August, Part the Second

August 17 -31! Huzzah!

Tomes

Why is there a German Bible from 1752 in my house? Why? Why was I not informed?

Compass Plant

So named because the leaves apparently align themselves north-south in order to avoid being hit and broiled by the direct sunlight, though this picture leads me to question that fact. Another interesting fact, their roots can grow between 9 and 14 feet deep because they’re both thirsty and hard-core.

Sweet Corn

In younger days we used to make corn-husk dolls with button eyes and corn-silk hair that would dry to a reddish brown. Also in younger days I had braces, which made eating corn quite messy. To this day it remains one of the best summer-time activities.

Room Sweet Room

I moved away from home. Now I live here. There is no shelf space and my roommate is a boy. It’s already a home to me.

Street Art

Someone thought this was cool, and so do I.

Big Things

The Minnesota State Fair boasts a pig weighing ~1200 pounds. And pumpkins weighing over 100 pounds. No lie…I love the Midwest far more than I love America.

Mixed Messages

This says it all. Thanks, Baptist Church!

Viva!

The Republicans have arrived in St. Paul! At the time of this posting, at least 300 protesters have been arrested or detained, as well as numerous incidents of harassment, infiltration, and raids conducted by police on various groups. The hope for peace as well as the media coverage of the peaceful protests is as thin and wavery as those red ballpoint words.

Message Boards

The layered debris of a hundred events, a collage of activities.

Dinkytown

Dinkytown is the neighborhood in which I live now, directly adjacent to the U of M campus. It’s not the most pleasant, what with the frats and bars and stupid people, and it’s far from a lot of the cultural centers and events in this city, but hell, Welcome!

Impatiens

Lovely and vibrant, yes, but the roots of these flowers extend only a few inches.

Façade

And then part of the house fell down.

Cicada

These are best known for their loud buzzing call (a symbol of summer) and their complex life cycle, which can include (for some genus) up to 17 years as a sleeping larvae under the ground. This completely throws off predators and ensures species survival.

On another note, let’s all agree that wikipedia sucks, but the page about cicadas features a video of one molting as well as numerous pictures and even sound files of them calling.

Childhood

There is something symbolic here, I’m sure.