Happy Hallowe'en

 

I chose this image for a number of reasons:  the leaf is orange (a Hallowe'en colour); the shadows of the round leaves behind the main one make a face somewhat like that on a pumpkin (at least in my mind); the leaf points above the "eyes" remind me of a cat's ears (another symbol of Hallowe'en) and finally, the leaf is a maple leaf which represents Canada and this is a time to think of our fellow Canadians (as well as people of all countries) while the coronavirus continues to spread.

Another object that I found while touring my local cemetery is this plaque:

Roughly translated, it reads:

Think about what never dies -

Think of the stars and the sun

which always will be present -

Think about nature and its beauty

which always defy time -

Think about love that you hold -

And remember that always

it will live in you.

Happy Hallowe'en, stay safe, keep well!

The Common Blue Butterfly

The Common Blue butterfly (polyommatus icarus) was introduced to eastern Canada just over fifteen years ago.  It was first identified in Mirabel, Quebec. I saw my first one seven years ago in St-Laurent and it was quite a puzzle to me because I could not find it in any of my field guides.  Finally, thanks to the Internet, I was able to identify it as the European Common Blue.

I am very fond of this little butterfly.  It is amazingly strong and resilient and I even saw several today (October 24)! It is also one of the most "amorous" species I have ever found.  They literally mate all season long. :-)

The males are a beautiful shade of blue, and under the right lighting conditions, seem to glow like a jewel.  The females exhibit their own beauty - shades of brown dusted in blue with orange crescent marks.  Both sexes have colorful undersides of their wings.  Even their striped legs and antennae are striking!

Here is a selection of "blues" from the neighbourhood:

Vive l'amour!

And finally, "ménage à trois"?

 

 

Butterflies in the Neighbourhood

Just as I have done with moths and dragonflies, I now want to record the various species of butterflies that I have found in the neighbourhood.  Again, I am amazed at the number of different types that inhabit this small area.  

Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes

Possible Northern Crescent, Phyciodes cocyta

Acadian Hairstreak, Satyrium acadica

Clouded Sulphur, Colias philodice

Cabbage White, Pieris rapae

Common Ringlet, Coenonympha tullia

Banded Hairstreak, Satyrium calanus

Eyed Brown, Lethe eurydice

Monarch, Danaus plexippus

Long Dash, Polites mystic

Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus

Peck’s Skipper, Polites peckius

Northern Cloudywing, Thorybes pylades

Eastern Tailed-Blue, Cupido comyntas

Silvery Blue, Glaucopsyche lygdamus

The following photograph will act as a bridge between this post and the next.  It introduces the Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) which is an abundant little butterfly with an interesting history here in Quebec.

Silvery Blue above and Common Blue below

  

The Rock Pile

Sometimes when wandering around the neighbourhood one can find oneself on the "wrong side of the tracks".  Such was the case recently when I came upon a bad-boy establishment known as "The Rock Pile", just next to those very tracks.

Local tough guys (introduced below) hang out there and this is an account of one afternoon in their company.

There are the two brothers, Dekay and Brownie who pretty much dominate the place - lounging about wherever they please.  Then there's Spider, a wannabe tough guy, who cozies up to Dekay every chance he gets.  Jumpy, Spider's cousin, is too afraid to get so close but sits on the outskirts watching the action.

While I observed the goings-on, Dekay made a sudden move which sent Spider (who had been at his side) bolting across The Rock Pile and running smack into Jumpy.  Jumpy, being … well … jumpy, panicked and likewise bolted.  Once the action all settled down, the various hangers-on came crawling out to enjoy a few vicarious thrills.  There was Beetle Boy (a derisive nickname bestowed by Dekay) who got his kicks by walking all over Dekay daring him to react; then there was Woolly Bear who liked to live on the edge; and finally Tiny whose biggest thrill was to get right up in Brownie's face!

The most memorable moment of all was when a stranger arrived on the scene.  Tall and lanky but with a fierce glare, he surveyed the place and looked for potential prey.  Dekay and Brownie were passed out at this point so there were no major skirmishes on that front but everyone else became fair game as the stranger (known as The Preyer) advanced slowly and methodically.  His attention became focused on a member of the Grasshopper Gang who frequented the place and I was transfixed by the unfolding drama.  I was expecting a rumble!

All of a sudden the whole place was subjected to a violent rumbling as the afternoon freight train passed and all the inhabitants scattered.  In a matter of seconds the place was deserted, the train was fading away in the distance, and I turned and walked away.

Just another afternoon among the denizens of The Rock Pile …

Cast of characters:

Dekay (Dekay's Brownsnake)

Brownie (Dekay's Brownsnake)

Spider (Ant-mimic Sac Spider)

Jumpy (Bold Jumper, jumping spider)

Beetle Boy (walking over Dekay)

Beetle Boy (close up)

Woolly Bear (living on the edge)

Tiny (right up in Brownie's face!)

The Preyer (Praying Mantis)

One fierce dude!

Interesting and Funny Sights in the Neighbourhood

During these serious times, it is important to find some humour where we can.  So here are some interesting sights that I have come across during my neighbourhood outings. (Captions are below each image).

A novel way to social distance. (Student on a college campus)

This is a fire hydrant just outside my apartment building on which someone put a Provigo (supermarket) shirt.  One dark evening, with no working streetlight, I mistook it for a kneeling person and talked to it.  It did not answer me ...

On the back of a parked car.  I love this!

I'm not sure what is the story of this little, forlorn looking guy.  He is sitting outside the doors of a closed day-care center.  He sat there overnight and was gone the next day when the center opened.

Now this was a surprise! Our weather has been unseasonably warm so this fellow was not the result of a freak snowstorm but was actually "snow" scraped off a local indoor hockey rink and dumped at the edge of a parking lot.  I have to confess that I was the one to give him eyes and a smile. :-)

Now here is a very strange creature that has been spotted prowling about!  You probably guessed that it is the blogger herself - all decked out in a ball cap to hide my gray roots, sunglasses to protect my eyes and a "raccoon" mask to protect from COVID-19!