Seasonal Scenery Start

I've been working on a mushroom post that might appear soon. I've taken a lot of pictures of different mushrooms in the last week or so, but I'm afraid I don't know what they are. The more I learn about them, the less certain I am of the identification of the few I was sure of.

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Tawny Emperor, Asterocampa clyton

I took a blurry pic of one of these butterflies earlier this month. Saturday, I hiked up the hill opposite the mountain our house is on, and chased two Tawny Emperors up and down a gravel road for a half hour or so.



The Tawny Emperor is not nearly as willing to sit and pose for a picture as a Monarch or Tiger Swallowtail.



Maybe I'll get pictures of a Zebra Swallowtail someday? Or a Luna Moth...I saw one here, one night many years ago.

This side of Cold Run Valley Road features the main buildings of the Coolfont Resort.

Coolfont's Treetop House officially closed last June. Since then, the resort has operated on a limited basis. The Carl M. Freeman Companies purchased Coolfont in November, 2005.

All present buildings except for the historic Coolfont Manor House will be removed next year as work begins on a planned resort community featuring 1,100 homes.

General plans for a 1,100 home resort consisting of mostly vacation homes and condos were announced in September after a week of meetings and workshops involving Freeman company officials, architects, planners, public service officials and community members.

The new Coolfont homes will be built in clusters to preserve green space and will be constructed over the course of 10-12 years.

Or whenever a gigantic real estate bubble comes back. Anyways, here's a few pics I took on the way to the butterflies.







(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Cacapon Mountain wildlife, late September edition

Orange Jewelweed (aka AKA spotted touch-me-not) and Lyon's Turtlehead.




Based on its size, long neck, and long tail, I'm guessing this is a snapping turtle. No wonder I never see duckling families in Lake Siri.




I've been wandering the woods, high points, meadows, creeks, and lakes of the Cacapon Mountain area for over a decade. Yesterday, I was pondering the fact that I couldn't remember seeing a snake in all this time. And just like that, I saw this Northern Water Snake fishing for minnows in the shallow water at the end of Lake Siri (I saw he/she/snake strike at a minnow...missed it by that much).



(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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My Petition for the White House

As noted by Wonkette, "The White House pretty much launched the project noting that they would not actually pay any attention to proposals they didn’t like..."

Therefore:


I forgot a line I was going to put in there, "And keep pretending it's the mean Republicans and stubborn Blue Dog Democrats that make you do it." Anyways, I need 4,999 more signatures for my official White House review:

Thank you for creating a petition on We the People!

You now have 30 days to get 5,000 signatures in order for your petition to be reviewed by the White House. Until your petition has 150 signatures, it will only be available from the following URL:

So if you're sitting around with too much time on your hands, please go sign my petition.

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire.)
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Potomac River at Hancock, Maryland

Random Fact! The state of Maryland narrows to less than two miles wide in the Hancock area—the smallest non-vertex border-to-border distance of any U.S. state. It is at the junction of Interstates 68 and 70.

The Familiar Bluet and Hagen’s Bluet are so close in appearance, if they haven't been given an expert examination in the hand with a magnifying glass, they should be recorded as Enallagma civile/hageni.

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius). That's my guess, anyways. Other candidates are Wild Indigo Duskywing and Meridian Duskywing.




(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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deer orbs, the suet feeder, and such as

Out in the back 'yard' this A.M.:



Tragedy!






Comedy!


I will try to put the damned thing back together and forgo internet blegging...FOR NOW!

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions)
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Butterfly Shenanigans and Puffball Treat

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions)
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Birding Is Hard Work

For my readers, I make the necessary sacrifices.





(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions)
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