Dope on the Slope

Puzzle Denteux Diabolique

Lobbygow — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:22:12 -0400

I think this picture of a group of Solenostemon plants (aka Coleus) will make a devilishly difficult jigsaw puzzle for my puzzle crazed nephews. I'm thinking 1000 pieces would be about right. Will they go blind or insane first?

Jellyfish Return to Gowanus

Lobbygow — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:07:22 -0400

About a year ago, several folks reported seeing jellyfish floating down the Gowanus Canal. Today, when I crossed the Carroll Street bridge, I saw at least a dozen pass underneath me. They appeared alive, but I can't imagine they found the journey to be particularly enjoyable. Of course, I'm not sure the concept "enjoy" applies to Cnidarians.

Friday Brooklyn Bestiary (and Queens too!)

Lobbygow — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:43:15 -0400

Above image cropped from photo by David Quintana

"Give me your winged, your shelled, your fur bearing masses yearning to coexist, the wretched exoskeletonized detritus along Gowanus' teeming shore. "

Or just send me links to your posts and pix detailing close encounters with denizens of Brooklyn's wild kingdom. No critter too small or mundane -- just no cats or dogs (unless they are roaming around in feral, foaming-at-the-mouth packs).

I'll try to compile a list of links to tales of our untamed urban landscape every Friday. This first edition reaches back into June, but hopefully I'll be able to find a few posts every week. Also, if you have a neat looking creepy crawly that you can't identify, send me a pic and I'll do my best to figure out what it is.

Prospect: A Year In The Park discovers a very small lobster that turns out to be a very large Louisiana Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii).
Lost In The Ozone photographs a Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) searching for a place to lay eggs near Ridgewood Reservoir.
Eefers eschews Pyrex in favor of textbook to dispatch a giant cockroach (probably Periplanata americana)
Brooklynometry celebrates a year that started with arachnid dreams and ended with cicadian rhythms.
Flatbush Gardener chronicles the antics of the raccoons in his backyard.

Invertebrate Blogging: Silver-spotted Skipper

Lobbygow — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:55:35 -0400

silver-spotted skipper, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope Click on photo for larger image.

This fat fellow is a member of the Pyrginae or "spread-winged skippers," a sub-family of the Hesperiidae or "skippers." He was dining on a wild bergamot blossom in Prospect Park. The name "silver-spotted skipper" refers to different species in North America vs. Europe. This is Epargyreus clarus. The European version is Hesperia comma.

Skippers are name for their flying habits, which are considerably more aerobatic than most other butterflies due to their particularly robust wing muscles. Their club shaped antennae and stout bodies give them a somewhat moth-like appearance.

The last two weeks of July are probably the best weeks of the entire year for butterfly viewing in Brooklyn. Both Prospect Park and the Botanic Garden should be filled with a number of species.

Get out there and take your camera!

Invertebrate Blogging: Eastern Amberwing

Lobbygow — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:44:47 -0400

Eastern Amberwing, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope Click on photo for larger image.

In addition to the bullfrog, I did manage to take a decent photo of a male Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera). These guys are fairly small for dragonflies (about 1 in.), and extremely wary, so they are difficult to photograph. They are fairly abundant right now in Prospect Park.

Brooklyn Bullfrog

Lobbygow — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:32:27 -0400

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

I was chasing damselflies along the pond's edge in Prospect Park today when an angler pointed to a large bullfrog right next to shore. He said the frog had come out of hiding to chase after his plastic lure, and perhaps join another frog that could be heard just inside the rushes to our right.

I've heard the distinctive cry of the bullfrogs several times in the park, but this is my first actual sighting.

July Blogade: Prospect Park Picnic

Lobbygow — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:32:36 -0400

What: Brooklyn Blogade Picnic In Prospect Park
When: Sunday, July 27th
Time: 12:00 noon - 3:00pm (walking tour @ 11:00 am)
Who: bloggers, prospective bloggers, their family and friends

Brenda of Prospect: A Year in the Park and I are co-hosting this month's Brooklyn Blogade Roadshow, which will be held in Prospect Park near the Music Pagoda (map). Brenda will be offering a guided walking tour of the park prior to the picnic (meet at the Music Pagoda @ 11:00 AM). Learn why the park serves as an "oasis for the city soul," the title of a recent New York Times article describing Brenda's labor of love.

There is no charge for the event, although we are soliciting volunteers to bring food (see below) and will be passing the hat to defray expenses.

Come share Brooklyn's backyard with your fellow bloggers. Friends and family welcome, but please let us know you're coming so we can gauge how much jello salad to bring.

Please RSVP at blogade.rsvp@gmail.com.

If you are interested in helping with food, please e-mail me.

Invertebrate Blogging: Lilliputian Locust

Lobbygow — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:42:04 -0400

lil hopper, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

This little wingless specimen, probably a nymph, was hopping around my back "garden" with about three similar looking friends last Friday. It was less than a half inch in length. My best educated guess would place it in the family Acrididae, aka "short horned" grasshoppers. This family includes all swarming locusts.

The presence or absence of wings is not necessarily a defining feature since sometimes this varies within species, among genders or during the lifecycle.

I'll keep an eye on these guys to see if they get any larger. If they do, they might do some real damage.

Weeds of Brooklyn: Milkweed, Black-Eyed Susan, and Fleabane

Lobbygow — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:35:35 -0400

Prospect Park Flower Composite labeled, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

The wildflower show continues in Prospect Park as we head into summer. Milkweed (left) proliferates along paved path that tracks the edge of the lower pool, which is located between the Esdale Bridge and the Dog Beach on the east side of the Long Meadow. Later in the summer, there will be a whole host of critters living off different parts of the milkweed as I detailed in an earlier post.

The edge of the lower pool also has some Fleabane (bottom right), as well as Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius).

Despite being a fairly common wildflower, the Black-Eyed Susan (top right) is actually harder to find in the park than I expected. This specimen was along the water facing side of the paved path that traces the western edge of the Lullwater.

Pole-a-rized

Lobbygow — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:30:11 -0400

Walk Don't Run, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

The combination of weird angle, polarizing filter, and oblique late afternoon sun gives this picture a twilight zone quality. It's the light pole at the corner of Pacific and Vanderbilt next to the Vanderbilt Railyards.

I took this photo while strolling around with Brit in Brooklyn. We noticed a taut monofilament line stretching from the pole to the fence surrounding the project site. What could its function possibly be? Hanging banners?

Greyfriar's Bobby

Lobbygow — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:55:44 -0400

Greyfriars Bobby 1, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

This is the one obligatory photo that every visitor to Edinburgh must take.

It's a statue of Grefriar's Bobby. A Skye terrier who was so loyal to his master, a local policeman, that when the master died, the dog was reported to have stood watch on his grave in Greyfriar's cemetery for 14 years until he too passed into the great beyond. Then the dog's fleas were reported to have spawned 14 generations on the very same spot before the entire lot of them leaped on a German backpacker's sandal and wool sock bedecked size 14 feet. Nowadays, tourists pay £14 for a pint of ale and a plate of chips in the Greyfriar's Bobby pub directly across the street from the statue.

Stranded In Scotland

Lobbygow — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:25:08 -0400

Thistle 1, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

Like Odysseus, I have had my share of travel travails lately.

It all began a couple of Fridays ago when I headed out of the house with Dope Jr. to meet Pipistrelle at the airport. We were on our way to the Isle of Palms near Charleston for our annual vacation with my family. I was scheduled to travel to Edinburgh on business the following Tuesday, so I would only be staying a few days in South Carolina.

The first omen was the gridlock on the BQE. I had allowed plenty of time to get to LaGuardia based on my extensive travel experience, but the traffic was simply at a standstill. Fortunately, the driver knew a decent alternate route and we managed to get to the airport, albeit a little later than I was comfortable with given the fact that we had to get a baby and stroller through security.

Speaking of the stroller, it was at the curb that I first noticed that the right bracket for attaching the car seat to the stroller was missing. That effectively meant the stroller was worthless, but I would have to bring it anyway.

Things brightened up a bit at the beach. We arrived on time, and the weather was spectacular.

The next morning, we got out to the beach bright and early to introduce our little one to the joys of getting sand in your bathing suit. While standing their snapping away photos, I notice a growing pain on my shin just below the knee. I looked down to see a blue-tailed fly (aka horsefly) munching on my flesh. Owwww!!!

At first I thought the pain would be temporary. I was wrong. My entire shin was bright red and inflamed. My bones ached. It was the worst insect bite reaction I had ever had -- that is, until Tuesday morning when I was bitten again on both ankles. Fortunately, the ankle bites did not seem to be reacting as badly as the first bite, which was a good thing since I was headed for Edinburgh that afternoon.

The trip over to Scotland went fairly well. I arrived early Wednesday morning in unusually fine weather for Scotland (sunny and 68 degrees). I made it through customs and hopped on a bus to the train station in the town centre. I had several hours before I needed to head for my lodging since the class I was teaching wasn't until Thursday morning. I found a luggage checking service, and as I was reaching for my travel wallet to pay I found that it wasn't where I thought it was. Frantically, I searched my computer bag and carry-on luggage. Still no wallet. That was bad. Very bad. It had my passport and credit cards. Fortunately, I had withdrawn £200, so I had enough cash to survive for awhile.

I retraced my steps immediately and checked at every conceivable lost property station. My valuables were simply nowhere to be found. In all my years traveling internationally, I had never lost my passport. I would end up being stranded in Scotland until the U.S. consulate could print a new one the following Tuesday.

I resigned myself to my fate, and half-heartedly wandered around the obvious tourist sites until my late afternoon train for Dunfermline, which lay across the Firth of Forth in Fife (say that fast five times).

I grabbed a seat window seat on the train so I could really take in the local scenery. The trip was supposed to take about 40 minutes according to the kind old lady who sold me my ticket. Fifty minutes later, I knew something was seriously wrong. Our traveling speed between stations was getting slower and slower, with frequent stops and the following announcement "We regrit tae inf'rm ye 'at th' train will be a wee bit delayed. We will be movin' alang shortly god willing ."

God was not willing.

We were informed that all train service was suspended, and everyone had to debark at the next station.

There I was luggage and all, standing in some suburb of Edinburgh with no obvious taxi service, no cell phone, and no wallet. Luckily, a bus to Edinburgh came along, and I headed back into the city. I grabbed a cab when I got back to the train station. It was around 9:00 PM. The fare to Dunfermline was £40 ($80), which made a serious dent in my cash reserves. I decided that I would have to get back to the American Express office in Edinburgh the next day, which would be no mean feat since my class ended at 4:30 and their offices close at 5:30.

Finally it was time to settle down and rest up for my session the next morning. I scheduled a 6 AM wake up call so I could have everything set up for the 8 AM class being held in one of the hotel conference rooms. As I was undressing for the evening, I notice my ankles were itching and throbbing. I took off my socks and, to my horror, noticed I had a bright red pebbly rash ringing my ankles to about halfway up my shin. Those damned blue-tailed flies!

I slept fitfully until the the light of day awakened me. I glanced over at the bedside clock -- 7:57 AM!!! They had forgotten my wake up call!! Fortunately, a rather large breakfast was served, so folks were still munching and chatting when I dragged into the class room at 8:15.

There were several other minor annoyances (e.g. room key dropping into public toilet), but too list them all would take too long. However, there was one more big surprise waiting for me at home, and it wasn't a roomful of suitors trying to string my bow.

I got home Wednesday afternoon around 2 PM. I headed downstairs to get some paperwork needed for getting worker's comp insurance for our babysitter. I forgot to mention that we received a letter from the state while we were gone saying we several thousand dollars in fines for not having said insurance, and the fines would continue at $100 per day until the situation was remedied. Wonderful. That's what I get for paying someone on the books. Anyhoo, as I was in the basement gathering the paperwork, I noticed a sound of a babbling brook where there should be no babbling brook. I looked into my "office" area and saw a thumb sized stream of water pouring from an access panel in the ceiling onto the floor, the bookcase, and computer equipment. There was as smaller leak coming out of different access panel. Thinking quickly, I dumped out all of the trash cans and set them under the leaks, and called the plumber. I must have emptied about 70 gallons of water before we shut off the main valve to the building. Unfortunately, no one was available to actually fix the pipe, so the entire building had to go without water for an evening.

The next day, the plumbers found a leak in the apartment above us, claiming that it was a hot water pipe that "appeared to have no function," so they simply plugged it up. I'm still waiting for that one to come back to haunt us, but so far so good.

Well, the drying equipment is finally out of the apartment, and I'm sure the holes in the drywall will be patched withing a couple of weeks or so. Things seem to be getting back to normal.

I'm sure I'll look back on all this someday and laugh.

I'll have some more pix of Scotland a little later.

The Tooth Shall Set You Free

Lobbygow — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:37:23 -0400

The Tooth Shall Set You Free, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

Speaking of growing like a weed...

My little wildflower is another reason I haven't spent much time blogging lately. He's just over seven months old now, and, right on schedule, his first tooth has erupted. He's really proud of it and keeps feeling for it to make sure it's still there.

Also, as I was changing out the diaper pail this morning, he pulled himself up to standing in the crib. I hope he doesn't have any escape plans. I haven't finished constructing the guard tower yet.

Weeds of Brooklyn: Dame's Rocket

Lobbygow — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:28:34 -0400

Dame's Rocket, originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

Well I'm back to posting after several grueling weeks of business travel and a few more weeks of recuperation. I'll still be traveling fairly regularly this summer, but I should have a little more time to devote to blogging.

This "weed" or wildflower is Dame's Rocket (Hesperis Matronalis), a Eurasian immigrant that has very pretty white, lilac or purple flowers that exude a sweet smell in the evening ("hesperis" is Greek for "evening"). This specimen is one of five 2.5 foot tall plants growing in my backyard.

UPDATE: As with presidential candidates, opinions on the desirability of many weedflowers (how's that for a portmanteau coinage?) varies wildly. Dame's Rocket is recommended for cottage gardens and is included in many commercially available wildflower mix seed packets. However, it is also considered a pest in most of the Northeast, and has been blacklisted by several state agricultural authorities.

Personally, I consider it a welcome addition to our backyard botanical melting pot. Does that make me a wildflower elitist or a low information weed fancier?

Goodbye Jumbo???

Lobbygow — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:16:20 -0400

Well the big news for Brooklyn today revolves around the incredible shrinking white elephant known as the Atlantic Yards development. According to articles in the NYT (here and here), the size of the project will shrink considerably due to the inability of developer Bruce Ratner to secure adequate financing for his big idea in the current financial climate.

While the "affordable housing" component of the project may be evaporating (as if it wasn't all smoke to begin with), one dimension of the project is swelling to super-jumbo proportions - the public subsidies. According to The Brooklyn Paper, "the cost of the publicly financed arena, whose original pricetag was $435 million, but increased to $637 million last year, has now ballooned to $950 million."

What a surprise.

Daniel Goldstein, speaking for Develop Don't Destroy made the following statement:

“We need leadership in the city and the state to face the music. The project needs to be reconfigured, rethought and renegotiated. The promise was affordable housing. It’s clearly been put on the back burner, while the arena has been moved to the front burner.”

Aw, c'mon Daniel. Don't you know the one thing that can carry economically disadvantaged Brooklynites through the coming recession is the knowledge that their tax dollars will bring a HOME SPORTS TEAM for them to root for in 3 or 4 or 5 or maybe 8 years? That, and a giant surface parking lot.

Private profit, public risk.

It's the American way.

Detailed coverage at No Land Grab and Atlantic Yards Report.