Despite the persistent hot and very dry weather the sunflower trees (Tithonia diversifolia) have survived. They attract plenty of butterflies and bees.
A little (600 pounds each) whimsical Thanksgiving decoration for the holidays
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But. . . something seems a little upside down, doesn't it. Ah, yes, that's the approaching holidays and the forced family time that is upon us.
HOW TO SURVIVE THANKSGIVING
by Ripe Cards
This week we had the first cool nights we've had this year though temperatures have stayed well above frost-inducing 40° F (4½° C). Above, a larvae of the Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly (Phoebis sennae) munches on its favorite local flower, the Emperor's Candlestick (Senna alata).
Above and Below: A pair of Cloudless Sulphur Butterflies engage in an elaborate mating ritual, unaware that it is winter in most parts of the northern hemisphere. . .
Below: Another Cloudless Sulphur butterfly on Emperor's Candlestick.
Below: A Cloudless Sulphur butterfly on Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus penduiflorus), this hibiscus-like plant is also known locally as "mazapan."
Below: A Cloudless Sulphur butterfly on periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus).
Below: A Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) on Tithonia.
Below: The honeybees have started overnighting on the remaining sunflower tree blooms as the nights have turned cooler. They sometimes share the large blooms. This is the first year in memory that the sunflower trees have completely bloomed out without frost interrupting the bloom to seed cycle.
Below: A Monarch (Danaus plexippus) on Tithonia.
Below: Countless ants on a sunflower tree bloom. The sap of these trees is sweet. . . and sticky. It also stains easily. When working with the plants I try to always remember to wear black or throwaway clothes.
Click on this or any other photo for a larger view
Below: A Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) on Tithonia.
Below: Many sunflower tree blooms and a few bees.
Above and Below: Zebra Longwing butterflies (Heliconius charitonius) on Tithonia.
Below: My best attempt at a turkey cake.
We've Read:
The New York Times reports that poor Kayne West was hospitalized for a 'Psychiatric Emergency,' after reportedly seeing wife Kim Kardashian's new jumbo-sized butt. When will men learn that that family is toxic?
The number of dead trees in California's drought-stricken forests has risen dramatically to more than 102 million in what officials described as an unparalleled ecological disaster that heightens the danger of massive wildfires and damaging erosion. The U.S. Forest Serivce, which performs surveys of forest land, said that 62 million trees have died in 2016 alone.
In the modern era of presidential politics, no candidate has ever won the popular vote by more than Hillary Clinton did in 2016, yet still managed to lose the electoral college. In that sense, 2016 was a historic split: Donald Trump won the presidency in terms of electoral votes while losing the nationwide vote to Clinton by almost 2 million (and counting). But there's another divide exposed by the election. The divide is economic, and it is massive. Clinton won 64% of the economic activity of the country while Trump won only 36% in terms of share of real GDP by county.
Just in time for the Northern Hemisphere's winter things are getting hot in Australia, and Aussiebum is always there to show you why you should be booking your next trip south.
