Nadia’s Backyard- Two-Marked Treehoppers: It’s Complex December 21, 2023
- Birds of a Feather? October 3, 2023
- The Promise of Disorder in a Winter Yard February 11, 2022
- Rerun: Men of Rice December 7, 2016
- Where the Words Live November 30, 2016
- Going Native October 16, 2016
- Backyard Gooseberries are Saucy Little Things June 17, 2015
- Spring Rerun: Kimchi from your backyard to you April 27, 2015
- A Seagull Named Emma January 27, 2015
- The Long Travelers: Leaf-cutter Bees, Part II September 29, 2014
Author Archives: Randy Tindall
The Unknown Turn
I looked down the at the tattered sheet of paper laying beside the path. Despite having been shredded by shotgun pellets, it was still legible. “Trail Begins Again Here”, it said. A few feet farther along, Nadia and I emerged … Continue reading
Posted in Hiking, Musings, Natural Areas
Tagged conservation areas, Exploring, Hiking, Missouri, Musings, Natural areas, nature, Walking
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The Hoarder on the Deck: Our Trashline Orb-weaver
I don’t think we’ve reached the point where intervention is called for, but we have a hoarder in our backyard. Not the kind that buys twenty tubes of toothpaste when it goes on sale, but more like the type that … Continue reading
Posted in Spiders, Wildlife
Tagged Backyard, Cyclosa, Missouri, nature, Orb Weaver, Spiders, Trashline Spider, Wildlife
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New Native Plant Pages
I have posted the first two of a collection of pages dedicated to the native plants Nadia has identified in our yard. You can find them in the Our Native Plants pull-down menu. I hope to add about one per … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Edible Native Plants, Foraging, Gardening, Native Plants, Recipes
Tagged Native edibles, Native Plants, Plants, Pokeweed, Recipes
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Through the Keyhole
It takes patience to walk a beagle. It is not an exercise for the terminally rushed, nor is it for those who want to cover a lot of ground and work up a sweat. Beagles have other agendas. It doesn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Musings, Pets
Tagged Beagles, Butterflies, Communication, Dogs, Insects, Musings, nature, Perception, Pets
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A Fair Trade
We may not have any more parsley in our yard, but we should soon have a bumper crop of Black Swallowtails.
Posted in Gardening, Insects, Photography
Tagged Agriculature, Butterflies, Gardening, Insects, Missouri, nature, Plants
4 Comments
A Lotta Damn Gall(s)
(NOTE: Full confession—I goofed! The following article is partially incorrect. The apple-like galls are NOT caused by one of the generations of a cynipid wasp, but rather by Polystepha pilulae, a midge, a mere dipteran, not a noble hymenopteran. … Continue reading
Posted in Insect pests, Insects, Landscaping, Native Plants
Tagged Climbing trees, Insects, Native Plants, Oak galls, Parasitic insects, Pest control, Pests, Pin Oaks, Trees, Wasps
2 Comments
Quiet Medicine
Being in our backyard calms—-me—-down. It is a palpable sensation, beginning within minutes of going out there and just sitting—just watching and listening. Even though Nadia and I live along a busy street, the traffic noise fades to insignificance in … Continue reading
Beans and Butterflies
My Dad stopped and stared at some plants in our yard, then turned to stare at me. “Did you just forget to pull these things?” he asked. “Because if you did, I can do it for you now.” “No”, I … Continue reading
Posted in Edible Native Plants, Farming, Musings, Native Plants
Tagged Agriculature, Butterflies, Farming, Insects, Iowa, Milkweeds, Native Plants, Nostalgia, Summer
4 Comments
Backyard Haute (or at least, Hot) Cuisine
Aficionados of native edibles can get into ruts. It’s easy to cook down all wild greens like they were spinach, or to make omelets and fritatas with them, or throw them in with a bunch of potatoes to roast or … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Edible Native Plants, Foraging, Native Plants, Recipes
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