Buzzing Around!

Bumblebee

F/6.3, 1/800, ISO 800.

Bumblebee

Day 212 / 365

Who is the bees favorite singer?

Sting!

Interesting Fact: Bumblebees produce buzzing sound as a result of vibration of muscles used for flying. These muscles increase temperature of the body and facilitate gathering of pollen. ( http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/bumblebee_facts/582/ )

 

Every Flower Must Grow Through Dirt.

Light Pink Gladiolas

F/14.0, 1/60, ISO 160.

Light Pink Gladiolus

Day 211 / 365

What did the old flower say to the younger flower?

What’s up, bud?

Interesting Fact: The British and Mediterranean gladiolus plants were often used for medicinal purposes. For example, the English used the plant’s corms (stem base) as a bandage and to extract thorns or splinters. The corms were also powdered and mixed with goat’s milk to soothe symptoms of colic. Parts of the gladiolus, however, are poisonous if eaten, and certain species cause irritation or allergic reaction when handled. Today we primarily use the gladiolus as a decorative flower in gardens and bouquets. ( http://www.nanzandkraft.com/blog/5-fun-facts-gladiolus-augusts-official-flower/ )

I Can See You From Here!!!

Northern Cardinal 2

F/6.0, 1/500, ISO 1400.

Northern Cardinal

Day 210 / 365

The early bird gets the worm, but of course the early worm gets eaten. So it’s kind of a mixed message.

Interesting Fact: Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/lifehistory )

 

I Got 99 Problems But An ITCH Ain’t One

Green Heron

F/6.3, 1/250, ISO 500.

Green Heron

Day 209 / 365

Why did the heron cross the road?

The chicken was on vacation.

Interesting Fact: The Green Heron is one of the world’s few tool-using bird species. It creates fishing lures with bread crusts, insects, earthworms, twigs, feathers, and other objects, dropping them on the surface of the water to entice small fish. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/lifehistory )

Keep Calm And Swim On!

Common Loon Juvenile

F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 560.

Common Loon ( Juvenile )

Day 208 /365

How do people swimming in the ocean say HI to each other?

They Wave!

Interesting Fact: Loons are well equipped for their submarine maneuvers to catch fish. Unlike most birds, loons have solid bones that make them less buoyant and better at diving. They can quickly blow air out of their lungs and flatten their feathers to expel air within their plumage, so they can dive quickly and swim fast underwater. Once below the surface, the loon’s heart slows down to conserve oxygen. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_loon/lifehistory )

Let It Grow!

Sunflower

F/5.6, 1/250, ISO 400.

Sunflower

Day 207 / 365

Why does a farmer have to wear dark sunglasses?

Because he grows sunflowers.

Interesting Fact: Sunflowers are very fast growing plants, in the right conditions they can grow 8-12 feet (2.4 m – 3.7 m) tall in six months. As of 2012, the Guinness World Record for the tallest sunflower is 8.23 m (27 ft) for a sunflower grown in Germany. ( http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/plants/sunflowers.html )

Let The Spectacular Begin.

Radio City

F/6.3, 1/60, ISO 200.

Day 206 / 365

“Here in New York City they are converting telephone booths into Wi-Fi hot spots. Because we have very few phone booths left, Clark Kent — Superman — has to use the men’s room at Starbucks.” –David Letterman

Interesting Fact: Its originally planned name was International Music Hall.[3] The names “Radio City” and “Radio City Music Hall” derive from one of the complex’s first tenants, the Radio Corporation of America. Radio City Music Hall was a project of Rockefeller; Samuel Roxy Rothafel, who previously opened the Roxy Theatre in 1927; and RCA chairman David Sarnoff. RCA had developed numerous studios for NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, just to the south of the Music Hall, and the radio-TV complex that lent the Music Hall its name is still known as the NBC Radio City Studios.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_City_Music_Hall#History )

The Best Revenge Is Massive Success

pier a hoboken

F/9.0, 30.0, ISO 100.

Day 205 / 365

How can you go without sleep for seven days and not be tired?
Sleep at night.

Interesting Fact:  The name “Hoboken” was decided upon by Colonel John Stevens when he purchased land, on a part of which the city still sits. The Lenape (later called Delaware Indian) tribe referred to the area as the “land of the tobacco pipe”, most likely to refer to the soapstone collected there to carve tobacco pipes, and used a phrase that became “Hopoghan Hackingh”.[24] Like Weehawken, its neighbor to the north, Communipaw and Harsimus to the south, Hoboken had many variations in the folks-tongue. Hoebuck, old Dutch for high bluff and likely referring to Castle Point, was used during the colonial era and later spelled as Hobuck,[25] Hobock,[26] Hobuk[27] and Hoboocken.[28]  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoboken,_New_Jersey )

The Dark Side Of The Moon!

moon half

F/6.3, 1/250, ISO 800.

Day 204 / 365

Ted and Fred were walking home from the pub.  Ted says to Fred, “What a beautiful evening, look at the moon.”              Fred stops and looks at Ted, “You are wrong, that’s not the moon, that’s the sun.” Both started arguing for a while when they come upon a real drunk walking in the other direction, so they stopped him.                                                                                        “Sir, could you please help settle our argument?                                                                                                                                            Tell us what that thing is up in the sky that’s shining. Is it the moon or the sun?’  The drunk looked at the sky and then looked at them, and said,

“Sorry, I don’t live around here.”

Interesting Fact: The moon rotates at 10 miles per hour compared to the earth’s rotation of 1000 miles per hour. ( http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_facts.phtml )

That Was It, That Was The Last Straw.

straws

F/5.6, 1/60, ISO 100.

Day 203 / 365

Who Gets the Short Straw?

Interesting Fact: The first known straws were made by the Sumerians, and were used for drinking beer,[1] probably to avoid the solid byproducts of fermentation that sink to the bottom.[citation needed] The oldest drinking straw in existence, found in a Sumerian tomb dated 3,000 B.C.E., was a gold tube inlaid with the precious blue stone lapis lazuli.[1] Argentines and their neighbors used a similar metallic device called a bombilla, that acts as both a straw and sieve for drinking mate tea for hundreds of years. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_straw )