per·i·pa·tet·ic
ˌperēpəˈtedik/
adjective
  1. 1.
    traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
    "the peripatetic nature of military life"
    synonyms:nomadic, itinerant, traveling, wandering, roving, roaming, migrant,migratory, unsettled
    "I could never get used to her peripatetic lifestyle"
  2. 2.
    Aristotelian.
noun
  1. 1.
    a person who travels from place to place.
  2. 2.
    an Aristotelian philosopher.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Comments Are On Again! Europeans: Beware of Cookies!

My version of Spanish eggs
Blogger has let me know on my dashboard that hiding cookies on my blog is a big no-no. Since I'm not sure that I understand how to properly warn my European friends that there may be cookies on my blog, let this post serve as my notice: There are cookies as well as other food items on this blog!

There. Consider yourself warned. Oh, and thanks to bloggers Mr. Geo and KaHolly (who has a quilt pattern giveaway going on, by the way) for letting me know you missed being able to comment on this blog. You should now be able to leave comments again if you so desire. Take some of my cookies along to share too...


Walking at Heron Pond in Southern Illinois: A Tale (or Tail) of Us Two "Sitties"

A reminder to tread as lightly but as often on those feet as possible: the rest of your body will thank you for it
The reflex is an only child
He's waiting by the park...

Sitting and working at the computer all day can lead to pain of the posterior, or PITA, as we acronymically refer to it around here. But--does the problem begin or even end with the tail? Bone, that is. If the evolutionists are correct, then our sitting so much, which is forcing the coccyx or remnant of our ancestral tailbone to remain constantly tucked under and out of the way, may cause it to just disappear altogether! Never fear! There are solutions. Reflexology and walking are here...and here...and here (see pictures above and below) to save the day.



The reflex is in charge of
Finding treasure in the dark...


No clover here--just lots of duckweed and cypress trees
And watching over lucky clover
Isn't that bizarre?

A friendly face (or two) along the trail at Heron Pond

Every little thing the reflex does...




The only time I seem small

They don't grow 'em like this anymore!

Leaves you answered with a question mark...

(Like what does that song by Duran Duran really mean? And why is SAM wearing a camouflage shirt while gesturing with a peace sign?)

Friday, October 23, 2015

Phantoms in Murphysboro State Park (or Phasma of the Optera)

Two members of the Family Phasmidae out for a stroll together at Murphysboro State Park
Secret Aging Man, known to my regular readers as SAM (if I still have any regular readers?), was quick to spot these two walking stick lovers out for their own kind of walk whilst we were taking our usual stroll at the park. I have been meaning to post about them since last month when I snapped the picture, but my thoughts of late have been preoccupied by weightier matters. Time for something light and fun, I decided this afternoon. "All walk and no write makes W2W a dull girl," you might say.

According to one site I found on the subject of walking sticks, the ladies of the species appear to have the upper hand (don't they always?) as far as reproduction goes. They can lay eggs that hatch without any help at all from their male companions. And of course, these eggs only produce females. Judging from these two specimens that we saw on our walk, parthenogenesis is the furthest thing from their little minds: Time to make some males or else the females will end up ruling the world! We can't have that happening, can we?

No, we wouldn't want those males to become "Phasma (phantoms) of the Optera." They are needed (and wanted) for various things from time to time, not the least of which includes accompanying those female walkers on long strolls through the park.