Creative Nature

Clearing Things Up...     I knew I'd have to do some research to learn the difference between crickets & grasshoppers, my friend & I had no real idea what it was that was making the characteristic sound of...er...one of them. Turns out that chirping sound is known as stridulation - they both do it, but it's achieved in different ways. Grasshoppers rub their long back legs against the serrated edge of their wings; they're much longer - can grow up to 4 inches, but have short antennae. Crickets stridulate by rubbing their 'sort of' wings together, and their antennae are very long. The legs & wings of the grasshopper means they can jump and fly; crickets can only jump [www.softschools.com]. Grasshoppers are green - to blend in with their habitat; crickets are pale green or brown, or dark. Thing is, all that's academic if you can't actually see them. No worries! The fact that it was afternoon when w...

Tree's a Jolly Good Fellow   I fell in love again - another tree - phooooaar! - looked like it had groupies already! Very handsome. There were others, of course, but not like this one. Smitten. Maybe it was the heat; being outdoors in such a gorgeous place; I'm soooo lucky to live minutes from the sea and have the Downs on my back doorstep. Great place to catch up with a friend I rarely see since she moved 'up north'.  A walk, fresh air, damn good lunch & chat. I was saying this project made me realize all the birds & flowers I didn't know; she said she'd bought her man a book to identify garden birds; it plays their songs!  Wow! I want one! Kept seeing brown butterflies - what were they?! I wasn't fast enough to get any photos - too elusive!     City Gals in the Countryside   I was to lead the way [oh dear!] I set off thinking we were heading to Fulking & the 'She...