happy halloween!

skeletons, spider webs, pumpkins, and spooky 

goblins are out in my neighborhood tonight

pumpkin spice

pumpkin spice latte, a great drink 

for a chilly fall morning

get out and vote

i have returned to tempe but couldn't resist one more

manhattan photo. 

bleecker street subway

*bleecker street, manhattan*

once a major center for american bohemia

i thoroughly enjoyed my day in manhattan and look 

forward to my return trip

photo of a photo for making photos

*manhattan, new york excursion*

every centimeter of space is 

occupied in manhattan. in time 

square, everything is big and

flashing, competing for attention

green space

*manhattan excursion*

new york city is a feast of sight. a million things

to see everywhere all at once. green spaces scattered

through the city offer respite from the bustle. i was 

impressed with how serene some of these areas were.

fall color

the trees in new jersey and pennsylvania were

in serious gorgeous color. 

one thing tempe does not have

fall color

it also doesn't have the cold, drizzle, damp days that 

kept me from getting outside much while in scranton

here is a shot i took on the way to a day in manhattan

13 days...

*college & broadway*

do it

serendipity

*petsmart, elliot & hardy*

what a happy accident that i was shopping for pet

supplies tonight and found the store overrun with canines

and their leash holders. dachshunds dressed in buns with 

mustard and bulldogs dressed in pink tutus. a halloween 

dog parade. i'm so glad i'm 

in the habit of carrying a camera. 

i'm off to scranton, pa tomorrow for the big annual 

bat conference -   

nasbr (north american society for bat research)

 and may have to post a few postcards from my trip 

to get me through til my return next week. 

Buffalo Theory

In an episode of "Cheers," Cliff is seated at the bar

describing the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. 

For your enjoyment:

"Well, you see Norm, it's like this...

A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest 

buffalo. And when the heard is hunted, it is the slowest and 

weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural 

selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the 

general speed and health of the whole group keeps 

improving by regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate

as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, 

excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. 

But naturally, it attacks the slowest and 

weakest brain cells first. In this way, 

regular consumption of beer eliminates the

weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and 

more efficient machine.

And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter

after a few beers." 

sailing

*tempe lake*

sailing on a sunday evening, what a great way to 

wind down the week

pass the hommus...

the phoenicia mediterranean cafe

*6th Street and Forest*

a great place for a gyro

fall plant sale

*desert botanical garden*

the annual fall plant sale (there's also one in the spring) 

is a big hit. members and volunteers get a special 

day to buy, and the public sale begins tomorrow. 

i found some fantastic additions 

for my desert landscape. 

to the victor goes the nectar

*my house*

what a fabulous fall day today was. downright chilly 

 morning, nice warm afternoon. the agitated squeaky chase

 calls of two anna's hummingbirds caught my attention 

around 1:00; buzzing, swooping, flaring tails, suspending 

animation in a stare off; one flies to the palo brea tree 

while the other drinks in temporary victory. 

butterfly sticker

desert botanical garden

one last monarch shot, applying the tiny blue

sticker to the butterfly wing

butterfly garden

desert botanical garden

in the butterfly pavillion

also called choje

desert botanical garden, galvin parkway near papago park

quiver tree, indigenous to south africa and namibia 

tracking monarchs

*desert botanical garden, galvin parkway near papago park*

after sticking a tiny blue adhesive tag on the hindwing of this Monarch butterfly, 

an enthusiastic future scientist releases the colorful lepidoptera. the marked Monarchs are being released 

this fall in hopes that recoveries will lead to a better understanding of their migration routes.

 a few years back one of the marked butterflies was recovered in Mexico City. 

got milk?

the manufacturing facility for the united dairymen 

of arizona at hardy and broadway. it operates

 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to produce 

cream, butter, skim milk, 

condensed milk, lactose powder, 

and can process 10 million pounds of milk per day. 

it is among the few remaining full service dairy 

co-ops in the country, consisting of approximately 

90 producers who represent 90% of the 

milk in the state.

 

please forgive me

i've been in the field for 3 days and in need of an easy post.

pictured here, a texas short horned lizard, found in southeastern 

arizona. they are beautiful! three species of horned lizards, 

or "horny toads" as they are sometimes called, 

can be found in maricopa county. a hike 

at one of our nearby mountain park trails

 will reveal a ubiquitous lizard 

bounty. 

as of this morning at 11:00 pacific, black-tailed prairie dogs

have been returned to southeast arizona. 

extirpated (local extinction) in the 1930s, 

we have been without this component of our ecosystem for more

than half a century. after many years of paperwork and preparation, 

a team of biologists worked to prepare the site, 

capture prairie dogs from ted turner's ladder ranch in new mexico,

 and transport 74 to the release site near sonoita 

where they will hopefully thrive. 

good luck little guys!

bicycle friendly city

tempe has miles and miles of bike routes.

this month there are bicycle events each weekend.

the weather is perfect for pedaling.

beautiful vision

what's my line?

i happy cleaning windows

take my time

i'm a working man in my prime

cleaning windows

not Rudy's day...

go devils!

despite the encouragement of fans

asu just couldn't get it done today

zoom, zoom, zoom

cars zoom westbound on the 202, near downtown tempe

male grackle

with head held high and proud, in typical male grackle fashion

lines and columns

at arizona state university