I dangled my camera (set on timer) blindly into those limestone rocks that I recently procured to try and capture some of their inner caverns, (as you do).
One of the shots was startling:
The insulating qualities deep in the heart of these boulders must be amazing. I surmise that these subterranean passages are where the Patch tribesfolk shelter when things get really hot outside, and things have got really hot outside.
Record breaking temperatures this past week in Central Texas have quickly ushered in Summer conditions and memories
of last years Mars-like conditions.
This is reminiscent of my expression at the end of an average working day at this time of the year.
This smoke tree apparently went up in smoke overnight,
Cotinus coggygria
(not so) ‘Royal Purple’
though there is still hope on this small trees extremities.
Satsumas are stressing a pale yellow complexion and even the gulf coast toads are hopping into the pond during daylight hours to cool-off.
Err…
Dude, not in the pond!
This one hopped into my depleted feeder tank and was unable to get out. I found him in the middle of the tank perched precariously on a Madam Ganna Walska lily, sporting a distinct expression of toady annoyance.
Check out that transverse pupil…snort.
The circular item behind the eye is a round eardrum, or tympanic membrane. When sound waves strike this membrane, the frog perceives sound.
In 2008, scientists in Madagascar discovered a toad-like fossil that is 70 million years old. They named him Beelzebufo, or Devil Toad because of his bowling ball size.
Imagine the volume of that croak.
I digress, back to the some more crispiness…
…it is weeping now alright. This clumper goes through this every summer but it always pulls through with only
an occasional soaking like we are happily receiving right now.
When things get hot around the Patch a new hobby is generally not far behind.
The latest one unfortunately involves putting the oven on!
I will leave you with my daughters first venture into the now infamously shaky and out of focus filming technique that ESProductions have pioneered and become famous for over the years.
She built the song “Cutie Cake” in GarageBand, mixing loops and with some live vocals.
She also, more impressively, trained all of the cicadas around the Patch to synchronize with the beat and timing of her tune.
Stay Tuned for:
“Boot Hill”
All material © 2012 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.
Inspirational triptych of the week:
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, painted c.1505
Here is the outside of the triptych (side panels closed).
Comments on this entry are closed.
Miss P has already progressed faster than me in her movie making (even with my Apple store trainers!).
Perhaps she can give me some tips. :)
Hi Gail.
She did really good making her video – especially on the music software, the whole thing took about three hours and she stuck with it…I was quite impressed.
Yes, the crispy critters are showing up in my garden,too. I’m watching my agastaches die one stalk at a time, knowing that they will all eventually succumb as did those that came before them last year. Maybe I will learn next year — it’s just too hot here for them. So, did you help that poor toad out of there? Sadly, I had to help one out of the pool this morning, but he wasn’t in any hurry sadly. Usually they hop out on their own. Love the little clay thingies. We make them here a lot, too. Endless creative possibilities!
Hi Diana.
Yes things are crisping up nicely in the Patch…like a fine Sunday roast.
I did get that toad out of the stock tank and filled the tank up so that it would not have any problems getting out the following night. I also noticed that this tank is now full of toad eggs, she had been busy.
The little clay thingy-ma-jigs are now an obsession and looking good enough to eat that is exactly what Kumo did with one. We found out that a part of one was missing when he vomited up a seashell that was adorning a tiny underwater scene…bad Kumo,…a seashell!
Are you sure you’ll need your oven? I think you might try leaving a clay bit out in the full sun and see if that doesn’t do the trick. Are we over the polished rocks already? I’m still waiting to see a side shop here with polished stones on offer to top our prettiest planters. (East Side Pebbles?)
You are kind to share shots of your crisped bits – other sites are looking so green and lush and cool and….sorry….sniff!……hard to type whilst furiously weeping……
Good point TD, what was I thinking!
Unfortunately we are not over the rock tumbling quite yet, it just takes a month for the rocks to get polished (practically a lifetime for the halflings). We have a new (more experimental) batch rolling around on our back porch as I type. ESPebbles, haha :-)
Yes like crispy smoked bacon, I now have rosemary turning yellow in my hell-strip…I fear we are in for yet another scalding dry summer.
Ever the optimist,
ESP.
Too hot for William Wallace, I see. Still so much activity in the patch, with things crisping up under the death star’s torment! But not all, actually some of it looks quite verdant…
Hi David.
Yes even in a kilt, William struggles this time of year:-)
Most of the really bad crispiness comes courtesy of experimental plants that I have not tried before, the unknown, the one minute – it looks like it is going to make it…the next minute under the death star – is that bacon?
Still we have to experiment.