Bee and his shadow

Two anagallis arvensis, or scarlet pimpernel to you and me.  On the formerly landscaped area in our back yard, I'm pulling the spiny thorny wild things and anything that sticks up, in favor of low ground cover like this, as well as yellow wood sorrel and speedwell.

The wrong 3rd out

So anyway, I learned something, specifically about Official Baseball Rule 5.09(c).  One out, runners on 2nd and 3rd.  Batter lines to the 1st baseman (2 outs) and throws to 3rd to try to get the 3rd out.  

The throw was offline and the 3rd baseman had to take a step or two off the base to catch it.  While that was happening, the runner on 3rd crossed home plate.  

Then the 3rd baseman got up and tagged the man in front of him (3rd out) and then touched 3rd base, because the guy there left early.  And that's where the "Fourth Out" part of 5.09(c) came in.

Tickenest commented:  ...Stepping on third before tagging R2 would have prevented the run from scoring, because touching the base before tagging the runner makes it unmistakable that the fielder is appealing R3 because that's how you retire R3 in this situation. By tagging R2 first and then touching the base, the fielder does not demonstrate that he is intentionally appealing R3.

Really? Really.

Yes, of course they did.

A long, long trip to the big leagues

Mark Appel, pitching against the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders, June 8, 2017.  

In red on his glove is the Bible verse Romans 12:2 -- "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Nearly a decade after being the #1 draft pick in MLB, Mark Appel is going to the majors.

 

Still more flowers

Every summer, we can count on some uneaten bird seed to take root under the shepherd's hook where the feeders hang during the winter.  This won't grow as high as some sunflower plants, but it should produce a good deal of seed.
 

What is it?

It's growing in the space that used to be a vegetable garden, and which now plays host to whatever can get its roots established.  That includes naturally-occurring weeds and grains that sprout from uneaten bird seed.  I don't think this is related to either of those, though.  Time to call on Google Images.

Later: OK, everyone who had Solanum rostratum may come pick up your prize,  namely:  my eternal admiration.  Now, how about that insect perched on top of it?

"Specialization is for insects."

This whole thing started a couple of nights ago, when I sat down on my rocker-recliner and found that the first half of that description no longer applied.  

I turned over the chair and saw only powdered padding and copious amounts of cat hair.  Remembering that I'd found a chair repairman a few years ago, I dug out the man's business card and prepared for another unexpected hundred-dollar expense.

But last night, I looked again with a brighter light and saw a bar crossing the front of the chair.  At one end, a bolt and nut held some mechanism in place.  At the other end was a hole where a similar bolt and nut belonged.  The two pieces of the broken bolt lay under the half-connected mechanism.

So I decided to go to the nearby hardware store and pick up a replacement bolt, and use the nut from the broken old one.  It looked doable, in other words.

This morning, I worked until 11:45 and came downstairs to find this half-grown rabbit outside our front door, enjoying the clover.

Driving to the hardware store, I looked across the road at an intersection and saw more suburban wildlife.

These wildflowers were growing along the gravel road across the intersection.

I'll have to use Google Images or some app to identify this likely common wildflower.

Edit:  Google Lens produces a number of results, and after looking at them my guess is that it's Scentless Chamomile.  

At the hardware store, there was a staff member in the small hardware section, and he quickly identified the type and size of bolt I was looking for.  I bought two, because if one of them had broken, the other was liable to as well.

Back home, there was a bit of work getting the carriage bolt to stay in place while I ratcheted the nut tightly.  But in a couple of minutes, I flipped the chair back upright, sat down on it, and rocked once more.  

So, it's fixed and it cost 27 cents.  An unexpected 27-cent expense is OK; I can handle that.  Besides, I got to see some wildlife and I'm going to learn more about wildflowers.  See why I'm filing this under "accomplishments"?  

Just in time for the summer equinox

Not to be confused with the wild Dame's Rocket that was growing on area roadsides a few weeks ago, some true phlox ("Wendy House" by name, according to Google Images) has blossomed once more next to our driveway.  This phlox can be bought wherever plants are sold, but like other flowers on our property, these happened to volunteer one year and have never left.
 

New Arrivals

Orange Bao and grey guy Eggroll are two of the kittens currently being cared for at Tabby's Place.

Chicory: The Return

First came violet season, then Dame's Rocket (the official name for faux phlox) and wisteria, and in the last day or so the chicory began to appear.  

To get home from Tabby's Place, I drove west on route 12, then took the river road to Milford and crossed the free bridge into PA.  As I stopped before turning onto the river road,  I saw to my right multiple wildflowers and made a hard right into the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant. 

In addition to chicory, there was daisy fleabane, and a yellow flower I couldn't identify.  All this was growing next to a bright red fire hydrant.  All the color stopped me in my tracks and fit the description of a picture I couldn't not take.

The sun was providing good light, but a strong spring wind made it impossible to be sure that any image would turn out clear.  Just hit it and hope.  I'll have to drive this way and look for it again next time.

These are the good old days

Sunday afternoon, we all met at the Longhorn Steakhouse on Grape Street to celebrate Diana's 18th birthday.

They had re-gifted us a $100 Longhorn card at Xmas, so we were ahead of the game going in. But everyone ordered a 6-ounce filet, plus two appetizers, with drinks, and a chocolate lava cake afterward.  With the tip, a fraction short of the 18% on the slip of paper, it still cost $150 out of pocket.  Five people, $250.00 of food and drink.  Whoa.

$75 to fill the gas tank, $300 a month for internet/cable/Tivo, and it's a good thing I'm still working.  

Seen on our walk this evening

We walked just after sunset, with just enough light left to allow us to walk to the southwestern corner of the development and back.  Before then, it had been in the mid-80's and we had taken refuge in the air conditioning.

At the corner, I saw two small rabbits in the yard across the street.  Then on the way back, I pointed out the strawberry moon rising off to our right.  When we reached the house next door, I spotted one more rabbit, an adult, quietly nibbling clover in the side yard.  

I had already seen two adult cottontails charging and avoiding each other in the yard behind ours.  When they finished their play and hopped away separately, I pulled out the hose and sprayed the bird droppings on the deck railing.  Then I went downstairs and got a dollar-store brush and spray cleaner and removed as much of it as I could.  

Easy Like Sunday: Doby

 

On the road again

A Saturday afternoon spent at Tabby's Place, enjoying the company of many good cats.  On the way there, I passed a field -- or I should say, began to pass a field containing white and yellow flowers, and it stopped me in my tracks.  I stopped the car on the side of the road and got out to take a few pictures.

At Tabby's Place, a good many of the dozens of snaps I took never even made it home, and once home, many more were deleted.  But a few of them turned out all right, like this one of Mary Jane.  She was scared when I entered, with her body in a small crouched position, but by the time I left, I'd earned some of her trust and she looked more at ease.  

Foxglove or Beardtongue

Lance-leaved Coreopsis

Mary Jane

 

Forever Loved: Mishush

 

Mishush

Rabbit News

Around 5:30 this afternoon, I took the trash cans to the curb for tomorrow's pickup.  Walking back to the garage,  I stopped and looked out back.  Next to the shed were two young rabbits, the ears of one barely visible over the top of the grass.  At the other corner of our property, there were two adult rabbits.  Four rabbits is a new record, I believe.  

For awhile we had predators, including the little black pooshka and her mate, the big ol' creampuff, and we didn't have rabbits.  Now it's the other way around.  

Daisy Fleabane

 

Growing at the Upper Macungie Township yard waste site.

Prescience

A blog about early television contains the limited television schedules and Billboard magazine reviews of the original programming.

One report from April 13, 1945, describes a program put together after Franklin Roosevelt's death the day before.

"Television had its first chance at a special event here when Klaus Landsberg, director of W6XYZ, canceled his skedded show in order to present a memorial program dedicated to the late President Roosevelt.

Handicapped by the time element, Landsberg built a complete hour program from scratch that was dignified thruout and a stirring tribute to the great leader...

The entire program went off without a hitch, which was a tribute to Landberg's direction. This hour-show made history here tonight as it impressed upon Hollywood skeptics that television is flexible enough to provide the viewer with special events that will in time equal or surpass anything being done today by radio." Dean Owen. (Billboard, Apr. 21)

Landsberg has an amazing story. A Jew brilliant enough that the Nazis kept their hands off him until he could escape, taking knowledge that led to the development of radar for the United States military.  At 23, putting together TV from the New York World's Fair.  At 29, pulling together an hour-long tribute after the sudden death of the president.  More contributions and achievements followed before his death in 1956 at age 40.

Saturday at home with a rose