Guatemala on West 25th

To-day there was a public celebration of a panoramic mural of Guatemala on Cleveland's near west side. I learned about its creation from a teevee story on WEWS-5. I went there five times to see the continuing progress, and i was repeatedly pleasantly surprised by new additions. To-day, i asked a fellow when did the jaguar, and the monkey show up. He said they flew in last night.

July 26th.  More of the mural extends to either side, here is the large middle. It was clear that the quetzal bird was the centerpiece. He is the national bird. The money there is in quetzals, stamps had quetzals. There are some six species. The one painted here is the resplendent quetzal, at first it was the only one called quetzal. The Nahuatl word means "large brilliant tail feather". After the male bird becomes an adult, it takes three years for the tail feathers to grow out. One grade school teacher taught us that Aztec emperors had capes made from these feathers. Once i saw a 1948 Buick Roadmaster drive by, it was painted in Aztec green; i had to check the foto, i had misremembered it as a Pontiac, General Motors could have used the same color for a different make too. [click, one of these fotos shows the bird did not yet cover the door]

August 3rd. Corn grew on the far right side.

August 3rd. The door is painted over, and the mountain is a volcano.

August 10th. Dragonflies

August 10th. Froggy

August 10th. Iguana

August 12th. Quetzal has his feathers further detailed. I thought, the painting was practically done. I was wrong.

August 20th. Here's a howler monkey. There are many species of howler monkeys, not just the loud fake blonde con man howler monkey type we have in the States.

Alex was one of the seven painters on the project. He had been a tae-kwon-do champion and Olympian in his youth. He remembered driving a '48 Buick to Cedar Point. That is why i had to check whether my foto was of a Pontiac, or not [click].

i is for insect

It rained Friday and Saturday, the winds of the Canadian north brought swarms of monarch butterflies over Lake Erie, and some of them rested on a cropping of trees on Whiskey Island, on the west side of the Cuyahoga. Saturday evening there were thousands, Sunday afternoon still hundreds. They seemed to fancy sumac. They are migrating from Canada to Mexico. In the last few years, the eastern population has dropped 90%.

[ monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)]

not dragonfly of the week [♀ green darner (Anax junius)]

dragonfly of last week

♀ green darner (Anax junius). Lorain Impoundment.

dragonfly of the week

Common white tail over muddy pool. Parma, O.

Many years ago i was delivering mail in Shaker Heights, and on the red brick of a house there was one of these beauties. With the nature of the sunlight, none of the wing veining was visible. I saw four black squares about a white shaft, reminiscent of a world war one bi-plane.

go eat a bug

Bug City, Garfield Heights Metropark

In films for children's audiences in Roosevelt's America, a dismissive insult from one child to another was "go eat a bug". At this Nature Center free festival, at the Culinary Bugstitute people were heartily encouraged to do so. They had jell-o shots with bug, swedish meatball with bug, salted and roasted bugs, bug brownies, cricket chocolate chip cookie, bug-baklava, and bug salsa.

I had so many good photographs, that i find it hard to winnow them. The bug eating, entomophagy, being perhaps the primo event of many, was not the best photo. As rousing fun, and good spirited a demonstration as it was, even some that volunteered to eat a bug did not go through it. Most were tasteless, but still some who partook felt unsavory. In the sweet baked goods, only the visibility proved their presence. 

This has been an annual event since 1991. So many things are hyped and puffed beyond their reality. This was a wonderful event. It is designed for parents to bring their children, but it holds an adult's attention. Truly excellent educational lessons and demonstrations are made. This is not blah, it is really fun. Some eighty or so volunteers, nine employees, and guest presenters made this a pleasant and successful event. People also were free to bring dogs, good natured hounds add to a friendly environment.

After parking, there were tractors pulling wagons, and a bus to shuttle people to and fro. Alexa was one of the conductors, she was extra-ordinarily exuberant, and excited about the adventure that is Bug City.

Remember when Dorothy and Toto landed in Oz, they were greeted by the flamboyant Munchkin Mayor; so too here with Mayor Mantis. He is accompanied with local V.I.B. Lucille Bugg.

Test your Bug IQ

After using available study sheets, contestants answered a question provided from categories of a spinning wheel. There were several lessons to be learned. This was not fluff, but good school biology material dressed up. The 'Ant Trail' had one smell from two scents to follow a path, and with the study text answer questions about ants.

In Predator Alley, besides posted pickets of insect eaters (and other predators), there was 'Bumper Bugs'. A faux forensic police scene was set up with identified splats of insect victims, and a bumper with ones to be identified.

 Bug Hunt

Children were given nets to catch bugs in Bug Safari Land. Someone else thought this worthy to record the images. A second area was for pre-school bug hunters.

 Wurlitzer

The Wurlitzer organ, and bubble blowing machine alone was worth the trip. A very merry device. This unit was made in 1922 and has 97 wooden pipes, and 44 keys, and has perforated piano rolls playing programmed music.

 Jim Smolka was one of several exhibitors. Here he is holding a Mexican Red Rump Tarantula.

 an opportunity for silly fotos

 Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly

And if one were to travel further into the park, one could find other insects and creatures.