Ground Stop

September 14, 2018 ~ shoreacres ~ 70 Comments

While Wilmington and Charleston airports briefly closed due to Hurricane Florence, Houston airports have been instituting ground stops because of severe thunderstorms.

Irritating as a ground stop may be for travelers, there’s a time to wait things out. Here, a seed from green milkweed (Asclepias viridis) settles to ground and prepares to wait out the rain that interrupted its own flight.

Comments always are welcome.

Circling Around to Autumn

September 6, 2018 ~ shoreacres ~ 52 Comments

Green milkweed (Asclepias viridis)

More often than not, the release of milkweed seeds is straightforward: a pod splits, then opens. Over time, wind, insects, birds, or the occasional human hand help to send the seeds on their way.

But even a straightforward process can have its moments. Here, a pair of apparently fluff-connected pods betokens a new season as the cycle of life rolls on.