Nature Notes | craftcrazygran

A-Z Archive: X-Rated

Err, Ahem I’m a little leery of this one. But it was not anything we did, or didn’t do. This was Nature at her Naughtiest!

I present: The (not so humble) Aubergine, Eggplant, Brinjal, Eggfruit, whatever you want to call it…

3 of the best

And, the Winner is …

Aubergine, glorious aubergine! (najmasblog.wordpress.com)
Spicy Fried Aubergines (najmasblog.wordpress.com)
Eggplant Gratin (heavenlydelicious.wordpress.com)
Brinjal Sweet Pickle (mizrhi.wordpress.com)
A-Z Archives: X (Tuesday Photo Challenge) (scrapydo.wordpress.com)
A-z Archive Photo: X (francineinretirement.wordpress.com)
A-Z Archive: X Challenge: Xanadu (stephenkellycreative.wordpress.com)

Dadirri7: http://wp.me/296YA

justfletcher: http://justfletcher.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/a-z-archive-x-challenge/

truthaboveallreligions: http://truthaboveallreligions.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/a-z-archive-x-challenge-warning-viewers-may-find-content-disturbing/

stephenkellycreative: http://stephenkellycreative.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/a-z-archive-x-challenge-xanadu/

peters154: http://www.sofacents.com/x-is-for-daddys-crazy-music/

http://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/photo-challenge-x/

X! Challenge: Xerophyte | Creativity Aroused

A-Z Archive: X is for eXperiment « heartfelt images

X! Challenge: The Old Barn Door « beyondpaisley

A-Z-archive-X-challenge « maxidiehexi

A-Z Archive: X! Challenge | Blog Kemaren Siang

Weekly Image Of Life: Happiness | this man’s journey

June 13, 2012 | Categories: My Blog, Nature Notes Wednesday, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tags: A-Z Archive: X, Brinjal, Eggplant, Nature Notes, Vegetable | 16 Comments »

The Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship

Weekly Photo Challenge

Some of the sweetest friendships to witness
are between the very old and very young;
between different species;
between different walks of life;
where chasms once yawned.

This is a friendship between a young dog,
a sweet little female who was the runt of the litter,
I had to put her on mom’s teat when the others were not around, or full.
She slept with me a few nights just after birth as she was so weak.
A sweet-natured, loving, caring, motherly little doggie.

She adopted both of these other animals when they were tiny orphans
and brought to me to raise.
She attended to their grooming, both for cleanliness and bonding.
She took care of toilet duties,
many baby animals need a warm, wet tongue to move things along.
She cuddled and played and reprimanded and loved.
My sweet Munchkin,
Little feral kitten, Minx,
A baby Duiker, Zakumi.

Munchkin grooming Minx

Munchkin kissing Zakumi

Minx and Zakumi adventuring together

Munchkin, Minx and Zakumi off into the world

A dog. a cat and a duiker
unlikely, but firm friends.
I think there is a lesson here.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship (elspethc.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship (mikehardisty.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship II (jayjaysfavorites.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship (theretiringsort.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship is needed to care for animals (benwilliamsworld.wordpress.com)
Weekly photo challenge : “Friendship” – When I was gifted a star (justanotherwakeupcall.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship… (eof737.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship (waldina.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: FRIENDSHIP (bopaula.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship (implicado.wordpress.com)
Daily Post Challenge – Friendship (thegingerbreadcafe.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship (taochildseyes.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge – Friendship (thisthatandwhateverelseicanthinkof.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship (myphotoyear2012.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge:- Friendship (jfb57.wordpress.com)

June 10, 2012 | Categories: My Blog, Nature Notes Wednesday, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tags: Friends, Friendship, My Photography, Nature Notes, Photograph, postaday, Relationship, Weekly Photo Challenge, Zakumi | 54 Comments »

Kharma Chameleon

Nature Notes Wednesday

I wrote this in response to a post about a chameleon
Very different in looks to the chameleons I have seen
It looked like a lizard.

I love chameleons. From their “um, yes I’ll go, ummm, hang on, maybe I’ll stay, No, hang on, don’t rush me, I’ll go!” – to their awesomely yucky, loooonnnngggg, sticky tongue and deadly aim! Their curly tails and cute split foot, with toes on either side! Their googly eyes and various appellations. They’re fabulously talented camouflage experts and when they get cross!!!! Oooh, you really do know it from their colouration! We found this one hanging out in the garden. He had a white patch of “lichen” on his head that was rather rakish! We’ve spotted him a few times in the garden and watch him watching us, as well as everything else!!! They are awesome!
Big G was so excited, but reluctant to take him. He thrilled to watch him wobble over Little K. Little K of course just wanted to grab and eat poor Boy George (of course).

Please don’t try to keep a chameleon – they have an enormously varied and voracious diet and do not do well in captivity.

Chameleons are from a family called Chamaeleonidae, and are very different to other lizards!

They have feet like a parrot – called zygodactylous feet. It means that they have two toes pointing forward, and two toes pointing backwards.
Their eyes are able to move independently, called stereoscopic eyes.
They have very special tongues; very long, highly modified and rapidly extrudable (stretchy) tongues.
They walk funny – back and forth swaying motion.
Many chameleons have a prehensile tail – like a monkey.
Some have crests or horns on their prehistoric looking heads.
They’re mainly known for being able to change colour, but not all do.
They come in all sorts of sizes; from littlies measuring about 16mm or (1/2 in.) in Brookesia micra (one of the world’s smallest reptiles) to 68.5 cm (27 in.) in the male Furcifer oustaleti.
There are approximately 160 species of chameleon in the world; from Africa, Madagascar, Spain and Portugal, across south Asia to Sri Lanka. They have been introduced to Hawaii, California and Florida. They like warm places that can be as different as deserts to rain forests!