naming things

One of my passions is identifying wildlife and plant life. Field guides are the most used books in the house. Last week, we all went for a nice long walk in Osbourne Boat Landing. Ani rode her bike while Crux tooled around on his scooter. We stopped here and there to throw rocks in the James River, catch toads or watch the dragonflies. The best thing about my compulsion to know the names of plants and animals is that our kids pick it up quickly. It is gratifying to hear our son telling his friends about the Sycamore or having our daughter point out the Paw Paws! 

Along our walk I snapped a few photos. I'm particularly happy with this one. I spent a few hours trying to name this critter and I was fairly certain it was a Mayfly of some sort. I decided to ask my favorite bug website for some help. They confirmed that this little critter was a Mayfly in the subimago stage of life.

Another interesting specimen I was happy to come upon was the Jewel Weed. Jewel Weed likes to grow in wet areas. I've found it in marshy areas outlying the James and Rappahannock River. Both times I have found Jewel Weed, it has been all tangled up with Poison Ivy. Interestingly, Jewel Weed is a remedy for Poison Ivy. Brilliant !

Hopefully, in January, I'll be taking a Master's Naturalists class. Amateur naturalist, no more !