The "Volvo Snow Tour"

We're going on a "Snow Tour"

Today, I got locked out of my house, in the cold and wet snow, wearing only my camera and my tripod. So I got in my car, and decided to take you on a "what's left of the snow" tour around town. We'll call it the Volvo Snow Tour, since I haven't really ever had a chance to take my car out in any of the elements, at least when there is nowhere to go. So this is going to be fun.

Our first stop is to admire my car. Ha, not really but I do admire the lines of the Volvo V50. This is where I parked my car so I could get a shot of something that I have been wanting to shoot during this snowy season. The River Ridge Golf Course is my first stop on our tour today, because I really loved seeing this flag on one the greens, all covered in snow.

Lonely and out in the cold. This flag just sat there. My optimum shot was the snow storm before this past one, when everything was completely white and the wind was blowing, causing the flag to blow.

The problem with this site is that it is right along the road and cars fly by not only spraying snow slush, but it is also on a blind corner, and it could cause some drivers to veer unexpectedly and then all hhhh would happen, and that would not be good for anyone. Sooo, that being said, this is as close as I could get ...today.

Maybe some other day. Like in the middle of a snow storm when everyone else is too scared to go out. When the only drivers out there are snow plows, cops and guys in their 4X rigs.

Leaving the River Ridge Golf Course, we will now head southbound on the notorius Delta Hwy. The one that seems to confuse more drivers, and thus probably causes more accidents because of their confusion. This is the only freeway in the New World, where some drivers actually stop on the freeway in order to wave other drivers to merge in front of them.

This is very unfortunate for the 'Drivers of Many Freeways,' that knowingly realize and comprehend that freeway interchanges and merging lanes are to be merged in a flow pattern, a smooth interfacing from one highway to another. These drivers that stop on the freeway to let others in front of them, actually think they are doing their share of 'good deeds for their day' and are quite proud of their driving, but never seem to glance in their rear view mirrors, because if they did, they would see visions of whiplash and neckbraces, the scrambling of brake lights and quick decisions made by the remainder of 50 mph, rush hour traffic, approaching this particular interchange, right up on their back door, while they are smug in their waving another onward to fill their gap in the traffic.

Continuing South bound, we approach another interchange, the I-105 interchange, once Eugene's second most deadly interchange, but it is now reconfigured so that it is actually one of the safest, yet still death defying for those "scared of heights drivers." We are coming to the end of our freeway interchanging and being led out to a feeder street, 7th Ave, a main one way street through Downtown, Eugene. This image is of the Washington Jefferson Street Park and this is a location that is usually lined with panhandlers that have some ingenious cardboard signs. Every possible corner in this area has it's own panhandler, sometimes in multiples. The interesting thing is, the signs all stay the same though the people change... Sometimes it seems that the signs have life of their own, and use the people to hold them. Who knows...

Continuing onward, we are now going through our University of Oregon campus dorm area, quite empty this time of year now that finals are over and all have returned home after shaving their mohawks off and recoloring their hair back to what their families will consider to be naturally colored. A very quiet campus today, but that is fine because we are heading uphill to our famous Rhododendron Gardens and Tall Old Growth Firs at Hendricks Park.

So the Rhody Garden was a bit...uneventful,
and I have decided to drive into the park a bit. Funny, everyone was pulling off this tiny little road that winds through the park.


It was as if everyone was scared to go any further lest they be trapped by snowdrifts. There weren't any drifts, but they will never know that now will they?

After our tour of Hendricks Park, we now head

southbound to what we in Eugene refer to as "The South Hills." We used to live down here. This area is always fun in the snow. It usually snows here first...but not always.

"Spencer Butte," in the background here, is actually getting snowed on at this very moment. A few flakes falling here and there.
Temp is 34 deg. but some drivers are driving with chains on wet pavement... I ask not why....

Returning back to downtown I notice that the Valley River Mall seems to be back in full swing as people try to get inside for an afternoon of Christmas Shopping. I notice some people looking at me whilst I shoot through my windshield.

Heading North now behind the Delta Ponds (where they probably got the name Delta Hwy from), I

decided to stop by the nature Overlook, but it was so unnatural looking that I only took one image that I thought was appealing.

This slough had a great reflection, and the ice had melted just off the water's edge.

Passing back over the notorius Delta Hwy interchange, I always keep in the left lane because it is just plain more fun to dodge the cars that have to stop quick, swerving into the laft lane when someone stops traffic to let another driver merge in front of them. This is so much better than being in the right lane, to be one of the drivers that has to sit and wait while the driver in front stops to wave on, one of the mergers. I am still waiting for the case to come, when the accident happens (and I am sure it has already happened more than once) because the driver was flipping the bird to the jutting merger who thought they were getting the go-ahead to pull in front...

Back at the River Ridge Golf Course I have decided to try another angle at that lonely green with a flag at the cup.

I am not sure where one tees off for this shot but I am parked on a private road, and fully expect to hear the Pinschers barking off in the distance as they approach me... The flag and cup are off in the distance behind the little creek with the bridge.

I have seen many a golf cart going down here. So I think this is the tee.

The creek and bridge are really far off on the background here.

Turning 180 degress around and I have found my "Shot Of The Day"



Right here ~~>

This concludes our Volvo Snow Tour, now that we have returned to our starting point. This image shows where I have been and a little of where I am right now.

Thanks for joining me on my adventure.


Afterthought: You know, when we lived in the South Hills, we used to take my Subaru Outback Sedan out during snowstorms at night; out behind that mountain (Spencer Butte) during white-outs. You know the nights, when strings cars do the same thing as us, late at night in a storm, and one by one they disappear behind us, so that only we and maybe one other car, are the only cars left out there in the snow. When the roads make no sound at all because a blanket of snow muffles all sounds... Well, this Volvo beats that Subaru tenfold...so I can't wait until we get to take you on our next tour,

Our "Snow Trek."

Snowy Twilight

Taken at 24 degrees, our recent ice and snowstorm dipped us to below 11 degrees, and just about halted our town in this balmy valley, usually fed by marine air. Even the coastline had snow right down to the Pacific Ocean's edge. Haystack Rock, just outside of Oregon's Cannon beach even had snow on it!

Kudos to flickr's user: adventursaurus for the absolutely gorgeous shot of Haystack Rock, taken yesterday 12/17/08.

The 2nd image is of the town Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock, is in the back ground.

And the 3rd image, well I am just going to title it: "No Tsunamis, Please."

Seasons Greeting from Claybritt Images

Silent Night

Commercial and Natural views of this Christmas and the Holiday Season, combine in a virtual Greeting for all. This image is also currently viewable at KVAL NEWS in my hometown; http://www.kval.com/younews/?profile=y&author=Brittlee under the name Brittlee, because some else has used my name, claybritt, how'd that happen in such a small town of only 120K? (actually I think it WAS me and I forgot my password)

Happy All Hallows Eve and the day afterward!

~ HAPPY HALLOWEEN ~

Ronan ~The Great

Cattitude

Found 'em! We're pretty sure we know what they are now....

Ok I think we have some answers: Stink bugs

Pentadamids or better known as: Hemiptera(true bug)>sub order-Heteroptera>Pentatomidae family(Stink Bugs) AKA pentadomids

This one is the green stink bug: genus: Acrosternum hilare

This one is the two spotted stink bug: Perillus Bioculatus

These are freshly hatched pentadomids
The murgantia genus(harlequins or halloween bug) also look similar

Murgantia eggs

The true bug has the segmented antennae which is clearly visible on my bugs. And the pentatomidae (stinks) penta=5 - have 5 segments in their antennae.
Even though the color and patterns are different they are yet the same style.
I am looking at the genus Podisus right now, only their eggs seem to be frilly edged, but still in cylinders with little lids. (see the two images below)

This Podisus has a pair of mating fireflies in tow. The author felt that the stink bug had its proboscis in one of the fireflies and the other just went right along with it. Sheesh!

I am going to stop here, because I am pretty sure that this is what we have. Besides, I getting goosebumps and these are creepy. Many of the genus are really nasty looking; not all shiny and colorful. Some are big and look like bark. I found images of them eating things that are 100 times their size and 1/10 their size, even eating flowers. I find spiders to be much more...beautiful...in a bizarre macabe way. At least they pierce the skin and back off or wrap up...these guys stab, then seem to just sit there and siphon their prey... with long snout/straws.

Pentatomids produce odors from thoracic glands for self-defense.
One thing is certain, in the bug world they are Bad Dudes.

Oh my! I am so glad I am as big as I am tall. I wouldn't want to be ladybug sized. We should all recognize our true positions in this world. If we were to observe the insect world for just one day, we would probably stop our rabbling and infighting amongst ourselves. We would have many other important things on our minds.

♦I would like to give thanks to the Bug Guide for these great images and tons of information, and I will be sure to bookmark their site for fufure reference.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/182

Herding Mentality -Help! What are these beetles in our Vine Maple?

Please help us identify these beetles:
**note: I clicked on the images and was almost horrified at what I saw. I appears that perhaps these eggy things are being 'covered' as if they had just been deposited. Now I must check the remaining images not used in this post for more clues.

We found them on our Vine Maple this summer.

The reason I originally noticed them was their formation. Notice how they are all perched facing the same direction. They are actually sitting on top of eggs. Keeping them safe? warm? incubating? hatching......? laying? eating? Notice nymph stage beetle standing with them.

As I watched, getting close with the camera lens, they seemed to be upset by me and started to move off; vacating their positions. That, or they just happened to be finished with whatever they were doing at the time. I also noticed webbing around them, but webbing is everywhere around here. I am not sure whether the webbing is from them or the spiders. But the spiders are our friends. Spiders are not rushing to eat these, and that makes a giant problem for our little

Vine Maple.

At first, I thought they were actually attacking and eating the eggs, and that I happened upon them in their feasting frenzy. But the adults do not appear to be ravaging them as a predator might do. After observing them for a while, I came to the conclusion that they may actually be rearing their young. It alsmost appears that they are helping the babies out of their eggs... But the nymphs here, look too dark and possibly too large to be the babies that have come from these eggs; so I was left with more questions.

Are the newly hatched babies transparent or translucent, as many other insects are when freshly hatched, not becoming all that visible until having grown for awhile? Also, some of the nymphs appear to have 8 legs, though it may be their antennae. Perhaps they are just laying the eggs, but these look emptied, at least some of them do. Unless those are very little seedsized larvae or eggs in those little cylinders. Perhaps the nymphs are sealing off the newly laid eggs for later hatches.

These beetles also obviously have a hardened shell-like back. Backs that should be split with wings underneathe. Having observed these guys for way too long now, I have also noted that I yet to see a single beetle reposition, lift and spread, clean, or tend to any appendages that might be under their hard shelled backsides. I have also taken note that their color and bright markings may be a sign that they taste really bad to anything that might decide to predate upon them.

Below, they seem to be making an exit as if by some agreement made between them; now moving off from their positioning. They appear to be leaving in unison. I wonder about their communication. How do they do it? Do they use an expressive vocalization well out of my hearing range? Is it done telepathically? By odor? Or is it instinctual, something that just happens in a particular order, successively, year after year, after year, without any forethought.

As the adults of this species vacate the scene, they appear to be leaving the nymphs in charge, caring for the eggs, some which may now be empty, and some occupied, including some that appear to be very new, with a creamy color throughout. Some even seem to have little lids but then I could be totally wrong.

These nymphs seem to be tending these eggs. Perhaps they are eating them, or cultivating them, in a bizarro-symbiotic way...raise them to a certain age, and then, when ripe, they are consumed like a delicious fruit. Perhaps they allow a certain amount to hatch and live to further the species, and providing sustanence for later or the following year.

The adults, after leaving the winged seed pod, have moved to other seed pods on the same branch. They have now separated from each other and seem to be happily doing their thing on the tree. Note: Another thing noticed this particular year, every winged seed pod on this tree has the same brown scarring on them. This was not present last year, nor are the other Viney Maples showing the same scarring...yet. It may be possible, or probable, that this is related to these little varmits.
Now, I have been here year after year after year, too. Why is it, that I have never noticed them before this? I noticed these guys immediately when I stood by the tree. Was it just my vantage point at that particular moment? It is not often that a new species comes to me (of course, some of you will remeber our European Pine SawFly attack earlier this year, an infestation that if we had not noticed it when we did, would have cost us our entire set of Mugo Pines, leaving only tufts at the top of our beautiful trees). I hadn't noticed them before either, though I have to admit that when I saw the winged SawFly adult version that hatches (from the larvae that we eradicated just prior to its seeking the soil under the tree for underground pupation), I did indeed recognize their frilly antennae from the prior year's summer. But I will never forget them now.

Once again, these are new. As soon as we discover their latin name and common names, I will research them and then more than likely eradicate them. Until then...taking pictures and learning is the way for me to understand their necessitiy for life. But life is short, and the tree will inevitably become short, once the leaves are all off and gone. The seed pods have always hung long after the leaves fall, seemingly created to blow away by the winter storms, finding new fresh soil from which to tap their roots into. This tree, in particular, is about to be hard pruned, everything stripped off and discarded, uhhh, after beign sprayed with pyrithium or Safer, depending upon what I learn about them.

It also depends on you (reading this blog) and what you might know about these tiny critters. If you recognize them or think you know someone that might know about them, please leave a comment in the comment area of this post, and I will happliy wiki them, or even use my feet to go to the library if necessary...

Thanks.

Trapped

Pinus Pitchus Stickus

Enough Spider Butts...

Here's a Spider's Face Smiling At You.

This is the same model from the UNews Press Image on the right side bar, in the Pic named "Ambush"

Some fangs, eh. Do not click this image if you fear spiders.

She is looking at you, ya' know...

I think we Humans have an inate fear of beings that walk around with their head beneathe their knees.

I wish I had a macro.

A New Morning's Fresh and Clean Web.

Click on pics to see the sticky droplets on her web...if you can handle a spider this close.

Don't you want to just reach out and give her a little butt scratch, like you would do to a dog's head?

These images were captured September 15th, 2008. These babes are only medium in size. If they were lucky enough to have been hatched early this year, they may molt one more time before freezing (or wintering over) and become huge spiders. I will keep watch over them, since they are in my own backyard, and won't be going anywhere soon, unless it is in a Jay's beak, or if attacked from behind by a hornet; as they are now large enough to fend for themselves, against others of their own species. I have seen no lynx spiders and they are pretty high on the spruce trees for the comb foots (theridion) to be a problem, so I don't think they pose any threat to the Araneas living here on this particular tree.

This is it.

My blog has officially opened for business.
First things first:

Some images:

Stormy Blue Skies

When I awoke, my dream hadn't quite ended. I was still in flight.

Nos(e)y Neighbor Series

Rosa Alba

Golden Bamboo at night.

Wonderful Sunset

Things go better with:

Ronan, The Great