Pictures to hang onto summer by

As cold weather approaches, and my firewood is all split, stacked, and covered - finally - I'm simultaneously bracing for winter and not wanting to let go of summer. Winter will come, and I will adjust. But, meanwhile, I'm posting two more photos that remind me of the best of summer - the Pacific Coast Tree Frog, Hyla regilla, and the Goldenrod Crab Spider. Both are subjects of greeting cards in a line I hope to release before Christmas. The frog, by the way, has recently been renamed Pseudacris regilla, and is now a "chorus" frog rather than a tree frog. I guess I must have had a premonition of this back in 1981 when I published an essay titled "Our Tree Frogs Don't Like Trees." Having learned zoology back east where both types abound, I knew that our California frog had habits and appearance more similar to the Pseudacris clan, but I never really questioned the name. I liked the Hyla clan so much I named my first child Hyla. Now I'm hanging onto the first name just like I'm hanging onto summer.
The Goldenrod Crab Spider is a work of art, and I have photographed it often. In my next post I'll include a few more pics of it plus some other bugs I enjoyed this past summer.

Quercus kelloggii

I didn't think California black oak could get any prettier, then I went to get a donut at Papa's, and there it was!

Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii

Here are a couple of pics of the plant that inspired this blog and my publishing operation. Later, I'll post a brief history of the name and biographical info about Dr. Kellogg. These pics were taken October 3, as the fall colors are just beginning to emerge around my home town.

A poem from one who is not a poet

Here's the poem I promised a few entries ago.

ODE TO SOLANACEAE

Oh, deadly nightshade,

You mysterious bundle of DNA,

Perhaps you knew we were coming.

You killed some of us, but

You spawned many tasty cousins:

Potato, tomato, eggplant, and peppers.

Your cousins, too, are toxic

Except for the parts we eat.

So intriguing, your beautiful toxic flowers

And your often delectable fruit.

Both feared and admired; Solanaceae,

I thank you

for forcing me to pay attention.