Don's Blog Trilobites 4-18

My son Gordon and his family recently visited us at the Lake House. With the water level down for winter maintenance he found

this rock on the shore with trilobite fossils on the under side.

Trilobites are fossils of extinct marine arthropods.Trilobites first appeared in the Early Cambrian Period 521 million years ago. Trilobites were among the most successful of all early animals roaming the oceans for over 270 million years.

Arthropods are invertebrate that have an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. The trilobite body is divided into three major sections: cephalon, thorax, and pygidium. The exoskeleton cuticle is made of chitin mineralized with calcium carbonate. The rigid cuticle inhibits growths it is replaced periodically by molting. 

Most of what is commonly seen is the fossilized thorax.

I first learned of fossils through a school science project  in the late 1940's. My friend Dan Wegner 

and I found trilobites in the Braidwood quarry south of my hometown in northern Illinois. 

Flower for the Day Spring Beauty 4-18

Spring Beauty (Clayton virginica) is a miniature native perennial that has been blooming for several weeks and is a sure 

sign of spring. It literally carpets uncut lawns. Here it is on a churchyard lawn.

To really enjoy miniatures you must join them at their level.

When you do get close to spring beauty you can the pink/purple veins and a yellow center.

             We should not mind

             So small a flower

             Except it quiet bring

             Our little garden that we lost

             Back to the lawn again.  ……

                    Emily Dickinson

Flower for the Day Phlox 3-12

My phlox beds have been scraggly this year due to wind and rain and new plants. I have added white

phlox.  (Better viewed in large format on the computer.)

Flower for the Day Tulips 3-11

The tulips are thriving with the cool weather.

Tulips

Tulips,
neath parasols
in May fields, chime in Dutch
whose petaled voices wreck the skies
like breaking music from a diva's breast
in chords of praise that cleave the dawn
and notes of prayers that lull
the night--my prized
tulips.

FORM: Rictameter http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/rictameter.html

Flower for the Day Narcissus Quandary

Several weeks after the initial  yellow daffodils other narcissus family flowers appear. Both daffodils and jonquils are narcissi (or narcissuses)

but I cannot tell you how they are different from each other. Paper whites are narcissi  and are not daffodils or jonquils. All daffodils and jonquils are

narcissi. In some areas of the country jonquils are held distinct because of tubular leaves and multiple flowers per stem. Likewise daffodils are so-called because of flat leaves and singular flower stems. As you wish.

No matter what you call them they are beautiful.

Here Comes Spring

One lonely jonquil bows her timid head.  From earth and rain her slender leaves are fed.  Then, sunlight peeks upon the shaded site.  Sun offers warmth from snowy chills of night.    As days grow long and springtime tiptoes near,  The woodland fairies giggle while they dance.  Sweet violets spread their blossoms without fear.  For posies soon shall usher in romance.    In full array the meadow colors burst.  The leprechauns bring magic as rehearsed.  Wild flowers spreading, decorate the Earth.  Where shamrocks grow, good fortune will disperse.  The butterflies and bees with nectar sing.  The ground hog sees no shadow; here comes spring.    Copyright February 27th, 2014    Written for Poetry Soup Member Contest:  Here Comes Spring (Flower Song )  Sponsor Rick Parise  

Copyright © Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen | Year Posted 2015 

Flower for the Day Celandine Poppy 4-8

This is one of my favorite Missouri native wildflowers. It is Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum dyphylum). It has been battered 

by the heavy winds and cold for several days. It can take it - even the freeze forecast for tonight. 

What I like about it is that it has been blooming for several weeks and will continue to bloom formally months - probably into June. It is draught and deer resistant and grows in partial shade. It is a perennial and once a stand of it is established it will return each year and when the bloom is over the green remains until the frost.

Flower for the Day Magenta Flowers 4-5

This week we have different forms of magenta showing up.The first one shows that if you look close at the flowers of the

 Redbud Tree you can see the pollen bearing anthers on the stamens. They come right off the branch.

The anthers come off the curved filaments.

The phlox in the rock garden show the same phenomenon. Notice the different stages of flowering and the tiny  hairs on the cupolas.

This azalea is blooming early. The stamens are surrounding the taller pistils. Love is definitely in the air in 

magenta this week.

Don's Blog Visit to the Arch 5-1

Today I went with my son Gordon and his three son's to the St Louis Arch.

We took the tram to the observation deck at the top. Here are Gordon,  Will, Blake, and Adam.

It was a clear and windy day. In the summer you can see the Cards play at Busch Stadium. You can see the arch from Kirkwood by looking down the railroad tracks at Geyer and Big Bend.

They finished the Arch when I was in training at Washington U/Barnes Hospital. The  final piece was placed on the top on October 28, 1965 which is my nephew Steve's birthdate.

When we graduated they gave us a photo like this but in color.

It was a glorious day after which we went to South St. Louis for some of Dad's Cookies and to The Hill for an Amighettis's Special and a Fitz's Root Beer. Then we drove by the boyhood homes of Joe Gragiola and Yogi Berra who grew up as neighbors on Elizabeth Avenue. They have unofficially changed the name of the street to Hallof Fame Way. It was fitting because Joe had passed away last week. These photos are from our dinner at Rigazzi's (home of the fishbowl)

It was a true St. Louis day.

Don's Blog Hockey Continues 3-30

Gordon has played hockey most of is life: Kirkwood Midgets,Pee Wees, and Bantams, Afton Americans, Colorado University (Boulder), and even now several times a week in Senior Leagues.

His high school friend Becky Shukar has worked for the Blues for many years and helped get great tickets for the game Wednesday evening with the Colorado Avalanche.We met Becky before the game. That's the boys on the right.

Before the game we met Bob Plager who was one of the original Blues players. 

It was great fun for all of us to meet a Blues Legend. Bob and his brother Barclay were mainstays for years and Gordon played 

against Kelly Plager who was Bob's nephew and played for the Junior Blues.

After this we watched the Blues beat the Avs  3-1. I sat next to Kyle Brodziak's father. Kyle is a center on the Blues and he and his wife live in Town and Country with 3 children under five. Down the aisle was Vladimir Tarasenko's wife with 2 tall beautiful Swedish girls - but we were there for the hockey. Below is our goalie Brian Elliot taking a break.

The next day as with all dutiful hockey dads we went to North county to watch a brief morning practice.

Hockey never ends. Ken Hitchcock is in the center.

Don's Blog Easter at the Lake House 3-27

My son Gordon and his family came to the Heartland for Spring Break. We met them at the Lake House.

Spring was just emerging.

We had a great Easter Brunch at The Aspen center including a visit from the Easter Bunny.

It was Big Trash Week-End so we salvaged this free bicycle for Will. After some soap and water to get the dirt off and some oil for the chain we finally found some "air' at the Barn to pump up the tires and we were good to go.

Gordon and Blake and Adam went fishing but

Gordon was the only one who caught several. 

Here he is with a small large mouth bass. As you can see Lake Aspen is exceptionally clear.