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Dating" means different things for different folks. For some that means going after some sort of concretized relationship standing. For others distinct things. For me a date" means going out with a member of the opposite sex whereby, in the start, both parties are contemplating some level of intimacy. In other words...an outing where two folks get to know each other, have fun, and may or may not wind up swapping body fluids and getting nude at some time. Or utilizing the excursion to decide whether or not that will happen later on in the evening or near future (yes, I said CLOSE future. I can't picture having to woo somebody for 3 months...some folks put 10-12" dates on their dating profiles and I am just so confused as to how anyone could have that much self control...). Free Sex Dating near me Spruce Sands Manitoba. Or using the excursion to determine whether she took nothing but my-space angle photos and is truly extremely horrible. And so forth. Spruce Sands free sex dating.
There's been a new wave of apps that seek, with varying degrees of succeeding, to borrow economic principles from the broader market. Lulu has designed a ratings agency for women to rate men. One company is attempting to perform arbitrage, ferrying singles between San Francisco and New York. Hinge ---inspired by the proliferation of trust-based uses in the shared market like Airbnb---has assembled a trust-based dating app, where singles are matched through links with mutual friends. Next thing you are going to understand someone will develop an app that can call if there is a bear market in the bear market.
Is the catastrophe of capitalism going to morph into a disaster of coupling? Perhaps this crash will also begin with its own variant of a home failure. Possibly high-risk endeavors that endanger broader contagion may now be rising. Take wife swapping, for instance, now significantly eased by sites like---wait for it--- Is this the sexual equivalent of a credit-default swap? I suppose the practice can create enormous shortterm returns for some. However , if the crash comes, participants appear to not only risk losing their houses; they might not even be sure what they---or their counterparties---are left holding.
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In certain male heads yes there could maybe be women who are distressed that their "monopoly" on sex has been taken away, but for another huge ball of us women, the prospect of these things being popular would be reaffirming our largest fears that many men think that we are no more than a vagina with a pretty bundle. Free sex dating near Spruce Sands, Manitoba. That there are guys out there who are vocal about us becoming "dated" as if we were some type of outdated appliance is blue and I actually don't see how they don't see their own hypocrisy when they claim that women handle them like portable ATMs.
She even goes so far as to point out that the rates of depression Depression & The Internet: Welcome To Your Temporary Support Group Depression & The Internet: Welcome To Your Temporary Support Group Discussing is important, and sometimes the Internet is a great replacement when your real life friends are not around. Here are three sites I recommend for less proper depression-centered conversations. Read More among those who want a sex doll but don'town one are higher than those who determined to purchase one.
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Relationship has ever been tough Online Dating - Men Do Not Get It And Girls Don't Understand Online Dating - Men Don't Get It And Women Don't Understand Do online dating websites work? It's time for a frank dialogue! What I learned from interviews was that online dating is equally painful for men and for women, but for very different motives. Read More , for men and women equally Here's What Dating Sites Are Like In Case You're A Girl Here's What Dating Sites Are Like If You're A Woman As an experiment I set up accounts on three of the more popular free dating websites, then spoke to some women about their experiences. Here's what happened. Read More Yet, the latest advances in artificial intelligence is set to generate a growingsex robot industry, and could very well shift the foundation of human relationships. As though relationships between the genders wasn't complicated enough, advances in sex doll technology threatens to add another complication to the dating power structure.
To begin with think about what you're hoping to get from it. Is it that one man has gone off sex and you need to get matters back on track? Or are you both perfectly sexually satisfied but wanting to try it as an experiment or as a lifestyle choice? Every couple is different so that you had need to try this to see whether it works for you. It is vital that you discuss it first and make sure it's what you both desire. It's also vital that you check in with one another during the method because you may discover one individual is not finding it's working for them. How long you go on your sex detox for depends on what you need as a couple. Having a sex detox when you're already sexually fulfilled could be helpful as it may support you to concentrate on touch and sensuality again and ultimately raise desire and intimacy. Having said this, it is often the case that the more sex you have, the more you want. There is a risk that if you 'sex detox' for too long, your want may decrease."
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Research workers at an American university have asserted that humour is an integral factor in human sexual selection", with women appearing to be more attracted to guys who make them laugh. Free Sex Dating in Spruce Sands Manitoba. Jeffrey Hall, an associate professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, discovered that when two strangers meet, the more times a guy attempts to be humorous as well as a girl laughs, the much more likely she's to be interested in dating. The reverse was not true for women who tried humour, according to his study Sexual Selection and Humour in Courtship: A Case for Warmth and Extroversion," which has been published in the Evolutionary Psychology journal.
The typical pornography user might have more egalitarian perspectives towards women than non-users, a bellicose new study has indicated. Research workers at Western University in Canada have even asserted that many porn enthusiasts might be useful allies" in women's struggles for equality in the workplace and in public office. They reported in the Journal of Sex Research the 23 per cent of people who said they'd saw an X-rated" movie during the previous year were no more or not as inclined to identify as feminists than those who didn't view porn.
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Same sex couples in the Republic of Ireland can officially get married after the nation voted overwhelmingly for the change in a referendum in May. Laws legalising gay civil marriage, passed following the vote, came into effect on 16 November 2015. The first couples to be affected will be gay couples who wed legally abroad - whose unions will now automatically be recognised by the Irish state. But the race is now on to see who which couple will become the first gay newlyweds to lawfully marry in Eire itself
Better communicating, getting more exercise, oysters, more date nights, time away from the children - these are just a couple of common theories for how couples can improve their sex life. But now, a new study has offered up a distinct one, suggesting that the best technique for being more fulfilled between the sheets could in part be down to taking it in turns to wash them. Based on the study from the University of Alberta, couples enjoyed more regular and satisfactory sex for the two partners when the housework is split equally across men and women
Emojis have come a long way in recent years - since they were first incorporated into Unicode in 2010, we have gained emojis of all different ethnicities, emojis for every flag on earth, and yet the middle finger emoji. However, we're still missing a condom emoji. Durex needs to change that. It is simple to imply sex with emojis (think aubergine, peach, the 'OK' hint), but there is nothing that reveals safe sex. So, to coincide with World AIDS Day on 1 December, Durex is supporting its customers to call upon the Unicode Consortium, who oversee the debut of new emoji, to give the world a condom emoji in their next update
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Numerous sexual fetishes considered anomalous in psychiatry are in fact common in the typical public, a study has found. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM 5), sexual attractions fall into two groups: regular (normophilic) and anomalous (paraphilic). Researchers asked 1,040 Quebec residents, representative of the general population, about their experiences of sexual behaviour considered abnormal by the DSM-5. The analysis, published in The Journal of Sex Research, found that of the eight kinds of anomalous behavior recorded in the DSM-5, four were found to be neither rare or uncommon among the experiences and desires reported by men and women
as soon as I got there, he was waiting for me in the family room and we started making out. I really could tell that he was becoming a little aroused but was having some problems and so when he said that he understood what would "help" and that it was in his bedroom... I willingly followed. Walking in I could not help but notice his bed...encircled by cat condos. Lots of cat condos. (Some structured to be as tall as I was). I knew he had cats but I assumed he meant one or two and that they were merely hiding when I came over. Nope. He had nine (or ten?). Which all came out from under the bed when we sat on it. And all went to their perches on the cat condos to watch us (after rubbing against him and being petted fast). He then proceeded to start making out with me again and was...good...massively aroused at this point. I was massively creeped out. Free sex dating nearby Manitoba, Canada. I like cats (I have two myself)...but having them watch me pee freaks me out much less watching me have sex.
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1890s American Populist Movement
2013-03-30T20:00:11-04:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/0af/20130330202959003_hd.jpgProfessor Robert Johnston and his class examined the 1890's American Populist movement. The discussion centered on Charles Postel's book, The Populist Vision, which followed the Populist movement from the rise of the Farmers' Alliance to its transformation into the Peoples' Party.
The class took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Professor Robert Johnston and his class examined the 1890's American Populist movement. The discussion centered on Charles Postel's book,… read more
Professor Robert Johnston and his class examined the 1890's American Populist movement. The discussion centered on Charles Postel's book, The Populist Vision, which followed the Populist movement from the rise of the Farmers' Alliance to its transformation into the Peoples' Party.
The class took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago. close
Filter by Speaker All Speakers Robert D. Johnston
Robert D. Johnston Associate Professor University of Illinois at Chicago->History Department
The Populist Vision
Charles Postel
University of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Lectures in History
Mar 30, 2013 | 8:00pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
Mar 31, 2013 | 12:00am EDT | C-SPAN 3
See all on U.S. History
Governor Lorenzo Lewelling and the Populist Movement
Historians Beccy Tanner and Jordan Poland talked about Kansas Governor Lorenzo Lewelling, the first Populist Party governor in the U.S. (1893-1895).…
Socialism in Early 20th Century America
Columbia University history professor Eric Foner examines the rise of socialism in America in the early 20th century.…
Jazz Age New York
Donald Miller talks about Manhattan's growth and transformation in the 1920s, including its growth from an urban…
The Half Has Never Been Told
Edward Baptist talked about his book, The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism, in…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This is a list of electoral results for the Southern Province in Victorian state elections.

Members for Southern Province

Election results

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

References

Victoria (Australia) state electoral results by district

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Mint Pesto used in the pasta works excellent with lamb. Grill lamb chops and place around the edge of the serving plate.
as Kale or Spinach can be used also.
Roast garlic by cutting in half; drizzle with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes till soft and fragrant. Remove from oven; set aside and allow to cool.
Wrap the leftover cloves in a small plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Toast 1/2 cup pine nuts at 350 degrees on a small baking pan for 10-15 minutes or till just a light golden brown. Remove and cool.
In a food processor add 6 cloves of the roasted garlic, half of the toasted pine nuts. Pulse to chop. Add the mint and parsley leaves; pulse to chop. Add the salt, pepper and grated cheese. Pulse to blend; while machine is running slowly add the olive oil. Scrape bowl often and continue to pulse until blended. Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.
In a large deep skillet heat the oil over medium heat; sauté the green onions for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, smash the remaining roasted garlic cloves and stir into the sauce Simmer for 3-4 minutes till hot. Add the cooked pasta and Swiss Chard, stir in 2-3 Tablespoons pesto and the pepper flakes.
Toss to coat (Add some pasta water if a thinner sauce is desired) pour onto a large serving platter, top with the additional pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese; serve immediately.


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Tuesdays in the Tallgrass
Exploring exterior and interior landscapes through the tallgrass prairie
Tag Archives: Clear Creek
Early May at Nachusa Grasslands
Posted on May 5, 2020 | 8 comments
"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after."–J.R.R. Tolkien
Spring. At last! It's come to the prairies and savannas in full flush. Welcome back, prairie trillium.
Hello, Virginia bluebells!
A few days of warmth and sunlight followed by rain and cool nights keep the wildflowers fresh and vibrant. And as always, there is the promise of more to come.
With the first days of May come good news. Our dragonfly data collection efforts at Nachusa Grasslands, restricted in April because of COVID-19, could now—cautiously—begin. Saturday, Jeff and I drove to Franklin Grove, IL, so I could walk several of my regular routes and see what was flying.
The day started out fair and sunny but gradually turned overcast and windy as we traveled. Yet the thought of being back at Nachusa–taking on a task that felt "normal" for spring—was a lift to our spirits. It felt odd to travel an Interstate highway again. Strange to stop and put gas in the car—our Suburu has gotten about eight weeks to the gallon lately. It's bizarre to see many businesses shuttered; to pass a shopping outlet mall turned COVID testing center, lined with cars. What was so familiar only months ago is now changed.
Arriving at Nachusa, I hop out of the car to maneuver the heavy metal bars of the bison gate open and drive into the bison unit,
Jeff and I scan the prairie ahead. The bison are noticeably absent. How such massive animals can disappear into the prairie is a mystery. I know that this spring, at least nine bison calves have been sighted. I look again. Nada. I remember previous summers and the joy I felt when the mamas and new babies appear.
We continue to look for bison—and dragonflies—as we travel the gravel two-track to one of my route locations. Normally, the first dragonfly monitoring hike of the season is in April, although not much is flying at that time. Common green darners (Anax junius) will have arrived from the south. Freshly-minted dragonflies and damselflies should be emerging from the ponds and streams, ready to participate in the ancient dance of pairing up and creating new life.
Although we've driven this two-track many times, it looks different this spring. Nachusa is known for prescribed fire; this is the first time I've seen its approximately 3,500 acres untouched by flames at this time of year. If you didn't know it was May—and ignored the temperature —it could easily be January. But look closer, and you see that underlying carpet of emerald.
Our first stop is a large pond I've monitored since 2013. But wait!
What? It's gone! Oh no…I can't bear looking.
It was in this pond that I saw my first Northern pintails, migrating through Illinois and stopping for a quick paddle and a bite to eat. It was here I had my one and only face-off with a mama bison; me, carelessly walking my route without paying attention to their movements. This pond is where the great egret would stop to rest on its hunting expeditions. So many memories. What could have caused such a change?
I remember the pond as it was in previous years.
I look again. Wow.
Later, I learn what's happened. Beavers! They've spent the past months re-sculpting the prairie landscape to be more to their liking. Who would have thought? At Nachusa, I usually think about the thousand pound-plus bison and the changes they may make to the places I frequent. Amazing what a few 50-pound beavers can do in a matter of months. Such a big changes from a small animal. I think of Mary Oliver's poem "Little Owl Who Lives in the Orchard": "It's not size, but surge that tells us when we're in touch with something real…" Although the beavers' work was slow and gradual; the end result brings about a surge of emotion. The beavers have upended my idea of a place I thought I knew. I feel unsettled.
Onward! Next monitoring route. Once a stream, then re-shaped by beavers several years ago as a pond, now a stream again. It's fascinating to see the different types of dragonfly and damselfly species change over time with the habitat changes; some dragonflies prefer running water, others choose still water. Jeff sets up his camp chair and pulls out a book while I pick my way alongside the stream, watching for any insect movement.
The skies fill with clouds as the wind picks up, although the temperature remains in the 70s. A great blue heron flies over.
After 30 minutes, it's clear no Odonates are out and about; at least none I can find. Not surprising at this time of year. I log my times and mark the data sheet with a big fat zero. We pack up, and move to the next route. Around a curve, over a bridge, and across the prairie on the gravel two-track. Still no bison. But—stop the car!— I shout. Jeff quickly pulls over, and we get out and marvel over a carpet of wood betony—Pedicularis canadensis—more than I've seen in all my years as a prairie steward.
Wood betony is a hemiparasite which can draw nutrients from other plants, especially prairie grasses. For this reason, it is coveted by prairie stewards who want to open grass-dominate areas for prairie wildflowers. I love this wildflower for its crazy flowers and crinkly leaves.
The bumblebees are working the pinwheeled blooms, sampling one after another.
I read on Illinois Wildflowers website later that long-tongued bees are the primary pollinators, including queen bumblebees and mason bees.
We watch the bees for a while, then clamber back into the car and continue to the next site, a small pool I call the "Power Line Pond."
Except…not so small anymore.
The beavers strike again!
This pond is flooded almost beyond recognition.
When bison came to Nachusa Grasslands, their hooves changed the shoreline of this watering hole, making it difficult to get close to the water in places. Last year, I re-rerouted my data collection hikes in an ever-widening arc to stay on solid footing. Today, I'm grateful for my knee-high rubber boots. Looks like I'll be wading.
As I slosh through the water, I see them. Common green darners!
My first dragonfly data for the season. Delighted, I mark my tally sheet. Jeff and I watch them zip across the expanded pond, occasionally stopping to oviposit, then flying to a new spot to start again. Another common green darner appears, flying solo. One of the best moments of dragonfly season is making the first hash mark on your data sheet. Today is that day. The season is off and running. At last.
There are several small ephemeral pools nearby, perhaps bison-made, that sometimes shelter damselflies of various species. Today, all I see are a few water-striders, admiring themselves in the mirror of the sky-reflected water.
One of my all-time favorite novels, Crow Lake, tells the story of three children unexpectedly orphaned in rural Canada. The oldest son, about to leave for college, chooses to invest in his siblings and stay home so they won't be parceled out to various relatives. By doing so, he comes to terms with his losses, including a promising future derailed. Mary Lawson uses the life of a pond—-in particular, its surface tension—as a way to consider how sudden change may re-route our plans; cause us to reinvent ourselves. The outcomes aren't always what we'd expected, or even hoped for. It's how we choose to respond to sudden change that shapes us and our future, she shows through her story.
This trio of common green darners turned out to be all we'd see for the day. A spatter of rain begins, and our hopes of more sightings disappear. We drive out of the bison unit, and head for home. But on the way, we pass Clear Creek, one of my routes I've not gotten to today. We swing in and park. The chances are slim to none to see any dragonflies or damselflies, but who can resist one more hike?
As we walk, we glimpse the quick touch-down of a mourning cloak butterfly. This spring, I've only seen the cabbage white butterflies and red admirals. Mourning cloak butterflies are unusual in that they often overwinter, then mate in the spring. This one refused to turn around and give us the full glory of its coloration.
But I had seen this species in bright sunlight the previous spring, and marveled.
It is exciting to see the first butterflies of the season. But I want dragonflies. I wade into Clear Creek and scrutinize the shoreline, slowly walking the edges. Later in the season, Clear Creek is populated by ebony jewelwing damselflies and springwater dancer damselflies and shadow darner dragonflies. But today, no damselfly or dragonfly is stirring under the steel gray skies.
I pull a few garlic mustard plants, then wade back to the trail. Jeff has already hiked to the top of Fame Flower Knob, overlooking the creek.
I follow the trail to the top, scrutinizing the new growth as I hike. No dragonflies on the trail…but look!
Sand phlox. An unexpected delight. And over here…pussy toes.
Such unusual flowers. Like a cluster of shaggy Q-tips.
And over here….a small patch of birdfoot violet. So tiny!
I spend some time admiring them up close. Then, I join Jeff.
Together we're silent, taking in the view. It's familiar, yet changed by circumstances — the lack of prescribed fire, the work of prairie creatures such as bison and beavers, the temporary lack of stewardship activity over the past weeks during Illinois' quarantine. Witnessing these changes to a place I care about is part of building a relationship with it.
What other changes will 2020 bring?
There's no way to know. But I do know this. I'll be back here, to watch them unfold.
J.R.R. Tolkien is best loved for his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and the delightful prequel, The Hobbit. The lines that kick off this post are spoken by the dwarf Thorin to young dwarves in The Hobbit as they look for shelter in a rainstorm on their way to burgle treasure from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Instead of shelter, the dwarves find… well, if you haven't read the book in a while, this is a great time to revisit it. Read more here.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby and taken at Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL, unless otherwise noted (top to bottom): prairie trillium (Trillium recurvatum recurvatum), College of DuPage Natural Areas, Glen Ellyn, IL; Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), College of DuPage Natural Areas, Glen Ellyn, IL; smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum), College of DuPage Natural Areas, Glen Ellyn, IL; Fame Flower Knob; Nachusa in early May; bison (Bison bison) with their little ones (taken in a previous year); pond in early May; Nachusa Grasslands in early May; dried out pond in May; great egret (Ardea alba); pond in 2017; former pond in 2020; stream; great blue heron (Ardea herodias); wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis)); wood betony ((Pedicularis canadensis) with unknown bumblebee (Bombus spp.); wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis) with unknown bumblebee (Bombus spp.) ; wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis) with unknown bumblebee (Bombus spp.)' Power Line Pond; Power Line Pond; common green darner dragonflies (Anax junius) at Busse Woods (taken in a previous season), Forest Preserve of Cook County, Schaumburg, IL; water strider (possibly Aquarius remigis); two-track gravel road to Clear Creek; mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa); mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; Clear Creek in early May; Fame Flower Knob in early May; sand phlox (Phlox bifida); field pussy toes (Antennaria neglecta); field pussy toes (Antennaria neglecta); birdfoot violets (Viola pedata); Fame Flower Knob in early May, red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Thanks to the Kleimans for their help in understanding how beavers are changing Nachusa Grasslands.
Several of Cindy's classes have moved online! For updates on classes and events, please go to http://www.cindycrosby.com.
If you enjoyed the "Wild and Wonderful Illinois Wildflowers" webinar, please join me for the new "Enchanting Spring Prairie Wildflowers," an online webinar this Friday, May 8 1-2:30 p.m. CST, through The Morton Arboretum. Spring on the prairie is a story of color, pollinator pizazz, and native plants that shaped North American history through their value as edibles, medicine, and even love charms! Enjoy colorful photos of some of Illinois' most beautiful blooms—and a few native grasses, too! Click here to register.
The next "Tallgrass Prairie Ecology" class online on May 4 through The Morton Arboretum is SOLD OUT. See more information and registration for our June class here.
Want more prairie while you are sheltering in place? Follow Cindy on Facebook, Twitter (@phrelanzer) and Instagram (@phrelanzer). Or enjoy some virtual trips to the prairie through reading Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit and The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction.
Coming in June! Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History. Pre-order now from your favorite indie bookstore, or online at bookshop.org and other book venues.
Posted in nachusa grasslands, prairie wildflowers, tallgrass prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged beaver, birdfoot violets, bison, bison babies, bumblebee, Clear Creek, COD Prairies, college of dupage, college of dupage natural areas', common green darner, damselflies, dragonflies, East Prairie Ecological Restoration COD, Fame Flower Knob, field pussy toes, franklin grove, glen ellyn, great blue heron, great egret, Illinois, lisle, mourning cloak butterfly, Nachusa Grasslands, nature education online, Odonata, pond, prairie trillium, prairie webinar, sand phlox, schulenberg prairie, shelter in place, smooth Solomon's seal, Solomon's Seal, Tallgrass Conversations, Tallgrass Prairie Ecology online, The Morton Arboretum, The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction, Virginia bluebells, wildflower webinar, wood betony
November Prairie Perspectives
"A woods man looks at 20 miles of prairie and sees nothing but grass, but a prairie man looks at a square foot and sees a universe… ." –Bill Holm
November is here. Right on the heels of the end of October's temper tantrums. Out like a lion. We woke up Halloween morning to discover snow had sledgehammered the garden, frosted the pond, and drained the last emeralds from the prairie patch. The world seemed to have gone from color to monochrome.
It was a new perspective. Tracks everywhere. So much activity in our little backyard prairie patch and pond! Birds quickly swarmed the feeders and I doled out seed like candy to trick or treaters.
Trees along the streets, stubbornly clutching their leaves, sighed and released their grip. Birds nests suddenly went from invisible to visible on my neighborhood walks and my prairie hikes.
The snow threw its wet blanket over the Chicago region, then melted under a temperature swing in the 50s over the weekend. On the Schulenberg Prairie and prairie savanna, Willoway Brook overflowed.
Pools of water stood on the trails. I was grateful for my rubber boots. Other than a flutter of sparrows low in the grasses and a hammering of woodpeckers in the prairie savanna, the tallgrass was quiet.
Sunday, Jeff and I drove to Nachusa Grasslands, 90 minutes away, for their annual Dragonfly Monitor's end of the season celebration. As we traveled west, the wind brushed the clouds eastward and the sun appeared. We took a few moments to stop on the bridge over Franklin Creek, a diverse and lovely area just a hop, skip, and a jump from Nachusa.
On the west side of the bridge, the skies had mostly cleared.
Turn around. On the east side, the clouds shattered into a thousand pieces. One creek, one bridge, one moment, two different perspectives.
After the party, we hiked Fame Flower Knob, one of Nachusa's prettiest hiking areas and also one of my dragonfly routes.
Of course, the dragonflies are long gone. But the prairie plants had made the turn to November after the cold snap, with their own new profiles, colors, and textures.
Blazing star is as pretty in seed as it was in flower.
Cup plant's square stem is now in sharp relief. Its leaves have ruffled into dry decay.
Pale purple coneflower seedheads stand empty, mostly stripped of their future progeny by goldfinches and other seed-loving birds.
Bright fruits of Carolina horsenettle sprawl in the grasses. Toxic, but beautiful.
And look—common yarrow, still in bloom at the top of Fame Flower Knob!
Yes still blooming—despite the recent snow and frigid temperatures. Tough little wildflower. Clear Creek is just barely visible from our perch, running full and fast. I love this perspective of Nachusa Grasslands. So often, I'm focused on the individual, whether it is a dragonfly, or a prairie plant, or even a bison. This high perspective gives me context for those individuals. It also reminds me of the farming community in which the prairie restoration is enveloped.
The ledge where we sit is covered with twin colonizers, lichens and moss. Bright color. Life on the rocks.
As we leave the knob, we see the bison grazing in the distance, close to their corral after the recent round up. It's difficult to remember that bison were brought here about a half dozen years ago. They seem integral to this place now. In their short time here, they've changed the way we move through this landscape (always aware of where the herds are); how we see the prairies here, and—of course—they've changed the prairies themselves through their movements across the grasses.
It's time to go. It's always difficult to say goodbye to a place you appreciate; just as it is to transition from one season to another.
New adventures lie ahead. There's plenty to anticipate. New members of the prairie community wait to see in all their variations, all through the colder weather.
Bring it on, November!
We're ready.
Bill Holm (1943-2009) was the author of more than a dozen books of poems and essays, including Prairie Days, from which the opening quote was taken. A native of Menneota, MN, and a descendant of Icelandic immigrants, he died at 65.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): backyard prairie patch and pond on a snowy morning, Glen Ellyn, IL; bird's nest, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, Lisle, IL; bench on the Schulenberg Prairie in early November, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; Franklin Creek State Natural Area, Franklin Grove, IL; Franklin Creek State Natural Area, Franklin Grove, IL; Fame Flower Knob, Nachusa Grasslands (The Nature Conservancy), Franklin Grove, IL; Clear Creek Unit, Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; blazing star (Liastris spp.), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; possibly Carolina horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; view from Fame Flower Knob, Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; mosses and lichens, Fame Flower Knob, Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; Jeff hikes Nachusa Grasslands in November, Franklin Grove, IL; big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; St. Stephen's Prairie in early November, Carol Stream, IL.
Share Prairie Through Books!
Shopping for the holidays? Please think about books as gifts! Share prairie with the people in your life through words and images by ordering these through your favorite bookseller:
Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit (with co-author Thomas Dean, full color photography throughout). Discover the prairie in a new way through "conversations" about its relevance to themes such as home, loss, restoration, and joy. Read more here.
The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction. Perfect for the prairie lover in your family, your favorite prairie steward or volunteer, or your family members that wonder why in the world you care about the tallgrass! Read more here.
Join me for these upcoming events:
Tallgrass Prairie Ecology online wraps up this month! Watch for the next course in March. Registration opens on November 19 here.
Nature Writing continues at The Morton Arboretum, on-line and in-person through November 20. Next session begins March 3, 2020. Watch for registration soon!
Saturday, December 7, 1:30-3 p.m.—Sterling Stories from the Arboretum Stacks: Grab a friend and spend a lively hour together sipping hot beverages while you enjoy little-known stories about the Morton Arboretum. What's that old fountain doing in the library? Why was there a white pine planted in the May Watts Reading Garden? Who is REALLY buried in the Morton Cemetery—or not? What book in the Sterling Morton Library stacks has a direct relationship to a beheading? Why does the library have glass shelves? How has salt been a blessing —and a curse—to the Arboretum over its almost 100 years? Listen as 33-year Arboretum veteran library collections manager Rita Hassert and Cindy Crosby spin entertaining tales of a place you thought you knew….until now. Register here. A lovely afternoon enjoying little known Arboretum's stories, and a quiet respite from the holiday hustle and bustle.
Sunday, December 8, 2-3:30 p.m.: Tallgrass Conversations at Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road, Crystal Lake, IL 815-479-5779 Book signing after the talk! Free and open to the public.
See more at www.cindycrosby.com
Posted in nachusa grasslands, Prairie Restoration, tallgrass prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged backyard prairie, big bluestem, Bill Holm, carol stream, Carolina horsenettle, Clear Creek, cup plant, Fame Flower Knob, Franklin Creek Natural Area, franklin grove, hiking, Illinois, In Search of the Prairie Spirit, lisle, Nachusa Grasslands, nature writing, pale purple coneflower, pond, schulenberg prairie, Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, snow, st. stephen's cemetery prairie, Sterling Morton Arboretum, Tallgrass Conversations, Tallgrass Prairie Online, The Morton Arboretum, the nature conservancy illinois, willoway brook, yarrow
July's Prairie Patterns
"The world is a confusing and turbulent place, but we make sense of it by finding order… . This makes us all pattern seekers. "– Philip Ball
High heat and cool breezes; thunderstorms and calm mornings. From my hammock overlooking the backyard prairie patch, I'm astonished at the rapid growth of plants under the hot sun, watered by frequent rain showers. I swear I saw cup plants grow an inch right before my eyes! Anything seems possible in the bright light and blue skies of July.
As I swing in my hammock, I'm reading a new book from University of Chicago Press: Patterns in Nature. It's a revelation. As an art and journalism student in my undergrad years, I avoided math as much as possible. Now, I'm discovering the beauty of mathematics on the prairie. Symmetry. Fractals. Surface tension.
So many different combinations of patterns in July! I've always been intrigued by patterns in nature. But I didn't understand much about what I saw.
Paging through Philip Ball's book, I begin with symmetry, which Ball says, is at the root of understanding how patterns in nature appear.
It's an eye-opener.
Ball notes that "Bilateral symmetry seems almost to be the default for animals. Fish, mammals, insects, and birds all share this attribute." I see this in the blue-fronted damselfly above; in the mirror-image wings of a skipper butterfly below. Divide them in half and each side is essentially identical.
It's evinced in the reversed haploa moth, barely visible, deep in the tallgrass.
There is bilateral symmetry in a bison's skull, with a few imperfections.
Or a monarch's wings, even when tattered and worn.
Who wouldn't marvel at the folded, paired symmetrical wings of the male violet dancer damselfly?
Once you begin looking for patterns in the natural world…
…you see them everywhere.
Fractal geometry, Ball writes, is said to be "the geometry of nature." Fractals? What's a fractal? "Don't know much algebra…," sang Sam Cooke in his classic, "(What a) Wonderful World." Yup. But I want to know more.
Ball boils it down to this: Look at a tree. A part of the tree, he writes, can resemble the whole, as the "tree algorithm" keeps making the same kind of structure repeatedly. As I hike the prairie one afternoon, I look up and all of the sudden it makes sense—once I understand what I'm looking at.
"Growing fractals" are a type of fractal found in the network of arteries, veins, and capillaries in the vascular system—another "branching" effect, Ball tells me. I think of the "arteries" running across prairie dock leaves, so pronounced in the autumn.
I reflect on these concepts and my head aches. Fractals. Symmetry. So fascinating. So…complex. I regret now my ability to dodge everything math-related in college except for a course called "Cardinal Numbers." A sort of 101 math for art majors. But maybe it's not too late?
Early one morning, wading Clear Creek at Nachusa Grasslands, I admire the dew drops. I remember reading in Ball's book that beads of water are driven by surface tension. Simply put, he says, surface tension pulls dew and rain into these "droplet" shapes, and gravity helps flatten the droplets. Ahhh. Look at that. Yes.
A different sort of pattern. I search for water droplets: on leaves, spiderwebs, even dragonfly wings. Each dewdrop has heightened meaning.
As I continue reading, chapter after chapter, then go for hikes to explore the different patterns in Ball's book, his simple explanations for a non-scientist open up a new world for me. A world where math seems a little more applicable. A little more accessible. A little more…meaningful. Perhaps, though, the best moment in Ball's book is when he writes that the law of pattern formation is driven by wonder.
"We need to marvel and admire as well as to analyze and calculate," Ball writes. Oh, yes. I've always been attuned to wonder; marveling comes without effort for me. Now, I'm learning the other side of the equation. Such an astonishing world!
So many "patterns" to marvel at and admire in the month of July on the prairie. Why not go see?
Philip Ball is the former editor for Nature. The quotes in this post are from his book, Patterns in Nature: Why the Natural World Looks the Way it Does (University of Chicago Press, 2016). Check it out here.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): July on the Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) on butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; blue-fronted dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; reversed haploa moth (Haploa reversa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; bison (Bison bison) skull, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; violet dancer (sometimes called variable dancer) (Argia fumipennis violacea), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) seedhead, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; orb weaver (family Araneidae) spider web, Brown County State Park, Nashville, IN; tree leafing out on the edge of the Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; water droplets along Clear Creek, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; glade mallow (Napaea dioica), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Cindy's Classes and Speaking
August 2, 8-11:30 a.m., Prairie Ethnobotany: How People Have Used Prairie Plants Throughout History, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. Register here.
August 12, 7-8:30 p.m., Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden's Frequent Fliers, Fox Valley Garden Club, Aurora, IL. Free and open to the Public. Details here.
August 19-22, 8-5 p.m. daily, National Association for Interpretation Certified Interpretive Guide Training, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. Register here.
August 29, 7-8:30 p.m., Summer Literary Series: Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit. Hope aboard the Morton Arboretum's tram and enjoy a cool beverage, then listen to Cindy talk about the "prairie spirit" on the beautiful Schulenberg Prairie, the fourth oldest prairie restoration in the world. Register here.
See more at http://www.cindycrosby.com
Posted in bilateral symmetry, Patterns in Nature, tallgrass prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged (What a) Wonderful World, Art, Ball, bison skull, blue-fronted dancer damselfly, butterflyweed, Clear Creek, fractals, franklin grove, geometry, gray-headed coneflower, Illinois, journalistm, july, lisle, math, milkweed, monarch, monarch caterpillar, Nachusa Grasslands, orb weaver spider, Patterns in Nature, Philip, Philip Ball, prairie dock, rattlesnake master, reversed haploa moth, Sam Cooke, schulenberg prairie, silver-spotted skipper, surface tension, symmetry, The Morton Arboretum, the nature conservancy, University of Chicago Press, variable dancer damselfly, violet dancer damselfly, water droplets
August's Opening Day on the Prairie
Posted on August 1, 2017 | 1 comment
"The first week of August hangs at the very top of the summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning." Natalie Babbitt
You can feel summer pause for a moment, catch its breath.
July is over.
August is here.
The fireflies wink their Morse Code at night. On. Off. On. Off. They're abundant this summer. People talk about it, wonder out loud. Speculate: "I haven't seen this many fireflies since I was a kid. Must have been the wet spring? Maybe all the rain?"
The fireflies light up the yard, the old field by the railroad tracks, the parks after dark. Listen! The soundtrack for the fireflies is the buzz saw and hum of the invisible cicadas, crickets, and other fiddling insects tuning up in the dark.
We sit on the back porch and watch the fireflies twinkle in the prairie patch. Remember catching them as kids? The mason jars with a bit of grass tucked in and holes punched in the lids. Fireflies. We'll enjoy them while they last.
On the bigger prairies, the more delicate wildflowers back off a bit as the grasses push themselves skyward and elbow them out of the way.
Some of the heavyweight bloomers are tough enough to compete with the grasses: stocky cup plant, rough-and-tumble rosin weed, bristly compass plant.
The curiously smooth prairie dock stems throw periscopes of flowers across the prairie eight feet high. Its fists of blooms uncurl at last. They vie with the compass plants for supremacy.
If it wasn't for its eye-popping purple color, you might miss the low-growing prairie poppy mallows.
Also short but eye-catching is the bright white whorled milkweed. Doesn't look much like milkweed at first glance, but check out the individual flowers. Yes! That's milkweed, all right.
The bison move slower in the heat, graze a little, then look for a shady spot to cool off. The spring babies are getting bigger. They seem to put on weight as you watch.
The prairie ponds shimmer under the August sun. July rains have filled them to overflowing. Dragonflies fly across the water in a frenzy. It's now or never for laying eggs to make future generations happen. Everywhere, it seems, there are insect hook ups; winged romance on the fly.
The purple and white prairie clover has gone to seed and created perches for the eastern amberwing dragonflies.
Blue dashers, too.
The wings and bodies of the widow skimmer dragonflies take on a blue-ish powdery look that indicates age, called "pruinosity." Old age, for a dragonfly, is a matter of weeks. If they are lucky, a few months. And with age and pruinosity, the widow skimmers become more beautiful.
Flowering spurge has gone crazy this summer.
It fills in the spaces between the grasses like baby's breath in an FTD floral arrangement.
The first breath of silky prairie dropseed grass in bloom scents the air with the smell of buttered popcorn.
Blazing stars spike across the prairie. With their flowers comes a sense of inevitability. Asters and goldenrods will be right on their heels, and with them, the close of the warm weather season.
Everything on the prairie is poised for the downward plunge into autumn. But for now, summer in the tallgrass reigns supreme.
August's opening day on the prairie is here.
The opening quote is from "Tuck Everlasting," a novel by Newbery Medal Award-winning children's book writer and illustrator Natalie Babbitt (1932-2016). It's worth reading the lines in context, reprinted here: "The first week of August hangs at the very top of the summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color."
All photographs and audio clip copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): sunset on Russell Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL; flood debris on a tree by Clear Creek, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; crickets and other fiddling insects audio clip, author's backyard prairie patch, Glen Ellyn, IL; grasses, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL: compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, author's backyard prairie patch, Glen Ellyn, IL: purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) , Kickapoo Nature Center, Oregon, IL: whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; herd of bison (Bison bison), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL: eastern amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; blue dasher dragonfly (female) (Pachydiplax longipennis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL: flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata) in the tallgrass, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; blazing star (Liatris spp.), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; tallgrass prairie, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL.
Posted in Prairie, sunset, Uncategorized
Tagged backyard, blazing star, blue dasher, Clear Creek, college of dupage, compass plant, crickets, eastern amberwing dragonfly, flood, flowering spurge, franklin grove, glen ellyn, grasses, IL, Kickapoo Nature Center, lisle, Nachusa Grasslands, oregon, prairie dock, prairie dropseed, prunosity, purple poppy mallow, rosin weed, russell kirt prairie, schulenberg prairie, sunset, tallgrass, The Morton Arboretum, the nature conservancy illinois, whorled milkweed, widow skimmer, wildflowers
Three Minutes of Hope on the Prairie
"Truly we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood."–Mary Oliver
Forget politics for a moment. Take three minutes to walk with me. Focus on the wonders of the tallgrass prairie in November.
I need a hike where it's quiet today — don't you?
November's Indian summer sighs, then turns and marches toward the cold. Little bluestem throws its confetti of seeds across the tallgrass in an extravagant last hurrah; a marvel of color and light.
Look at the sky, a kaleidoscope of clouds forming and reforming in different patterns.
It's an ever-changing painting, so easily taken for granted. Put there…for what? For our joy? For our amazement? The least we can do is take time to look.
Lose yourself in the architecture, colors, and texture of a prairie dock leaf. It is one unique leaf in an infinite number of leaves in the tallgrass, in an infinite number of prairies. Each is its own work of art. Does your mind boggle at the artistry so lavishly displayed?
Old tree stumps have stories to tell, weathered by the rains and sunshine of thousands of days. But you have to stop for a moment. Take time to read. And to listen. What story will they tell you?
In November, the prairie does a strip tease, shedding seeds and leaves. What's left are the essentials for the perennials to survive the winter, much of their life invisible underground. The seeds promise hope for the future.
Even the fuzzy caterpillars that slouch and slinky their way through the tallgrass remind us of future transformation. Moth, you wonder? Or butterfly?
In November, plant structures are more evident, bleached of their summer and early fall colors.
Trees silhouette themselves against the sky. You admire them, shorn of the distraction of colorful leaves.
It may feel lonely in the tallgrass in November. You're aware of your smallness in the grand scheme of the universe.
The shaggy bison look tough and well-suited to the coming chill. We, however, sometimes feel fragile wondering what the world may have in readiness for us.
Listen. There is the sound of water. The prairie creek rushes headlong on its way to some far-flung sea. Everything is connected. We're not alone.
Under the surface of the cold water, the drab, beetle-like dragonfly nymphs wait for warmer weather. They listen for the signal to stretch out their wings; don their dazzling array of bold hues. The signal for change is months away, so they concentrate on growing. Soon enough all will be warmth and light.
When we shake our heads over the state of the world, remember. These prairie skies, this grass, the wildflowers, the seeds, those large shaggy creatures and small flying winged ones–and furry ones, too–are also the world.
And what a beautiful and hopeful place the world can be.
The opening quote is from Mary Oliver's "Mysteries, Yes." The next lines of the poem read as follows: "Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood/How grass can be nourishing in the mouths of the lambs/How rivers and stone are forever in allegiance with gravity/ while we ourselves dream of rising." Mary Oliver (1935-) is winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and writes extensively about the importance of paying attention to the world around us. The complete poem is included in her book: Evidence: Poems.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; Schulenberg Prairie in November, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; old tree stump, Fame Flower knob, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) seed pod, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; great leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia) caterpillar, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; silky aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum) in November, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; trees in November, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; Fame Flower Knob, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; bison (Bison bison), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; Clear Creek, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; white faced meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Posted in poetry, Prairie, Prairie Restoration, Uncategorized
Tagged autumn, beauty, caterpillar, Clear Creek, common milkweed, evidence, Fame Flower Knob, flowers, franklin grove, future, gratitude, great leopard moth, hiking, IL, lisle, little bluestem, marvels, mary oliver, mysterious, nature, nature conservancy, patterns, peace, poetry, politics, prairie dock, preservation, reflections, schulenberg prairie, silky aster, The Morton Arboretum, the nature conservancy illinois, white-faced meadowhawk
Seeds of Hope in an Uncertain World
"Where there is hatred, let me sow love." — from the Prayer of St. Francis
So much hate. How did we come to this?
The tallgrass offers solace, if only for a few hours. Come hike with me. See what the prairie has to say about it all. Gain some perspective.
It's good to be reminded that there is beauty in the world, even if it is sometimes fleeting.
There are small creatures who keep singing, no matter what the headlines say.
Little winged ones who bathe themselves in light.
Comical critters who make us smile, even when world events and politics seem grim.
The tallgrass reminds us that the cycle of the seasons will continue.
The prairie ripens its fruits, as it has each autumn for time past remembering.
The grasses and wildflowers foam with seeds.
The seed fluff puffs like fireworks…
…catches the wind, and sails aloft.
Landing in unlikely places.
Other seeds are plucked from thistle plants to line a goldfinch's nest, and help nurture a new generation.
Each fruit, each seed is a promise. Although the road ahead is fraught with uncertainty…
…we will soon find ourselves at the beginning of a new season.
Every day, beautiful things are unfolding.
The prairie reminds us that the issues that consume our attention are only a blink in the immensity of time.
How will we spend our days this week? Let the seeds we sow for the future be ones that lighten the darkness.
When so many around us speak hate, let's sow love. Let's make a difference.
The opening quote is widely attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (1181-2 to 1226). He was known for his simplicity and a love for nature and animals, and often portrayed with a bird in his hand.
All photos above copyright Cindy Crosby at Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL (except where noted): view from Fame Flower Knob in October; two cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae), an orange sulphur butterfly (Colias eurytheme), and two clouded sulphur butterflies (Colias philodice) puddling by Clear Creek; red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum); field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) bathing in Clear Creek; American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) ; fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus), author's backyard prairie patch, Glen Ellyn, IL; Nachusa Grasslands in October; ground cherries (Physalis spp.); little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) with sweet everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium); virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana); unknown seed; unknown seed in spider web at Clear Creek; goldfinch (Spinus tristis) on pasture thistle (Cirsium discolor); road through Nachusa Grasslands; common buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) on white clover (Trifolium repens); eastern comma butterfly (Polygonia comma) at bison watering area; grasses on Fame Flower Knob with St. Peter's sandstone; whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) seed pods.
Posted in nachusa grasslands, Prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged beauty, buckeye, bullfrog, butterflies, change, chicago, Clear Creek, dark times, eastern comma, field sparrow, fiery skipper, flowers, franklin grove, future, glen ellyn, goldfinch, gratitude, ground cherries, heart, hope, Illinois, little bluestem, Love, milkweed, Nachusa Grasslands, nature, peace, prairie, reflections, restoration, road, seeds, St. Francis, sweet everlasting, thistle, virgin's bower, whorled milkweed
Exploring a Prairie Stream
Posted on July 19, 2016 | 11 comments
It's hot. Pull on your hip boots and wade into Clear Creek with me. Let's see what morning brings to a prairie stream.
It's 9 a.m., but the dewdrops still spangle the grasses.
In the shallows, a flower opens, half submerged.
A spider hangs her web out to dry.
The dragonflies and damselflies are half hidden along the shoreline, shivering off the cool of the early hours.
Springwater dancer damselflies, colored an impossible blue hue, soak up the morning light.
Nearby, a eastern tiger swallowtail turns to stained glass as she sips nectar in the sunshine.
In the marshy areas, a blue dasher–slightly befuddled–balances on a twig, trying to wake up. Must not have had his coffee yet.
An eastern pondhawk camouflages herself in the grasses as she considers her plans for the day.
A Halloween pennant uses his wings as solar panels, ready to let the light lift him aloft.
Everywhere you turn, there is something ordinary that seems extraordinary when covered in dew.
And you realize what you would have missed…
…had you not gone wading in a prairie stream.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): dewdrops on grasses, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; flower opening in the stream, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; spider web across Clear Creek, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; ebony jewelwing damselfly (Calopteryx maculata), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; springwater dancer damselfly (Argia plana), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; blue dasher dragonfly (male) (Pachydiplax longipennis), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; eastern pondhawk dragonfly (female) (Erythemis simplicicollis), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; Halloween pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; dewdrops on grasses, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; Clear Creek, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL.
Posted in beauty, Dragonflies, nachusa grasslands, Prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged bee balm, blue dasher, Clear Creek, colorful butterflies, conservation, damselfly, dew, dragonfly, eastern tiger swallowtail, franklin grove, halloween pennant dragonfly, Illinois, Midwest, Nachusa Grasslands, natural resources, paying attention, pondhawk, prairie, prairie restoration, restoration, springwater dancer, tallgrass, the nature conservancy, the nature conservancy illinois, wildflowers
Cindy Crosby
Cindy Crosby is the author, compiler, or contributor to more than 20 books. Her most recent is "Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History" (Northwestern University Press, 2020). She teaches prairie ecology, nature writing, and natural history classes, and is a prairie steward who has volunteered countless hours in prairie restoration. See Cindy's upcoming online speaking events and classes at www.cindycrosby.com.


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Are traditional games under threat?
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Sabrewings
ImpulsE69 said:
LMAO. Someone was bored.
Clearly doesn't change the fact that I'm right. Otherwise surely you would have some rebuttal of substance? Personally, I dislike when someone misrepresents a situation, be it intentionally or unintentionally. Then having attitude when someone tries to correct it is in poor taste.
Is it a fact that the game isn't finished yet?
Indeed it is. However, presenting one fact out of context misrepresents the situation, and you know it.
2016. Looking at what they're building, show me someone who could do better, while simultaneously standing up four studio locations.
Edit: I see your edit now. My follow-up:
Yes, I know, there's a whole thread by people who think that no one can talk bad about the situation. Too bad.
We critique it fairly often. If you paid attention you might see that.
Until then, consider me a skeptic.
Skeptic is fine, just please don't misrepresent the facts.
ImpulsE69
Sabrewings said:
I didn't address it because nothing you said changed anything and wasn't misinformation as you want to put it. Your responses were your opinions and most of it just being anal in the way you broke it down making a long winded quote that wasn't needed. The only thing you referenced in one quote is statements BY the guy who is being accused of scamming people. Not exactly a solid defense. There isn't anything I'm going to say or you to me that's going to change views. The game isn't out, they continue to run low on money and push dates out, however they continue to put out ships to sell. They KNOW this works. They can do it indefinitely and have. If people stop buying those ships, it's over. They blew through the money, this isn't a new discussion. Sure they make progress, they HAVE to show some sort of progress or people would lose interest.
Again, if you truly believed in it you wouldn't bother. You are trying to defend your money. Contrary to what it may seem, I want to see it succeed. Let's hope it does, but Squadron 32 isn't what people asked for and is essentially wasted time and money. Chris wants to compare this to Eve and WoW, stating this game will never be done. The difference is, those games HAD a finished product and expanded. He's going backwards and tries to defend it as some genius plan. The engine is starting to show age, and so far all you have is a couple disjointed tech demos and a boatload of expensive pixels. If that's good enough for you, then so be it. Some of us will continue to be realistic and skeptical. It's fine to be an optimist, but pretty much the consensus around here is no one can say anything bad about the game. None of that means anything if the people controlling the finances are being clever.
There have been simple time waster games since the beginning. The NES had plenty. The issue today is that these AAA story based games have budgets equaling and exceeding hollywood blockbuster movies. So there isn't room for taking risks just like in hollywood. Rehashing the same formulaic content is a safe bet. There have been great examples of story based 15-20 hour games recently and some duds/rehashes.
I enjoyed AC Black Flag because I didn't play any of the previous games in the series. But the ones that came out after I couldn't bother with to finish. The new Tomb Raider games are quite stunning in how good they are.
Maybe due to the cost of production we see maybe only 3-4 major AAA games a year anymore and of that maybe only 1 or 2 appeal.
In TV also there's room for cheaply made reality TV, but you can't argue something like "the amazing race" is cheap to make. But big props for mentioning MASH. One of the greatest shows ever made.
Craig234
SXR, what's new is the development of a new genre.
It used to be there were 'cheap' games - solitaire or other simple games - and 'premium' games - Infocom text adventures used to sell for ~$50, games from "Quake" to "Lemmings" the same.
Changes include both the development of the 'Indie' developers more, and more relevant for this thread, the type of game that has 'premium' quality but by using re-usable content can be played thousands of hours - replacing 'traditional' games.
For example, An MMO used to perhaps cost $50 plus a subscription. Now, you can play MMO's of similar quality for free, because the business model has changed to be funded by a few 'whales'.
I've read that over 90% of these MMO players don't even spend on the game. Thousands of hours of good free gaming is a hell of a competitor to a game asking for $50 for 20 hours of gameplay.
But this isn't even about the F2P model as much as that newer gaming genre of games that have thousands of hours of gameplay for low cost competing with games with expensive 'scripted' content. Which is why I used that TV analogy, an expensive per minute 'scripted' show with expensive sets and such against the very cheap 'reality tv' type programming.
Though the pressure in that example is toward the show producers, not the customers, since both are 'free' to the customer.
I mentioned new billionare owner of World of Tanks, the 40 year old in Russia; the game had almost a half billion revenue annually. League of Legends, another game like I'm describing, alone had $1.5 billion revenue - 10% of the entire gaming industry revenue. You don't see 'traditional' games with numbers like that.
If someone is putting a thousand hours in League of Legends, how much does that decrease their buying a MORE expensive title to play for 20 hours of scripted content?
It seems to me games are better than they've ever been - lots of quality, traditional type games made. But this new type of game seems a possible threat to that, just as hand-written quality RPG's are now a more low-budget market it seems.
What this would mean if it happens is likely more (and better) of that 'type' of game with long replayability and re-use of content, and fewer and lower budget 'traditional' games.
The difference even sort of pre-dates computer games - games like checkers, chess and card games had lots of 'free to play' replayability, while quality novels were purchased, consume-once entertainment competing with them.
I'd prefer the people predicting the more expensive per hour played games continue to be made are right.
You definitely don't see scripted games with revenue like that except GTA. But also not every MMO gets that kind of revenue. If they did then devs would flood the market attempting to get a piece of that pie.
MMOs like that target a certain kind of player. Drawing that kind of revenue I suppose involves being universal to the point that that enough people choose to put a lot of time into it such that a subset will pay enormous sums of real money to dominate large player bases. It's one way to make lots of revenue.
But given that the average age of a gamer now is mid 30s, I think there is a mix of people who want a lot of quantity and those who want quality. It seems there are relatively comfortably employed people who will drop hundreds and thousands into some of these games and I would imagine their entire lives outside work revolve around that game. They may spend the amounts of money that others spend on dating, pets, vacations etc. But there are also those who will spend $60 and don't have more than a few hours a week to game. They just want a good short scripted game.
I think MMOs have expanded the revenue ascribed to gaming in that they seem to be drawing from funds that would otherwise be spent real world activities and to a point also on funds used on other games. But in a world, let's say, without MMOs would the people who spend on those games currently spend that money on repeated $60 purchases of scripted games? I think they would spend less on gaming as a whole. So they've increased the market size imho. But I also agree that such games have taken something from the revenue base of scripted games. But the bigger threat imho is mobile games that are also transaction based.
But there will always be a certain subset of people who only buy shorter 20 games and there are devs who cater to that market. But the MMOization of regular games is disconcerting in the same vein as that thread complaining about every game being open world now. But there are people who will buy multiplayer MMOized games and just play the campaign and stop. The Division was like that for me.
I thought the campaign alone was great and so was Phantom Pain. Both sucked me in for a short while though but only about 1 month. I was ready to move on after that and honestly I do think there is a shortage of good scripted games now. I've mostly spent money on VR games this year instead.
Companies will look to tap into all markets but even now the average game has DLC and they want upwards of $90 for all the content. Sometimes the DLC is extra scripted content and sometimes it's multiplayer based to get people to keep playing. But outside of those few big moneymakers that somehow got the formula right, most people tire of the replay aspects of these games and have money ready for the next scripted or otherwise game.
I think there will always be people buying scripted games just as there are still people buying novels. There will always be devs willing to make those games despite the high risk. No doubt making a MMO is lower risk in that they cost less to make but also there is risk in that those games are duds if they can't hold their player base and there's a lot of time and money involved in courting the player base and keeping things fair and attractive for people to keep playing. If the player base doesn't hold the whales wont spend their money on the game.
So I look at it as a different strategy to get people to part with their money and it comes with its own costs and headaches. I am thankful for whatever scripted games we still get and I think we will continue to see a few really good ones every year. It is harder to find enough good content I will admit but VR for me has filled the void and so far in that space scripted is the main push, but I expect to see some MMOs in that space as well.
Craig234 said:
As someone who played said game for many years and never put a dime into it, or the 4-5 years I played Eve Online, for many it simply won't matter. They will continue to buy the games they like. Just because I played those didn't mean that's ALL I played or continue to play. The gamer types haven't changed, just the number of gamers have. Sure you will have people who won't buy a story based single player game, just as you have people that ONLY play RPG's, or ONLY play CoD. Heck I ONLY play multiplayer in FPS, never the single player campaign. That doesn't prevent me from buying a good single player FPS. Maybe we are all the extreme case, but I think peoples Steam catalogs show that people still buy a variety of games.
If the devs all wander to the great cash cow that is F2P, or MMO, it will simply become over saturated and most will lose (heck most do already), and go on to try some other avenue. Most MMO's don't do that well. WoW, DOTA, LOL are all extremes in the success category, and still pale in comparison to Korean MMO's.
You also cannot discount what Steam has done to pricing of games. It probably plays a HUGE role in what you are talking about. Maybe at this point on the PC side, moreso than anything else.
Console and mobile drive the gaming market right now, and I think give it 5-10 years, mobile will exclusively drive the gaming market sadly. That being said, story type games are GREAT for mobile platforms, whereas action isn't. (who knows maybe that will change).
Stringjam
Reactions: Sabrewings
Take the bickering about that game to another thread... or not, but not here...
cmdrdredd
This is all true. Many people do enjoy a variety of titles and aren't going to simply play one game or one type of game forever and ignore everything else. I used to play Destiny a lot on PS4(I stopped playing a while back) but I didn't ignore other releases.Same for when I played FFXI Online for years and dipped my toes into WoW for a bit but never got far. I always tried to keep up on the latest titles and was able to play them too.
I think what has happened is gaming itself has grown and society's general idea of it has changed from "that thing that my nerd brother does with his friends" to something everyone can do without being labeled a nerd or whatever. Along with that is the rise of casual gamers. People who have some free time but not the patience for a 50hour RPG or the skill and reflexes to play an FPS with any ability. Sure they could learn to play it but most don't want to, they want more instant gratification. So for these types of people, a more easy to pick up game that doesn't cost $60 to get started is of real interest to them. They can try a game for a while if they don't like it they have nothing invested and can move on to another. If they happen to like the game they might be inclined to spend a few bucks here and there on items to increase their game time, competitiveness, or enjoyment of the game. This type of gamer won't buy the latest Call of Duty or invest in the new Playstation model and the developers and publishers know that. They understand the markets are different. Gaming is no longer just for computer geeks or kids with a Nintendo. It's a global market for people of all ages, and even adults with full time responsibilities play video games now.
Development costs for traditional games has skyrocketed and for many small time developers that might be just a couple guys, they can't compete. That's where the indie scene came from. Back in the days of Commodore 64, DOS, and even Atari there was an endless amount of releases that were developed by a guy in his garage or basement maybe with the help of some friends. Many of the titles weren't of any quality. It was a cash grab, trying to get in on the market. There were literally thousands of games all over the place that had little value. The real problem for many people interested in playing video games was trying to weed out the bad titles from the good. Since there were no real gaming magazines and no Internet, it was difficult to find out what games were good and what to avoid. There was just too much shovelware flooding the market and a lot of it was just broken games that didn't work correctly. After that Nintendo tried forcing developers to go through them to get a "seal of quality". Basically nobody was releasing broken or unfinished titles. Not all of them were good of course but they were functional. As gaming moved on with better graphics and into the Playstation era with CGI and then to more complex titles with voice acting, development costs went way up and pushed out the small time developers. The rise of big publishers with the money to produce the titles that were more or less expected by gamers pushed them out.
Fast forward to the Wii and the rise of mobile phones and you have the casual market which was previously untapped. Everyone has a computer in their pocket now and with the Wii even older adults can play video games without feeling like they're playing with a kid's toy and you weren't a social outcast for it. This is the market that most of the free to play titles are trying to tap into. The casual gamer who isn't interested in the hundred hour traditional RPG or the fast paced shooter games. Most of the casual gamers that I know personally aren't willing to spend any money on new games and they don't understand why their kids continually want new games for the PS4 or Xbox when they can play the same game for hundreds of hours for free. The markets are just different. Indie games came back into the market out of the want for getting paid for their work on a game but not having a publisher to market it for them. The rise of casual gaming helped push this a bit not because they wanted to tap the casual market but they could see there was a market outside the big publisher. They just had to find a way to get their titles out there and with Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, and the PSN Store allowing them to self publish, they can get their title recognized. However in my opinion they also brought shovelware with them. Maybe not quite as bad as the old days of Atari and the early computer systems because now we have the internet where you can find information and reviews on any game in existence, but I still find that a lot of indie titles have very little value to me as a game. Many developers build on a gimmick and run with it. Some people think that's fine, but it turns me off. Which brings me to my point. There will always be a gaming market that caters to everyone's interest now because the market is big enough to handle it. Playing videogames no longer makes you a social outcast. That is unless you don't go outside and would rather play your favorite game all the time instead.
DaveSimmons
What may continue happen is major studios make fewer story-based single-player AAA games.
But: Fallout 4 made giant piles of money for Bethesda. Borderlands II (which added more story) made piles of money for Gearbox. No Man's Sky got in trouble for being all empty sandbox without much of any story and had to give back giant piles of money.
So there is a trend for low-content repetition in online games, and a trend for big story based single-player games to also make money. It's not one or the other.
Dave, that's the current, both games exist - not the topic about the trends. You don't predict how big a market share SSD's will have by looking how many are selling last month.
JimmiG
Well the "length" of a game is really only relevant for strictly linear games. A game like Monkey Island obviously has a fairly constant length for most players (depending on how long you spend solving puzzles), and the length is directly related to the production value/development budget (more dialog, animation, scenes etc. = longer game). With a "sandbox" type game, the length isn't really dependent on the budget or even the amount of "content".
I don't think the traditional, linear single player AAA game is going anywhere. The gaming genre as a whole is just more diversified than ever (I've played games since the early 90s), and storefronts like Steam tend to push sandbox and indie games so they're more visible (and most of them are 50 - 75% off most of the time...).
Midwayman
F2P games are a cancer. They encourage a grindy gameplay style that is annoying unless you pay. The costs for the games are also insane. $50 for a single freaking model on some of them. The entire game would probably be under $30 in a traditional model, yet if you are a serious player you'll spend hundreds on it instead.
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text:
Three MEPs chosen for new Spanish government
Rajoy turns to European Parliament for ministers for foreign affairs, farming and EU affairs.
By Simon Taylor
Mariano Rajoy, Spain's prime minister, has appointed two current members and one former member of the European Parliament as ministers in the new centre-right government.
Rajoy, who won Spain's elections on 20 November, has chosen José Manuel García-Margallo as foreign minister in the government that was sworn in yesterday (22 December). García-Margallo is currently a vice-chairman of the European Parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee and chairman of the Parliament's delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). He was first elected to the European Parliament in 1994.
Miguel Arias Cañete, who was an MEP from 1986 to 1989, has been appointed minister for agriculture, food and the environment. Cañete was minister for agriculture and fisheries in the government of José Maria Aznar, Spain's last centre-right government, from 2000 to 2004.
Iñigo Méndez de Vigo, who has been an MEP since 1992, has been appointed minister for EU affairs. Méndez de Vigo is a member of the Parliament's committee for economic and monetary affairs. He is an expert on EU institutional issues. He was chairman of the Parliament's delegation to the European Convention which produced the first draft of the EU's constitutional treaty and the Parliament's representative to the inter-governmental conference that produced the final version of the treaty in 2003.
Rajoy, who won a landslide victory over the Socialists in the elections, has appointed Luis de Guindos as minister for economy and competition. De Guindos is a former deputy finance minister and was head of the Spanish division of US investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings.
Cristobal Montoro, who was budget minister in the Aznar government, returns to his former job.
Rajoy has announced a package of spending cuts and reforms to tackle the problems of Spain's economy. The country has an unemployment rate of 23%. Rajoy has pledged to reduce the country's deficit to 4.4% of gross domestic product in 2012 and to 3% in 2013.
More from ... Simon Taylor
Economic governance	Employment	EU reform	EU treaties	Industry	Tax
Bolivia	Colombia	Ecuador	Peru	Spain
Mariano Rajoy


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Indian men look the best, dressed in traditional attires. Kurta Pajamas for men are outfits to be worn on special occasions like weddings or festivals. They look elegant and classy and are said to be the clothes for royalty. The best part about Kurta Pyjamas is that you can style them up or style them down, anyway you want. They are not just meant for parties, but also can be used as regular wear because of the comfort they provide.
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text:
namespace content {

class GpuProcess;

// This class creates a GPU thread (instead of a GPU process), when running
// with --in-process-gpu or --single-process.
class InProcessGpuThread : public base::Thread {
 public:
  InProcessGpuThread(const InProcessChildThreadParams& params);
  ~InProcessGpuThread() override;

 protected:
  void Init() override;
  void CleanUp() override;

 private:
  InProcessChildThreadParams params_;

  // Deleted in CleanUp() on the gpu thread, so don't use smart pointers.
  GpuProcess* gpu_process_;

  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(InProcessGpuThread);
};

CONTENT_EXPORT base::Thread* CreateInProcessGpuThread(
    const InProcessChildThreadParams& params);

}  // namespace content

#endif  // CONTENT_GPU_IN_PROCESS_GPU_THREAD_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Archimedes was one of the greatest minds of ancient Greece. He solved problems with solutions no man of his time had ever thought of before, finding the density of precious metals, the circumference of circles, and even made weapons that defended his city against the Romans.
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