Mermaid’s Purse Crepes (recipe)

Timestamp: 1369442604

Mermaid’s Purse Crepes (recipe)

Halysites - Chain Coral Fossil

From the Wrens Nest, Dudley, West Midlands, UK. From the Silurian Period, 425 million years ago.

(Source)

Timestamp: 1369440051

Halysites - Chain Coral Fossil

From the Wrens Nest, Dudley, West Midlands, UK. From the Silurian Period, 425 million years ago.

(Source)

Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua

[Sweetgums] are vigorous shade trees from the southeastern United States with star-shaped leaves that smell sweetly resinous if scratched. From the leaf shape you might think it a maple, except that no maple can match the sweet odor. Moreover, maple leaves and twigs are opposite one another, whereas sweetgum leaves are alternate like those of most trees. Several features make sweetgum one of the most popular urban ornamental trees. It is strong, adaptable to varied soil conditions, and produces a safe, handsome crown of branches. The fall leaf color can be spectacular red usually changing from green later in the season than most trees. Practically no insects or diseases bother this species. A drawback is its prickly seedballs littering the ground, crunching underfoot.

Sweet gum resin can be used as a stabilizer in cakes and other foods and can be chewed to sweeten the breath. It also has medicinal, incense, perfume, soap, and adhesive uses. The wood is fine-grained with red heartwood that displays traverse blackish belts when cut. It is used for lumber, veneer, plywood, and railroad ties. The lumber is used to produce boxes and crates, furniture, and radio, television, and phonograph cabinets.

(Source)

Timestamp: 1369353679

Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua

[Sweetgums] are vigorous shade trees from the southeastern United States with star-shaped leaves that smell sweetly resinous if scratched. From the leaf shape you might think it a maple, except that no maple can match the sweet odor. Moreover, maple leaves and twigs are opposite one another, whereas sweetgum leaves are alternate like those of most trees. Several features make sweetgum one of the most popular urban ornamental trees. It is strong, adaptable to varied soil conditions, and produces a safe, handsome crown of branches. The fall leaf color can be spectacular red usually changing from green later in the season than most trees. Practically no insects or diseases bother this species. A drawback is its prickly seedballs littering the ground, crunching underfoot.

Sweet gum resin can be used as a stabilizer in cakes and other foods and can be chewed to sweeten the breath. It also has medicinal, incense, perfume, soap, and adhesive uses. The wood is fine-grained with red heartwood that displays traverse blackish belts when cut. It is used for lumber, veneer, plywood, and railroad ties. The lumber is used to produce boxes and crates, furniture, and radio, television, and phonograph cabinets.

(Source)

Timestamp: 1369349767

Going through photo booth. It’s kind of embarrassing in an amazing way. 

Timestamp: 1369348815

Going through photo booth. It’s kind of embarrassing in an amazing way. 

Seasonal Color Wheel by Sasha Duerr of Permacouture Institute

Illustrates palette of natural dyes available from seasonal plants common to the San Francisco Bay Area. Concentric rings represent the color as impacted by mordants used: Outer ring, no mordant (plant by itself); second ring, alum; third ring, alum and iron; inner ring, just iron.

Plants (clockwise from spring): sourgrass, fava leaves, nettles, avocado pitts, rhubarb.
elderberies, blackberries, fig leaves, holly hock, wild fennel.
oak galls, black beans, mint, rosemary, carrot tops, onion skins, eucalyptus leaves (?).
pomegranate, persimmons, acorns, black walnut, loquat leaves.
black olives, sweetgum leaves (?), artichokes, red cabbage, redwood cones.

Timestamp: 1369347108

Seasonal Color Wheel by Sasha Duerr of Permacouture Institute

Illustrates palette of natural dyes available from seasonal plants common to the San Francisco Bay Area. Concentric rings represent the color as impacted by mordants used: Outer ring, no mordant (plant by itself); second ring, alum; third ring, alum and iron; inner ring, just iron.

Plants (clockwise from spring): sourgrass, fava leaves, nettles, avocado pitts, rhubarb.
elderberies, blackberries, fig leaves, holly hock, wild fennel.
oak galls, black beans, mint, rosemary, carrot tops, onion skins, eucalyptus leaves (?).
pomegranate, persimmons, acorns, black walnut, loquat leaves.
black olives, sweetgum leaves (?), artichokes, red cabbage, redwood cones.

Gray Tree Frog - Hyla versicolor (Flickr)

Gray Tree Frogs are probably my favorite frog. The thunderstorm has passed and they are calling off in the distance.

Timestamp: 1369270063

Gray Tree Frog - Hyla versicolor (Flickr)

Gray Tree Frogs are probably my favorite frog. The thunderstorm has passed and they are calling off in the distance.

Madness - One Step Beyond

It’s starting to feel like summer!