i know you didn't- i'm a careful reader. it's just that the very variation of circumstances you describe made me think of that wider context. love the messages and paintings in any case!
glad to see the comment relating to climate change -- my first thought was, if a desert becomes more deserty-y and is subjected to more flash flooding, longer-term flooding (the "lake" in Death Valley, for instance) - then in what ways will these changes affect this whole process you describe. I can't imagine it would be positive for any and all concerned! and tnx for the comment on anthropomorphizing processes and terminology. came just in time before I was going to write some snippy comment about terminal cuteness - but was spared!
I've seen bees cutting open the sides of flowers to get at nectar they couldn't otherwise reach, but I never thought about how this behavior might interfere with pollination. Thanks for sharing your penchant for looking deeper.
The commonality of nature vs the human race seems to be beauty, cleverness and survival but we go overboard and chop the plant down to “develop” land and risk the survival of nature. And Florida’s government still refuses to acknowledge the escalating effects of climate change. This late winter/early spring in rural north Florida is short on wildflowers, insects and birds. Though I do hear barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, Carolina wrens and see a few small anole lizards.
Late to the party. My apologies and also appreciation of this essay and also the comments which always constitute a welcome annotation.
Moving from bees and birds to ants! Walter did you get wind of the Aussie's losing war against fire ants?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/04/australian-program-to-eradicate-red-fire-ants-is-a-shambles-senate-inquiry-told/
You should have been called in as an expert advisor!
i know you didn't- i'm a careful reader. it's just that the very variation of circumstances you describe made me think of that wider context. love the messages and paintings in any case!
glad to see the comment relating to climate change -- my first thought was, if a desert becomes more deserty-y and is subjected to more flash flooding, longer-term flooding (the "lake" in Death Valley, for instance) - then in what ways will these changes affect this whole process you describe. I can't imagine it would be positive for any and all concerned! and tnx for the comment on anthropomorphizing processes and terminology. came just in time before I was going to write some snippy comment about terminal cuteness - but was spared!
I've seen bees cutting open the sides of flowers to get at nectar they couldn't otherwise reach, but I never thought about how this behavior might interfere with pollination. Thanks for sharing your penchant for looking deeper.
Your drawing and photos are beautiful.
The commonality of nature vs the human race seems to be beauty, cleverness and survival but we go overboard and chop the plant down to “develop” land and risk the survival of nature. And Florida’s government still refuses to acknowledge the escalating effects of climate change. This late winter/early spring in rural north Florida is short on wildflowers, insects and birds. Though I do hear barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, Carolina wrens and see a few small anole lizards.
Maybe calling it "intelligence" is problematic, but the way pieces of the natural world fit together and work together feels like intelligence to me.
A truly fascinating insight into a natural event I was not aware occurred. Do we have parallels here?