like the muzzle of a dog.

[chuck]

No, and No.

[chuck]

[rogruth]

Wasp? Butterfly? Fly? Spider?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

the Murder Hornet's kisser ?

[chuck]

That is a female comet darner dragonfly, one of the largest of the dragon fly family. She had a wingspan of almost 5 inches and a length of about 4 1/2 inches. I found her in downtown Detroit back in the summer of 1979. I was working at the federal building for the Army Corps of Engineers. Detroit used to hold weekly festivals at Hart Plaza on the river front. Good food, music, ethnic dancing and displays of cultural heritage. We had Polish, Ukraine, Irish, Mexican festivals as well as the Grand Prix, Freedom and Gold Cup races. I would often walk over to get some lunch on Thursday/Friday.

She was blown in off of Lake St. Clair (a widening of the connecting channel between Lakes Huron and Erie). The "lake" is about 25 miles in diameter and has an average depth of about 10 feet. Lots of Marsh areas, shore birds, mosquitoes and dragon/damsel flies. I found her on a sandstone window ledge. She was in pretty bad shape, trying to fight a 20 mph headwind. I tried to get her to fly away but she couldn't. She was so large and had such pretty colors that I brought her back to the office and took some pictures of her. Brought her home and snapped some more with the macro adaptor/close up lens set. She was dying and the bright colors in her eyes started to fade to black.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

That is quite an outstanding story, Chuck, just like its author, outstanding in the personal quality you bring to this forum, as well as to the quality of life anybody who knows you in-person must surely enjoy, I am sure.

The last sentence, in particular, belongs in a novel. Absolutely absorbing and beautiful.
Murph