Trip to Clayton

Finally, Clayton

Lovely park. Then there was a heron looking for dinner, as well as an osprey circling!

Clayton had a mill, the signage says, in 1795!
It was then known as Bellamy Mills.

This is on the bridge. There is a pair of scissors, with a sign.
You can help yourself to the herbs growing there!
What a lovely idea!

Aquarium caterpigglies part II

I am still keeping up my aquarium caterpillars.This year, I've been taking caterpillarst in, pop them into the tank. Putting in a few toilet paper rolls for shelter, as well as a few length of Hops bine in a glass of water for food.



Last year I had a dilemma. I found a caterpillar and the photo and location wasn't enough to ID it. This is what my BAMONA expert said in 2014,

Comments: As far as I know, only two species feed on Hops, the Eastern Comma and the Question Mark. I have reared both, and this does not look like either one. Please, collect it and keep it in a jar until it produces a butterfly. You will be actually doing it a favour: out there in the open it could easily be eaten! If you succeed in rearing it, I can go back to this record and change the ID. For now, all I can say is that it looks more like a Question Mark. Ross 

Fair enough, says I. This is the same species as flummoxed us last year. I never thought to keep it to watch it morph into a butterfly.  I did capture a Mourning Cloak in July!
You may notice that the chrysalis now has a buddy. This is something I thought so funny.

The black one is Hypercompe scribonia Great Leopard Moth, and it has had one Instar. It sat there for a day or two, and has since moved back into the foliage. I had one ID's last year. You can see the shell here! It's not gone into a chrysalis.

In the meantime, I have this one, as well as a lady beetle larvae, and another mystery caterpillar. The Hops bine is a home for many, many critters, including my tree frogs!

 

These caterpillars, hatched into a beautiful bug, but I had a hard time grabbing a photo!

I'll leave you with this lovely lady beetle, and froggy! Everyone loves the Hops bines!

Mason bee, pollen bee or solitary bee nest box

I bought this at Lee Valley on July 30th. It's a great idea to house solitary bees. Bees are at-risk from predators and parasites, cuckoo bees, as well as chemicals, e.g., insecticides like Neonicotinoids.

This is a nest for mason bees or leaf-cutter bees, gentle, solitary, non-aggressive bees who stick close to home. They estimate about 3500 species in North America and account for 80% of flora fertilization.

For images:

Osmia lignaria lignaria

Mason bees

About Pollen Bees

• Pollen bees only live 6 - 8 weeks They spend their lives collecting pollen and nectar for their eggs in the chosen nest
• They lay eggs until the nest is full
• They lay  6 - 8 eggs
•  fertilized female eggs in the rear, 2 - 3 unfertilized males eggs in the front
• The eggs hatch in several week, after which the larvae consumes the pollen and nectar
• They metamorphose into an adult bee, emerging the following year
• the female in the rear wakes first, males mate with females and die
• The process takes about 12 months



Bumble Bees are at risk from predators,
like goldenrod spiders!

• Pollen bees can create nests in burrows, or in plant stems, or holes in trees

honey bee

They provide two nails, which doesn't fit into the 'holes!'

A bit wobbly on a round stump!

It's a great product, although it is simple to make them yourself. There are lots of means and ways (see below).

At first, I tried to attach it to a tree stump, but it didn't seem to be that well-placed. It jiggled on the rounded surface! On the wall works well. I happened to be in front of it when a mason wasp visited. Not what I wanted, but what can one do?! With the decrease in bee species world-wide, I'll take any comer!

They suggest putting the stickers on the outside once the hole is full. This is to prevent predators and moisture from entering.

There is an info sheet, with a tracking system for
dating the egg placement!

My beekeeper friend tells me this is a Mason Wasp. I guess they will find themselves a home here, too! It shows them going in and out, however!



Mason Bee House from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Lots of choices for do it yourself!:

• 
  

  
  

  

  
  

  How to Make a Bee Hotel

  FOXLEAS.COM
• Learn to build your own Wild Bee...DISCOVERPOLLINATORS.ORG

Book Review: The Silver SHips

scottjucha.com

What a fabulous story! I loved it!
As I was reading, I thought that the plot was too complex for it to be resolved in just one book. I was right! It's a series. It's well-written, entertaining, thoughtful, and would appeal to anyone who likes a good read, as much as science fiction.

I haven't read much sci-fi, as I have trouble visualizing some of it. I simply can't get there. I like sci-fi movies, but found novels out of my reach. My family (husband and kids) loves Star Trek and the like. My granddaughter was Darth Vader last Hallowe'en!

This book was well-crafted and clear enough for a non-sci-fi fan to grasp. I would strongly recommend it! You can tell he is a well-educated writer, who has lived life, and understands humanity. His vision of the future is one I could not have imagined, but totally understood. I won't reveal much, as you simply should pick it up! I tend not to read the back covers, as I like to let stories unfold.

Book two in the series, LIBRE, A SILVER SHIPS NOVEL, came out August 1st, and book three, MÉRIDIEN, A SILVER SHIPS NOVEL, is due out in 2016. I can't wait!

S.H. Jucha has had an extensive career as a senior manager in the technical education and software development industries, with degrees in Biology and Broadcast Communications. He has been driven by an innate interest in computers since his initial adoption of an IBM PC in 1981. Jucha’s new novel, The Silver Ships,—the product of extensive planning, researching and development—is now part of a planned five-book series with a potential spin-off in the works.

Book Review: got social mediology?

Social mediology*   => social media + psychology

(Nonfiction – Business, Internet Marketing, Social Media) Whether you are a start-up business or a Fortune 500 Company, social media provides a platform from which you can grow your business, connect with your consumers, and build a brand—if it is used correctly.  

Got Social Mediology by Jay Izso teaches us how to effectively use social media to build relationships, not just numbers.

I was asked to review this book and found it interesting. Interesting, too, that they'd send a book to me for review, when this guy is famous. He calls himself the Internet Doctor!

I know I'm not his target audience. He is after those who are keen on marketing themselves using social media, but it was an interesting behind-the-scenes read. Entrepreneurs who want networking relationships, and want to find more clients, and bigger audiences should read this book. I certainly used social media in the marketing of my book. I learned a lot on my own.

Izso takes the first 48 pages to tell us why he thinks it is efficacious to use social media in your work life. You'd think you'd already believe, if you picked up the book. Eventually, he gets into the meaty stuff. Specifically, he deals with Facebook, LinkIn, Twitter (i.e. microblogging), Pinterest, Google+, YouTube...

There are many salient points in his arguments: for and against the various social media platforms. Izso goes through the differences between having likes on a Facebook business page, and followers on Twitter, and what it means for your business. He advocates for creating connections that will be long-lasting and lead to more networking and endorsements. There is a change in promotion and self-promotion, now we've moved to these new cyberspace connections.

"To successfully grow your business via social media, you need to understand how people behave, create, and maintain a given social media culture both as individuals and as groups."

All of these notions are covered in the book. It's a good read. He's an affable sort, writes well, and has obviously hired a good editor (my pet peeve)! All of these aspects suggest if you don't understand social media, this is the place to start.

• He will demonstrate, through excellent examples, how you can "develop credibility and influence in a relatively short amount of time."
• He will help you use social mediology to add to your marketing strategy.



Twitter is featuring paid ads, now!
They realised they needed to monetize.

• He will help you understand the various platforms in social media.

As a retiree, I don't use LinkedIn, which, with a quick fat thumb click, can lead you down a slippery mountain of unwanted email and it is intended for professionals. He points out the nuances of Twitter and Facebook, for example. My friends are heavy users of both, for a few different reasons, despite the fact that most of us are retired. This is something the younger, working generation doesn't understand.

I'm not sure Izso is in tune with my generation. My generation wants to have influence on politics, healthcare, and to support one another, have some fun, and find businesses that are useful to us. We are heavy Facebook users!
EdgeRank is a concept that applies to marketing ranking on Facebook, much like PageRank algorithm for Google. I'd never heard of it! That said, Market Land says EdgeRank is dead! it is interesting how quickly the Internet changes after a book is published!

You can find data on your account traffic...
Pretty boring for your followers, however!

There is an excellent index, as well as definitions and more resources, but, as I imagine you might figure out, a lot of this information is available through various blogs. If you want to make connections, or if you are keen to understand the Internet's new social media strategies, or if you simply want to protect yourself from those who prey on customers, this is the book for you!

I recall a marketing dude, trying to convince me by email to pretend to be his young, cute Ms. Muskoka for his marketing tools. It's easy to create a persona, even if you don't exist. This might be a book to let consumers figure out how to be careful!

IF in doubt, and you have the bucks...
you can find pros to do this

A local restaurant on Facebook.
What I like about its page is info on the hours,
the location, as well as specials
and times when they might be closed!
A number of businesses are posting
changing Summer => Fall hours.
Cottage Country shuts down on Mondays!
Izso says to watch out on Facebook,
but I like what our chefs do!

*Regarding the title, as a retired teacher, editor, and media-savvy middle-aged zoomer, I'm wary of those who don't bother with using traditional written language! Titles have capital letters. It tells you it is important. Pay Attention. Yes, it's modern not to bother, but this is a BOOK! (Rant over!)