Photo Quiz Phriday--what are these two knobs called?!?

They live in Yosemite Valley, on the east end.

Photo is looking northward, generally...

Without looking it up,  can you name these?

Or, just one of 'em?

Alternatively, feel free to name them creatively,

 if you don't know their, um, traditionally used names.

We encourage wild guesses.

Fair warning: only PG answers will be posted. =)

And 100% accurate answers will be posted, but maybe a wee bit later than others...

Good luck, and Happy Halloween!!

xoxobb

Photo Quiz Phriday Answer, Genius Steepers & NEW Photo Quiz...

Photo Quiz Phriday Answer

So many great guesses re: WHAT the heck I was doing here:

I was NOT weighing a stool-for-tiny-people (it's actually a pitfall trap lid/shade).

I was weighing a lizard, which was in a little plastic bag,

which SPINS AROUND in the breeze when held by a Pesola spring scale

'cause lizards weigh ALMOST NOTHING.

SO, I was holding the lid to block the wind so I could weigh that pup accurately.

POWER NERDERY!! =)

This was all part of the reptile & amphibian inventory,
as designed & implemented by the fabulous Dr. Robert Fisher & all his peeps, at USGS.
Such a great group, the USGS Western Ecological Research Center's San Diego Field Station.
The TINY Cabrillo NM was super lucky to be able to team up w/them.

Behind me is 1 arm of a 3-armed Fisher trapping array.


Genius Steepers

I know this may sound lame, but ALL THE GUESSES WIN!!
They were SO fun & funny &/or accurate.

STEEPERS IN THEIR OWN GENIUS
(w/hyperlinks to their blogs, if they have one)

John Beetham for:
"It looks like you're weighing a stool."

(bb: I 100% look like I'm weighing a stool + bonus points for unintentional wildlife doo-doo pun)

Imperfect and Tense for:
"Are you wondering who has stolen the majority of your vehicle,
as you've been left holding just the steering wheel and column shift?"

(bb: Great imagination & more likely than you might imagine
+ bonus points for British English vocab lesson)

Cindy for:
"You are weighing a land mine (craftily disguised as stool by Navy wonks) to see if it is still active
before you start stomping through the coastal scrub looking for orange-throated whiptail.

(bb: She clearly is READING MY SOUL as this is SO close to what my life was like back then--
working in a Navy bunker & crawling through the CSS* looking for Cnemis**)

sclancy for:

"Calibrating your portable sundial"

(bb: SUPER imaginative + I-wish-I'd-thought-of-that-then)

Diana Studer for:

"hmm, can't be weighing 'cos you're holding it with your other hand.

Reading something off a gauge? Temperature?"

(bb: She's SO close, I AM weighing it, AND the scale is a gauge.)

Thanks everyone!! You cannot know how much your answers amuse & impress me. =)

NEW PHRIDAY PHOTO QUIZ

This one is SUPER HARD, if you're going for accurate,

but could be fun if you're going for creative.

This pup was sticking out of an old stump by the garden.

It's about 2 cm tall.

I had to ask around 'cause I had NO idea.

But, now I know, and I'm psyched about it.

The reward for inspired/accurate guesses is

MARINATING in the MAGNIFICENCE of your own MIND.

xoxoxobb

*CSS = coastal sage scrub

**Cnemis = verbal shorthand for Cnemidophorus hyperythrus, a.k.a. orange-throated whiptail lizard, NOW called Aspidoscelis hyperythra, so says the EVER FABULOUS & useful CaliforniaHerps.com.

What WAS I doing? PHOTO QUIZ PHRIDAY phieldwork phun...

 Just got this photo from a USGS friend & figured I'd share it

'cause it initially confused ME, staring at the me of years ago,

wondering what the h I was doing.

Then I remembered & laughed.

So, WHAT do YOU think I am doing?

Based on presence of chamise, I think it's one of the Navy sites,

near Cabrillo National Monument, in San Diego,

my employer at the time (hence kickin' NPS ballcap).

Based on the buckwheat, it's fall.

Per usual, any and all (family friendly) guesses (in comments) are greatly appreciated,

whether fueled by decades of wildlife experience,

or just a bowl of sugary cereal & NO clue.

And please forgive me for showing a photo where I am SO COOL in blue coveralls. =)

Don't hate me 'cause I'm stylish.

The reward for the most accurate guess & most creative guess is:

Steeping in the Glory of Your Own Genius

I will post the answer next week, and winning guesses.

=)

xoxo biobabbler

Springing forward into 2012 garden: "before" picture + simple quiz

First: garden art.

The ever gorgeous purple broccoli

that has yet to actually produce broccoli.

Garden overview shot.

bb garden March 2012 with VERY happy chickens engaged in garden predator control

Last year it was more completely covered in grasses since it actually RAINED....

And this year I also figured out if I leave much of the residual stuff,

the old corn, the old beans, chrysanthemums, etc.,

it will help keep the soil in place over the winter.

Discovered yesterday while trimming a (pollinator attracting) shrub:

Do you know what that is?

Please submit your guesses in the comments.

And the first sketches of plans for this year,

on a very suitable substrate =)

with some self-seeding cilantro decorating it all.

k. gotta go--on the clock today. =)

Happy Spring Forward!

bb

new photo hints for Phriday's Photo Quiz--y'all are v. close! + bonus

Still don't have a 100% clear THIS IS THE ANSWER winner for the quiz.

LAST CHANCE TO GUESS! =) And gain limitless glory.

Here's a few helpful shots. Well 1 or 2 v. helpful, 1 or 2 just for entertainment. =)

Here begins the not-helpful, but still related to that travel venture, portion.

Tho' I love San Francisco for its own sake, I was VERY excited to see this apparently

pretty healthy coastal sage scrub remnant at Twin Peaks. SWEET!

And a shot of the hood where I stayed. bb is lucky enough to have 10,000 charming, generous

cousins, & this one housed me and my visiting friend in a cool pad in SF.

AND we went to Tartine (a stupendous bakery)

and I spent a LOT of $$$ on fanTAStic pastries. =) 

*sigh*

Heaven!

Last shot from mystery location.

Now, do you know?

xoxobb

Anyone... anyone? More coastal grooviness to remedy blank stares...

=) I'm beginning to wonder if the comments field is broken.

So, to aid your efforts re: Phriday's Photo Quiz, photo phood phor you.

the biggest hint 

lichen & sandstone freakiness I love so much I could gnaw on it

I have issues re: succulents. Nestled in a lichenous lair? *happy sigh* 

Seriously. INSANELY beautiful sandstone. JEEPERS.

And this does NOT capture it.

Does that help?

The next batch of photo hints, should it prove necessary, will be closer to obv.

MORE hints:

I was there last week. I did NOT fly to get there.

The land is owned by the United States of America

(hence my ability to enjoy such a gorgeous place w/out paying a sou).

So, any guesses NOW???

=)

xoxoxobb

Phriday photo quiz--it's coastal!

 
Working again, now that my visitor is headed back to Canada, and it's a little nutty.

However, I am putting off (only by minutes) my TRIP to the GYM to post this, so you know I've been out and about (and that "I'm not dead!").

So, where's this?

This place does NOT suck.

I realize it's not an easy quiz.

I'll add more photos or hints later, if need be, so perspire not.

Any wild guesses (you know I love them)

 or are some of you SO well traveled, it's obv.?

xobb

Thursday photo quiz: what do these photos have in common?

 

Besides being shot in Yosemite,
including some of the same trees species, etc.

Something different.

Please submit guess via comments, below. =)

xobb

Phriday Photo Quiz, 2 days late =)

 

what
is
this
?

please
write
guesses
in
comments
below.

the
usual
conditions
apply,
including
"wild
guesses
cheerfully
received."

xo
xo
xo

bb

new, classier photo quiz: who's butt is this?

 

=)

annnnnnd closer...

Was delighted at the opportunity to photograph this
particularly fetching fanny.

Looking for the species name. =)

Super speedy & accurate guesses may be posted
a bit later so the rest of us also can have a crack at it.

If you don't know, don't let that stop you.
Lesson # 1 in science: it's okay not to know.
And for this, it's 100% safe to guess.

xobb

Phriday photo quiz, what do I weigh? + Garden panic

Me being the beans pictured below, harvested this a.m.

They're sitting on a large platter (well, larger than our normal plates),

and there's a quarter visible for scale.

Poor camera: bright sunshine on plastic

and BLACK ninja-kitty in same frame.

Didn't harvest for 2 or 3 days.

oops.

 

So, what does this pile of beans weigh?

 Closest guess by 8 a.m. Monday wins.

 And none of this "closest without being over" 

silliness--that's such an arbitrary cut off.

Statistically, it makes no sense to me,

and as a former stats nerd, I'm not gonna stand for it.

The prize, as usual, is GLORY.

And, if you have a blog, we'll link to it

so my 3+ blog readers will FLOOD your site

with traffic and you'll become rich.

(Maybe.)

Garden Panic

It's finally hit that time of year

where the yield is starting to freak me out.

 (peppers from SF farmer's market)

 

The pepper plants have all swooned from the burden of bounty,

languishing on the ground for want of extra support 

(or a better caretaker).

I'm now afraid of the tomatoes.

 (also from SF f.m.)

  Don't even want to check them.

Just walk by, averting my gaze,

trying to concentrate on other things.

The gardening equivalent of plugging your ears and humming

to not hear what you don't want to hear.

Traaa la la, la la.

So, Bear is dealing with the park fire,

and his wife is intimidated by tomatoes.

Go figure.

=)

xobb

photo quiz Friday returns, & early. Yosemite = locale = hint

 

So, what's this thing?

Saw this biking to Happy Isles in Yosemite.

As usual, 100% accurate guesses will be posted, but there may be some delay, 

so those who don't know have a while to gaze and ponder.

=)

Also, per usual, guesses are welcome. Feel free to be creative.

bb

photo quiz... a hint 4 u (ooh, and I get a little bio, so be warned)

 

So, I've received exactly ZERO guesses re: the identity of this pup.

I get it. It's not easy.

It IS, however, a fairly common annual herb used in cooking. At least, that is, by me. And the leaves you typically associate with this plant are not visible in this shot. This is the plant in BOLT mode, so things change when it's all about reproduction.

Interesting thing about this plant is its flavor: apparently there is a genetic thing where some people think it tastes great, and others think it tastes like soap.

Soap? Really? Apparently, I am not that genotype. I like it.

But it's interesting that they've figured out this "preference" is genetically based.

Quadell is listed as the user for this photo. Not sure if that = author?

Like when I learned that some people can and some people cannot process the pigment in beets.

A friend said he'd eat a bowl of fresh, home grown, roasted beets (yum!) and later he'd (pardon) pee pink.

I've seen the effect on my chickens.

I thought maybe I'd never eaten enough beets. But, I HAVE eaten an entire bowl of them.

Then I learned. I probably have the genotype that can process (i.e. break down) the pigment, so if I ever pee pink, I need to call the doctor.


ANYhow, =) y'all have any guesses re: what this plant is, now? I bet someone knows about that taste thing...

Oh, and per usual, ANY super random guess is totally welcome. As I've said, the most random why-not-'cause-I-have-no-idea guesses are frequently the most entertaining.


Now I need to go buy chicken feed. Still working on GIANT report deadline, it's due TODAY, but the girls gotta eat!

Ah, life in the sticks.

=) Keeps things basic.

xoxobb

Photo quiz: warning--wildlife poop post (tho' not totally gross)

 
So, here it is:

Who might have left this:

And why am I excited (happy) that it's here?

BTW: replanted ALL my pole beans yesterday as the ones I planted a ways back did NOTHING. Granted, the beans were in a glass container on the counter for, oh, a few YEARS, so probably not a shock. Replaced them with beans I bought yesterday, inoculated, and planted yesterday, so hope for some success from this batch.

I have a lot to do, today, but maybe I can v. quickly get some beds ready for squash and shove some seeds in the ground. And maybe some more flowers??

Was at a (lovely) wedding yesterday & everyone I spoke with who is a gardener started their garden update (I asked, of course) with "well, I got a really late start this year..." Yeah, 'cause we had SNOW in the middle of May, maybe?

Gardening is always different from year to year.

That's part of its charm--you never know what's going to happen.

biobabbler

P.S. Due to a precocious guess (that'd be YOU, Katie =)), I'm reminded to tell you that super-accurate guesses will be temporally suppressed, initially, in order to allow everyone a fresh guess. Smarty-"guesses" are much appreciated, and their guesses, like a fine wine, will not be served before their time. =) bb

no guesses?? Phriday Photo Quiz ripe for the picking

A little low on doses of GLORY in your life?

Well, then, try out Friday's photo quiz. Even if you get VERY creative (i.e. have more imagination that botanical know-how), you may soon bathe in glory, at least within the confines of this blog.

Just in case you're intimidated, let it be known that I, little Miss "I have a Master's Degree... in science,"* only know one of them for sure, the 2nd is one of 2 options that I know of (we'll see if I can figure out which), and the 3rd, well, I'll be having to figure it out, too, in order stamp "Yea" or "Nay, brave soldier" on the no-doubt impending FLOOD of inspired guesses.

=)

Oh, by the way, yesterday I weeded my garden-to-be-but-current-refuge-for-all-sorts-of-nasty-exotics for two sneezelicious hours, accompanied by fellow dirt disturber, Fanny, our Rhode Island Red. Mature grass clumps were ripped mercilessly from the Earth, while they exacted their own revenge by stealing topsoil from me, clutched by their tangled roots.

ANYhow, I'm STILL feeling the effects of that spectacular face-in-grass-pollen fest. Ears itch, hearing not great, a bit blinky (won't scratch eyes--I've learned), right pinky still sporting small, black splinter-owie...

Anyhow, so yesterday dust and pollen and grasses, oh my.

This morning?

That is my garden.

Hunh. Was supposed to snow down to 5,000 feet. We're well below that.

An under that snowy coating is a fat layer of hail,

based on last nights soundscape.

Guess I'll wait until my return (from fieldwork) to plant the

precious peppers, tomatoes, and basil plants.

They're getting awfully tall and spindly...

Anyhow, please warm up that brain and fling some guesses toward that Phriday Photo Quiz.

And have a great week. I may not post much as will be fieldwork-ing. We'll see.

Any freaky weather your way? Exciting gardening action?

=)  xobb


*Extreme minutia: I went to a show by Duck's Breath Mystery Theater with my dad when I was about 12. I bought and kept a black t-shirt from that for a VERY long time and TO THIS DAY am BITTER than I chucked a t-shirt from THAT long ago that I still dearly loved. What kinda spring-cleaning mania was I ON?!?

Yellow flower Phriday photo quiz phor you!

  
Tweeted this, as blogger was down, but this is a better venue, I think.

Here's 3.

Can you identify them (common and scientific name), and if so, can you also tell me which are native or non-native in California?

Took these shots all last Thursday in coastal northern California.

Yellow flower #1

Yellow flower #2

Yellow flower #3

Think these are all big files, so you can click on them and zoom way in.

Good luck!

bb

p.s. yes, was traveling, but also blogger's been freaky for  a few days now, so not really able to post until now.

Phriday photo quiz: Since it's getting to be planting time...

What variety of tomato is this?

I realize it could be a few things, so don't be shy about out and out guessing. Getting it right will be part luck, but I'm looking forward to learning from YOU other varieties that look like this.

=)

bb

from frazil ice search: Phriday photo quiz 21 hrs late

 

What is this?

(besides probably my favorite photo all day today)

bb

Monday photo quiz + Yosemite snowstorm update--it's a doozy!

 
Photo Quiz Because-I-Wanna-&-I-Owe-You-for-Last-Week

If I saw this:

In Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, which is in Louisiana, who most likely created these holes?

=)

Good luck.


Wacky Yosemite Weather Update -- Yosemite NP is closed for now...

We are presently surrounded by 1 foot of snow (kinda snowed in and it's still falling), and Bear is on a conference call with park leadership to figure out what they'll do re: the park.

 (looking east from our house, note "sun" by the grey pine (top right),

biobabbler's garden, cloaked in a foot of snow, and in the foreground on the right, 

a fruitless tree that is, clearly, NOT from this climate. Tree comment: "Oof!")

As of this minute, per the Caltrans SUPER USEFUL road conditions web site (oops, and late update from overhearing Bear) all roads into Yosemite are closed right now (9:30 a.m.) due to snow, rock & mud slides, trees all over the place, etc.

Quite the storm we had, and it's still going.

(beautiful snow patterns at the top of a pine)

This is a good example of why some folks in the park are REQUIRED to live IN the park because if something like this happens, there are still NPS Rangers around to help.

Seems there is no power anywhere (as of 9:50 a.m. today) in the park and El Portal (a town just west of the park where many NPS offices are and staff live). Amazingly enough, we have power at our house, internet, etc. Phew!

Apparently folks at Badger Pass (ski resort in the park) could not get out last night, so I'm guessing they had quite a slumber party at the ski lodge.

 (Chicken coop. Note roof of "porch" wire mesh, NOT solid, yet snow is there. Also,

if you look very closely, you might see our Rhode Island Red (Fanny) on the right, 
just above the snow, saying Hi.)

And HERE is the forecast for Yosemite Valley...

More snow!

Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley Weather

Yesterday, Sacramento (where I flew into night before last) was experiencing flooding or almost flooding, and every single creek, pond, river, many fields, and even something called "Dry Creek" that I saw on my 3.5+ hour drive home (south on 99 then east on 140) was flowing with brown water.

Also, night before last was a crazy rain and wind storm in Sacramento, so my plane landing and van trip were rather exciting (details later), but I slept like a rock once I got to my friend's house, despite super loud storm.

Apparently, New Orleans tired me out.

I am very glad that my first time EVER driving home without stopping from Sacramento was yesterday, 'cause just before I got to our street, snow appeared laying everywhere, slush covered the road, and the rain changed to sleet. I'm amazed I got up our (1/4 mile long dirt uphill) driveway. Phew!


Biologist Perspective

We've got lots of precipitation. YAY!!! =)

Of course, this may, depending upon where the spring wildflowers were pre-storm, dampen or delay (or both) the wildflower display, but I'm all for super cool, put-you-in-your-place nature happenings so we remember how very small we really are relative to the power of the planet.

(Looks like a wintry creek. It's 4 feet from our back porch. =) )

Mother Nature throws down, and we just have to deal, 'cause, although we can affect nature, when it comes to big events like this, we are just tiny mammals scurrying about on the surface. She takes no notice.


xoxobb