Critters in My World

So, I'm really into critters right now, critters of all sorts and every time Dad gets an opportunity, he grabs a photo of whatever has crawled, squawked, fluttered, and crept into or life. Here's a Trio in the great circle of life that I found interesting recently:


This is a fine example of the digrammia decorata, or in un-Latin terms, the Decorated Granite Moth. With a wingspan of only 22-32mm, it has quite the range, with flights as far north as British Columbia and Manitoba and stretching as far south as Arizona. This particular specimen was photographed by my Dad on the wall outside our front door on 09-30-10 at 0845 hours. The Digrammia Decorata can be found in California starting in March with flights still appearing in September. I just think it's kinda of a unique little moth with a lot of style.

Next in our Trio is this fine fellow:


This bug-eatin squawker was ravaging the wild-area of the hill in the backyard with two of his buddies. In Latin he's known as Aphelocoma californica, but we just know him as the Western Scrub Jay. This lanky bird with its hunched-over posture is commonly referred to as a backyard bird and is notorious for being such. The Western Scrub Jay is an assertive bird, vocal and inquisitive. When looking for this bird outside your backyard, you'll often find them in a lookout position, always watching what's afoot on the ground below them and giving a squawk that naturalist W. L. Dawson said "curdles the blood, as it is meant to do." During the spring and summer months, the Western Scrub Jay can be found foraging for bugs and fruit. During the fall and winter months, their diet switches to nuts and seeds. Occasionally, they'll feast on small lizards and even nestling birds, but more often than not, these birds have a thieving nature about them, often stealing from other birds to fill their own stash. However, the Western Scrub Jay has also been known to ride piggyback on mule deer, picking off and eating the ticks and other unwanted parasites hiding there. So, if you ever have a tick, find a Western Scrub Jay. He'll be more than happy to take care of ya.

The last, and most sinister looking of my Trio is this fine specimen (My Dad really nailed this photo, don't you think?):


This is the Argiope argentata (as best I can tell. It seems to meet the markings criteria), a garden spider also known as the Silver Argiope. They have a wide range, from California to Florida and as far south as Argentina, but prefer the warmer, drier climates. They bite, and the bite can be stingy and itchy for about an hour before subsiding. However, the bite can have medical repercussions for children, elderly, and the physically weak. The Silver Argiope makes an orb web with shiny, radiating stabilimenta. Stabilimenta are a decoration some spiders use in web construction, usually by those spiders who specialize in the orb web. You can recognize this form of web decoration by the thicker, often zigzaggy looking shiny threads placed between the main threads of the web. Why these spiders do it appears to still be a matter of some debate.

Well, hope that was educational and fun for you. I think it's always nice to learn a little something more about this brave, huge world we live in and I plan on learning as much as I possibly can. Which means I'm on the hunt for a new Trio of Critters in My World.

Chao for now, my peeps. Hunter out.

Update on Mama

The due date for Cole's arrival (October 27th) is fast approaching. Mama is now 37 and a half weeks into the baby growing phase of little Cole's life and is still causing Mama all kinds of grief.

I was the perfect baby to be carrying, of course, perhaps a little too good, cause Cole seems to be giving Mama a run for her money. Mama now has a cane she uses to help her get around some times because she says her hips aren't working quite right. I like the cane, personally, and will probably try to take ownership of it once Mama has put it aside. It has a soft, squishy handle and adjustable heights. It really is...sorry, rambling. Back to Mama and Cole.

So, I know I haven't written a whole lot about it, only cause we've been living it everyday. Cole sure has made an impression on all of us, that's for sure. I think Mama has suffered just about every side effect she could have being pregnant, even failed her glucose tolerance tests (Only not the way the doctors expected. You rock, Mama!). But, even though this pregnancy has been super tough on Mama, there are definitely some things I have really enjoyed. Here's just a few of the things I will always remember.

#5 - The cane of course.

#4 - Mama's tummy. It's neat thinking my little brother is in there right now, just chillin, and that one time I was in there too. Kinda neat actually, when I think about it like that. I like Mama's tummy.

#3 - Kind of goes with #4, but I love putting my hand on Mama's tummy and trying to feel Cole move. Sometimes, he's movin' so much you don't even have to put your hand on Mama, you can just watch him moving around inside her. That is wicked cool (learned that from Ethan and Caleb)!

#2 - Listening to Daddy talk to Cole. Every now and then, I catch Daddy leaning over Mama's tummy and talking to it. It sort of confused me the first time I saw it, so I asked and Mama said Daddy was talking to Cole. I thought, How cool is that? Daddy is talking to Cole. Watching him talk to Cole is sort of responsible for my #1 thing I love and will miss about Mama being pregnant.

#1 - I love giving Cole a hug and a kiss by way of Mama's tummy. Any time she goes anywhere, she gets love and Cole gets some love. I love that I am getting to know my little brother before he is even born.

Things have been crazy around the house, but we're all really excited about the coming addition to our family. Cole William Roberts. Sounds good, can't wait to meet ya. And Mama, you're doing awesome. Love you 100 Million.

Hunter Out. Oh here's a pic!

What would you do?

Just thought I'd share a picture my Dad took at work the other day when a concerned citizen found something in his yard and thought my Dad would know what to do with it. I've learned my Dad can pretty much fix any problem you throw at him, and this one was no different, but what would you have done if this was brought to you in a cardboard box?


Talk about "not your average day at work"! Although I don't think my Dad's (Or my Mom's for that matter) version of an average work day is much like anything anyone else might consider average. For those unfamiliar with this particular creature, it's a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. An old one too, by the look of his tail. If you look close enough, you can even see the blue forked tongue tasting the air! Super cool pic though, right?

Hunter

Willow Wood School

So, to begin the arduous task of catching you up with me and my family, I guess I should start with my new school. I started going to a Jr. Kindergarten program at a small private school near our home called the Dainty Center/Willow Wood School. It's a Pre-K through 6th Grade program that I am really enjoying.

There are nine of us in my class (small compared to the public schools around here who are bursting at the seams with 32 kids) and Ms. Veronica is our teacher. We're learning all sorts of cool things, but the thing I love most about the school is that we get to do a lot of our learning by getting involved with the world around us. I don't really know how to explain it other than to show you some pictures of my school campus. It's unreal and unlike anything I ever thought a school could be. Anyway, here's the pics:


So, this is the front of my school with the driveway and flagpole. The office is in the cool looking cabin-like building with the sign on it. We sign in and out every day.


Here is our fish, frog and turtle pond. It's right outside the office and a fun place to go and check out once in a while. No joke. On the day we went to do our tour of the school, there was a turtle sunning himself on a log in the pond. It was sooooo cool!


This is part of our play yard. It's huge, and you can't see it in this picture, but off to one side is a huge stage for our special activities and events. We even do a graduation night with caps and gowns and stuff. Straight ahead at the back of the property is our very own little farm. No kidding. We've got a pig, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits. We've also got a variety of birds in our aviary (which you can't see in this pic). Most of the animals wander the play yard as we're playing. Some of the chickens were even raised by some of the kids at the school as part of a school project! How cool is that!?



These two pics are of some of the play structures in the yard and you can see my classroom as well. I love going to school but Mama and Daddy have yet to have a day when I come home clean in my uniform. Poor Daddy. He has to clean them and I know it's never easy. I take my playing seriously especially with a playground as cool as this one.




And these pics are from my first day of school, in uniform even (Blue shorts and white or light blue polo shirts. We have cardigans and royal blue shirts we wear as well with the school patch on it.) Well, that's school. I really like going and I'm learning a lot. I've got really cool friends and have been to two really cool birthday parties already. We've been on a field trip to Chevy's, (We got to see how they make tortillas. Food field trip, so, as you can imagine, I wasn't totally in to it, but it was fun.) and there is a ton more cool stuff planned, so don't go far. There's lots to see, not to mention it's only DAYS until the arrival of Cole!

Choa for now, my Peeps. Hunter is outtie.

Slave to Technology

Been unable to write for some time because our router crashed, crashed hard core. Just up and died, and apparently there's only one place we can get one to replace the one we were using. Well, we finally got one. Today. So I thought I'd put up a quick note and a pic. There's a lot to tell you about, but not tonight. Tonight, I just wanted to send you a hello I thought might put a smile on your face. I like making people smile. So, Hello, hope this brings a smile to your face...


It was crazy hair day at school. We should all be able to have crazy hair days. Feels good. Be crazy once in a while, live all the time.

Talk to you again soon.

A Tribute to My Older Brothers

On this their 10th birthday, I just wanted to let Ethan and Caleb know how much they mean to me. I don't get to see them often enough so I don't get to tell them how much I love that they are my brothers. I look forward to every day that they get to spend here with us and miss them every day they're gone. A fella couldn't ask for better big brothers. Happy birthday, guys.

Here's some of my memories of the last year together...





Oh, but that's not everything. There are so many more memories, like the time we, wait...I don't think Mom and Dad know about that so, I'll just show you some more pictures...





And then there's this pic... How could anyone forget Ethan's "Soccer Hair".


Again, thanks for being my big brothers. You make every summer super duper and I look forward to every one. Love you guys. Happy Birthday. And be excellent to each other until we meet again (Christmas won't come fast enough).

Your little brother.

Be Prepared!

It's a motto my Dad grew up with in Scouts, something I hope to do one day. I've seen my Dad's old Scout shirt and all his excellent looking patches, seems he had some pretty cool adventures. And everything he was taught seemed to prepare him for doing something else.

With my new baby brother on the way (29 weeks and counting) things are starting to change around the house. Living arrangements are being modified, (I'm getting a new room! Stay tuned for pics! My brothers are moving into the Star Wars Room which they seem totally stoked about.), schedules are getting adjusted (I'll be starting a new school soon. One with farm animals including a pot belly pig named Porky!), and Mama has broken out the bins of my old clothes to see what my little brother will be wearing when he comes in October.

Being prepared is a lot of work. Maybe the motto would be more aptly named if it was "Get Prepared". I know I've been a little bit of a handful for my parents, but what kid isn't really? With my little brother coming soon, it's my turn to start living the family motto. And how am I doing that?

Well, for an example, I was helping Mama sort through some of my old clothes, seeing what I could still wear and what needed a storage space. When something didn't fit quite right, I looked at my Mama and kindly informed her that that particular item should be set aside for my little brother. And into a storage bin it went. Now, a name has been chosen for my baby brother, but until my Dad can disclose the chosen name to my Grandpa Roberts, we're kinda keeping it hush hush. I like the name. It's a good one.

Well, just wanted to say a little something to let you all know we're still here, just getting prepared. Choa for now, peeps.

Hunter