AstroGypsies

I am a humidity/heat whimp. After spending my youth in the tropics, I have this never ending fear of being made to live in small cramped focsle (Forecastle…Ha! Castle my ass…front cramped pointy end of the boat downstairs, where I slept) with a single 12 volt fan, with dying batteries to keep me cool…or worst…Florida;) Just kidding Florida friends…maybe…how would life be without your air conditionner?

This is the perfect weather for Fungi Galore-it sounds like a new James Bond girl name;) Ha!

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly these beautiful plants, no, mushrooms aren’t really plants, they are types of fungi that have a “plantlike” form, with a stem and cap (they have cell walls as well). This is really just the “flower or fruit” of the mushroom, the reproductive part which disperses the spores. Hey, I think I even came upon several Eastern North American Destroying Angel (Amanita bisporigera), another of the many amanitas…0_0….Amanita bisporigera is a deadly poisonous species of fungus. The first symptoms of poisoning appear 6 to 24 hours after consumption, followed by a period of apparent improvement, then by symptoms of liver and kidney failure, and death after four days or more. Nope, not on the eating list!

As I walked to check the mail, why, I just needed air, what WAS I thinking…the sweat was running into my eyes as the breeze dropped and the clouds moved in, when you can feel the air…ugh…were the mushrooms complaining? Nah…they have been busy sprouting away, and I learned, and saw, a mushroom fungus that devours amanitas! Yikes! Like a flesh eating disease for mushrooms! Ah nature! Just wild!

It was a rapid, exercise inducing kind of photography walk, the deerflies and mosquitos were really bad, I had my bug mask on, probably scared the guys driving into the cottage next door…they were probably…”What was that? The creature from the black lagoon?” I concentrated on quick auto focus, not too many ground level shots and then run away from the bugs! All these mushrooms in less than an hour! I love seeing the red chanterelles and the ghost or Indian pipes are some of my favourites. Did you know because it has no chlorophyll and doesn’t depend on photosynthesis, this ghostly white plant is able to grow in the darkest of forests. Many people refer to this strange plant as Indian pipe fungus, but it is not a fungus at all – it just looks like one. It is actually a flowering plant, and believe it or not, it is a member of the blueberry family. Who knew?! Ha! Also, I think I might have found the perfect road walking antibug suit! Ha!

I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the swans but being smart, they were tucked away out of the sun. I could learn something from nature I thought! Swans you ask? YES! We have a pair of Trumpeter swans in the swamp with ONE little cygnet that they are watching like a hawk!

Mom and Dad are keeping a very tight rein on this little guy, hiding him/her behind them. They usually lay 5-7 eggs so either other critters got to them, or the other babies were predated upon. Raccoons, coyotes, hawks, eagles and snapping turtles all eat eggs and little fluffy baby birds:(

It will be nice to watch it grow. They won’t be going anywhere for quite a while. Did you know they’re our biggest native waterfowl, stretching to 6 feet in length and weighing more than 25 pounds – almost twice as massive as a Tundra Swan.

For the swans getting airborne requires a lumbering takeoff along a 100-yard runway. They breed on muskrat dams and dens. I can make one out at the far end of the swamp. Baby was sleeping there. Cygnets leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching and have the ability to swim and feed. They are able to fly at 90 – 122 days after hatching so we will be watching little one’s flight school hopefully!

It is baby time. For the first time we have been here a Red Bellied Woodpecker baby has been brought out! Yeah! It’s nearly as big as Mother and Father but without any of the red colouration yet! They have been feeding him bits of orange and suet! The male and female are regulars at the feeders. They chatter at me in the morning when I am putting them out! “Hurry up lady! Get a move on, we’re hungry!”

Baby came on his own for the first time a few days ago! All grown up, sort of;) Both parents continue to feed him, but mostly Dad:)

The orioles are looking a bit rough, not sure if it’s because they are molting, or that is what kids do to you;) Ha!

So far no young hummingbirds. Our resident male Ruby Throated was getting chased off his favourite sitting spot by a dragonfly this morning…c’mon buddy! Fight back ! Ha!

The female Ruby Throated Hummingbird-she has spiderwebs all over her beak. Either making a new nest or doing some home restoration perhaps, we shall see. She is not a frequent visitor. It has been very quiet hummingbird wise, hope that is not a permanent thing! Looking forward to seeing some juveniles learning the ropes I hope!

I did promise you a fabulous sunrise didn’t I! I have to admit I have been struggling with the antibiotic Doxycycline I have been taking for a tick bite. Not Lyme disease, but anaplasmosis they discovered with a blood test. Anaplasmosis is an illness caused by bacteria that’s spread by ticks. The bacteria are called Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The illness causes fever, muscle aches, joint soreness and other symptoms. It’s an uncommon illness that can affect people of all ages, becoming more common it seems, lucky me! Ha! Worse then the anaplasmosis has been the antibiotic:( Nausea, acid reflux, no appetite, tired…I have finally finished my course of it so mending slowly and not really wanting to get up, before 5 a.m. I missed one amazing sunrise, just too tired to do it so couldn’t pass when I saw the colour out the window.

Even the cats didn’t get up! Ha! I wriggled into my slippers, yes, pajama photography and wandered out down to the lakeside. Wow. I sat for awhile watching the colours change and as it started to fade I made my way back up the stairs. Stunning.

I can’t tell you how privileged I feel to be able to see mother nature painting the sky! Along with the anaplasmosis came a tear in my retina last week to go along with all the nausea from the antibiotic…still hoping these things don’t come in threes! Ha! Aging is a bitch! Saw blood spots as I was looking out of my eye one morning, is that a bird? A bug? Oh crap! None of the above! Luckily we have a great Optometrist who arranged to send me to the Ottawa General Hospital and a retinologist lasered it to fix the tear. Ouch, but hey, versus losing sight, a bit of pain was nothing! Thank you health Canada as well! So, yes, I got to watch this amazing sunrise, and I was thankful. Thankful to be able to see, thankful for food to eat, and a roof over my head. Thankful for all the little things we take for granted at times. Thankful for so very much. Did I mention I’m not supposed to vacuum, or mow the lawn, or pick up anything heavy for several weeks…awww…”Mike? Are you busy?” hahahahahahahaha! “I have a job for you dear! Where did he go?”

Saludos amigos, if you enjoy the hot humid weather, I salute you! Stay tuned for the some of the other flying creatures and maybe a few wriggling ones as well;) I’ll leave you with a teaser…our resident Gray Rat snake:)