Momentary miracle

Passion flower. Beauty for all to see. 

The rain is still coming down lightly this evening. We have received about 1/2 inch of rain today.  I don't believe the temperature exceeded 80 degrees all day.  It was a pleasant day to stay inside and rest from the week's work. Just before dark this evening we walked down the paved road to an area that has very dense brush growing on the roadside. In the middle of the brush a beautiful flower will suddenly appear each year about this time.   It is the passion flower which some call may pop.  I have  a photo of the passion flower I saw today posted below.   The flower is arranged in such a way to allow a particular type of bee to pollinate it effectively.  In our area they are pollinated by the carpenter bee which looks much like a bumble bee.  Once pollinated the flower will wilt in about a day leaving a small pod about the size of green pea. This pod will become the passion fruit.  The pod will grow to the size and shape of a hen's egg and begin to turn a shade of yellow green at which time it is ripe.  The inside of a ripe passion fruit is filled with small clear sacks each one containing a a black seed.  I have eaten the passion fruit before and had a strange reaction to the flavor.  I opened a ripe pod and ate the fruit inside and immediately thought to myself "this taste just like bubble gum". Then I realized that it was the other way around and the gum had just done a good job of simulating the genuine article.  The passion flower has a very delicate arrangement of petals and reproductive organs that are very pleasing to the eyes. Most of the wild passion flowers in our area are of a purple color but they can be white, yellow and red.  If you find them growing in the thick brush along the side of your road you will be rewarded with a chance to see creation the way it was meant to be. Thanks for visiting tonight.  Bye.







Yellow Jackets are not a fashion statement

The Yellow Jackets are now rebuilding their nest.  

This morning the dog and I walked in the rain again.  The temperature was in the low 70's and the humidity was 100% as it was raining.  The rain was not the result of thunder storms so I took an umbrella with me. It is tricky using an umbrella in a thunder storm because of the wind.  We had a very enjoyable walk in the cool morning air listening to the rain fall on the umbrella. I took a photo of a Yellow Jacket nest located on a very secluded part of the dirt road.  It appears someone came upon it and did not like being surprised by the hornets so they tried to dig them out with a shovel.  Their nest is in an old tree stump on an embankment and has been there for several years so it will be hard to dig them out.  They are currently rebuilding the exterior that was damaged.   The Yellow Jackets are harmless if not provoked.  I walk by them and get within a foot or two of their nest to take photos and video regularly.  If you see a nest in your area and it is away from people you should leave it alone.  The Yellow Jacket is a predator for some undesirable insects and caterpillars which they keep in check by stinging and carrying back to the nest.  Don't throw anything at the nest because they have the ability to tag and track an intruder for a good distance.  They are interesting to look at but be careful because their sting is very painful.