Oklahoma Saturdays

August 27, 2011June 15, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

Happy Saturday Folks!

Today my friend Jordan and I went out and did what we do best. We found cool stuff to do. This weekend was the Dustbowl Arts Market so we stopped off there first. It was hot, but seeing everyone’s hand made goodies was worth it. I can’t believe how creative some people are!

This was one of my favorite booths. The lady running it, presumably Dana Joy Scott said she’d post all her unsold items on etsy. I will definitely be picking up one of her pieces soon.

I love the complimentary pistachio bags with her business info. What a brilliant idea! And so cute.

Then we stopped by the 4-H Horse Show at the local fair grounds. We saw it in the newspaper and decided to take a look around. I used to show horses (Western, not English) so I felt a bit of nostalgia while watching the kiddos nervously enter the arena.

I remember how much work it took to prep the horses for show day. The night prior, all horses are washed and blanketed to keep them clean. You must also wrap any white socks the horses may have near their hooves to keep the white looking brilliant. I respect these kids, because horses are a major responsibility.

We also stopped by the adjacent farmers market. How fortuitous! Remember my tree succulent? I had no idea what it was called. Now I know it’s called the Mother of Thousands. The grower told me all about them as I purchased another one. He showed me his book to care for them and showed me some of his other succulents. Many of his plants shed plantlets, and the Mother of Thousands that I got today has the planlets of other species growing in it’s pot. Bonus!

He has an amazing collection, I couldn’t stop drooling. I’ll have to re-visit him and get a few more before winter.

The best peaches in the world, ladies and gentlemen, are currently at the Norman, OK farmers market. I can’t articulate how delicious they were. I’m going back next weekend for a full basket!

We also made stops to a few shops down town. I fortunately came home only $8 poorer. And for all the things we saw, and for all the people we talked to, I feel quite satisfied. Thanks, Norman. You’ve done it again!

Experiments

August 19, 2011June 15, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 10 Comments

Happy Friday Folks!!

Last night at the last minute, I was able to rally nine buddies to help me out with a light trail photography experiment. It was quite fun! They seemed to be excited to be a part of the project as long as I supplied them with wine and permitted them to write a few words that I will not make public (Hi Grandma!). Here is what I sought to achieve:

I got exactly what I needed and we all had a fun time doing it. Thanks guys! Let’s do this again soon!

Life Cycles

August 17, 2011June 15, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 7 Comments

Hey Folks!

If you are easily frightened by prehistoric looking insects, turn back! That’s your fair warning.

If you’re fascinated by entomology like I am, then you too will be curious about the molting that Oklahoma Cicadas undertake. Franz Kafka was seriously onto something…

The life cycle of the cicada (or locust) is quite interesting. The females cut slits into the bark of trees where they deposit their eggs. When they hatch, nymphs drop to the ground where they burrow. Can you believe these insects go through a life cycle that’s 2-5 years? Some North American Cicadas can have a life cycle of up to 17 years! These guys live underground for most of their lives at depths of 1-8 feet. They eventually emerge and molt into adulthood. This is the stage we see here.

Truly fascinating how adulthood manifests in different species. They emerge in the summer to sing their beautiful songs and carry on their life cycle. Shouldn’t we as well?

And in case you were wondering what psuedo-plant these guys molted on, it was this deflated gnome-away-from-home. He had three separate cicadas molt on him this year!