Category Archives: Nature

Can it

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Kirsten

You may have seen the headlines recently when Consumer Reports released new a study reporting BPA (Bisphenol A) levels in canned foods. Here’s a more extensive write-up of the Consumer Reports report. You may also have heard that organic companies … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Global warming | Comments Off

Neighborhood twins

Posted on August 13, 2009 by Kirsten

Until a few years ago, I never saw deer in my neighborhood, but we’ve got them now — and the family’s growing. I’ve seen these fawns many times while out walking my dog. Took this pic out of my office … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Rochester, New York | Tagged | Comments Off

Longhorn beetle

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Kirsten

Only I’m not sure which one. Anybody know? Definitely Cerambycidae, based on the body shape, showiness, length of the antennae, etc., but this particular one’s not in my copy of Petersen’s field guide to NA insects, and I can’t find … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off

Frost advisory tonight

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Kirsten

I can remember as a kid that May 31st was considered the safe “frost free” date for planting gardens. That was in Chenango County though. Here near Lake Ontario, where the elevation is also considerably lower, it’s Zone 6, not … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | Tagged | Comments Off

Pileated Woodpecker in my backyard

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Kirsten

Okay, excuse me while I flip out — but I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen one of these guys — then this afternoon, didn’t I walk out my back door and see a Pileated … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Rochester, New York | Tagged , | 6 Comments

be ye therefore wise as serpents . . .

Posted on August 1, 2008 by Kirsten
Posted in Nature, Rochester, New York | Tagged , | Comments Off

Stopping by to chat, I guess

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Kirsten

I’m working! But I couldn’t resist trying for this pic :-) I usually compress files a bit more but he lost too much of his definition when I did — sorry if the image loads kinda slow . . .

Posted in Nature | Tagged | Comments Off

Eye-spotted Ladybug

Posted on June 29, 2008 by Kirsten

I haven’t found one of these since I was a kid . . . Isn’t it gorgeous? Most the ladybugs we see anymore are non-native species that were imported by the U.S. Dept of Agriculture in the 70s to control … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Nature, Rochester, New York | Tagged , | 5 Comments

This would work too, and it’s cheaper

Posted on January 30, 2008 by Kirsten

Glenn Reynolds has been advocating the adoption of flex-fuel technology for our cars. The basic idea is that if our cars could run on ethanol and methanol as well as gasoline, we’d reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The cost … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Politics | Comments Off

I have (ahem) composted . . . my lawn

Posted on October 1, 2007 by Kirsten

Well, part of my lawn. It turns out I didn’t order enough compost. Here it is scattered in its little piles. Next step: I had to rake it all to spread it — or more precisely, knock it off the … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Gardening | 1 Comment