My Brother Craig

Dr. Lowell C Eicher, OD Today is Craig's birthday.  He is three years younger than I am young.  When we talk we talk about how the world goes so fast and we can't keep up.  He has sold his practice and is working there as a consultant for probably another year.  He works at his old office just two days a week.  He works as a substitute optometrist at Walmart in the three county area.  I think this pose shows his "ornery" side.  One of Mom's brothers, Uncle Carl, was an inspiration to him while growing up.  Uncle Carl was a self made man and he didn't accept any foolishness from anyone

Lowell Craig Eicher  This one shows his soft side.  He had done his own landscaping at the office as long as I can remember.  He does the daffodils and everything. Craig and Me He is also a Vietnam War Veteran having served in the Air Force.  He was stationed in Kansas when our father became so sick and was moved closer to home to help with things. Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. If you wish to unsubscribe, email to leleicher45@gmail.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Indian Grass

Indian Grass by Nest Box

This a location at Gorman at which I have found interesting subjects.  If you want blue birds to nest you need to turn the opening of the box to the East.  The early morning sun kisses the front of the box and the grass.

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Irish Pride Day!

Hop Clover Aureum

I remember coloring shamrock outlines in grade school. I didn't know until later in life that the shamrock was related to many plants that I knew.  The characteristics include three leaflets we might call leaves.  Like peas it is a legume plant which puts nitrogen back into the soil.  It is edible and nutritious.

Trifolium dubium AKA Lesser Hop Clover

   I have hop clover growing in my front yard.  The yard man wants to kill it but I try to save its life.  When you get to be my age you take what you can get.

Trifolium hybridum, Alsike Clover

I saw some discussion about Alsike Clover being poisonous but I think it was just for horses.  My father sowed Alsike Clover along with Red Clover and alfalfa and probably others when he sowed oats.  It was only cows for which he planted it.

Please Read More, I just learned to do this.

White False Indigo

White False Indigo

White False Indigo is a perennial plant growing, mostly around the Southwest end of the pond at Gorman.  It is a legume like peas and beans.  Unlike peas and beans it grows from a rhizomatous root system.  It grows rather tall, up to six feet, and has white flowers each resembling a snapdragon.
It requires some work for a bee to invade the space inside which contains nectar.  Most bumble bees I have seen seem to think it is worth the effort.




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Bultfonteinite

Bultfonteinite

Bultfonteinite, originally dutoitspanite, is a pink to colorless mineral with chemical formula Ca₂SiO₂(OH,F)_{4   Wikipedia}

This sample it from Nchwaning Mine, Kalahari M. F., 

R.S.A.  The location is Republic Of South Africa.  I feel certain the "m and f" after Kalahari means manganese fields.

Bultfonteinite

The image at the top is FOV 4.25mm and 5.53x on the sensor.  The second image is FOV 3.577mm and 6.58x on the sensor.

Bultfonteinite

The FOV for the third image is 4.17mm and 5.53x on the sensor.

I don't suppose I would have guessed that crystals form in bundles like these do.  Later, we will look a more crystals which form in an elongated fashion.

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Smooth Brome Grass

Smooth Brome Grass

The scientific name is Bromus inermis.  This from June 2009 at Gorman Nature Center.

Smooth Brome Grass

This is a younger version of it.

It tastes good to cattle and mixes well with alfalfa.  It is low on fibre and high in protein.  I believe it is easy to digest if you are a cow.

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Quartz (Japan Twin)

Quartz (Japan Twin)

We all likely know quartz since it is the most or next to most abundant mineral on Earth.  I really like quartz for an unknown reason.

Quartz can be clear, totally transparent, or depending on the impurities several colors.  These colors are named recognizable gems based on the type of impurity. Amphiaboles, garnet, Amethyst and Smoky quartz to name a few.  I'm going too far afield here.

Quartz (Japan Twin)

Quartz crystals are six sided on the end.  If the ends of two crystals join at one end and close at the other end it is call twinning.  There are several "Laws", of which Japan Twin is one defining the type of twinning.  As you can see from the image at the top, they grow from togetherness and one end to individuality at the other.  The angle is a specific number of degrees as denoted with the red acute angle superimposed over the crystals below.