Gleaning Facebook: King of the Snakes and More At Arrowhead Today

 I was busy watching the Great Blue Heron in the beaver pond when I nearly tread upon this beautiful Eastern King Snake. This beneficial and beautiful species seems very stable at Arrowhead. I read recently that Copperhead populations are up on account of a decrease in King Snake populations. 

Found this little rose on a tiny vine right in my path near the lake today.

These low growing berries seem much farther along and healthier than the blackberries on the regular tall arching brambles. Is it a different species?

The Red Buckeyes are producing fruit.

This is a handsome fern I found along the northeast edge of
the Arrowhead property today. I’ll try to ID it later.

Beauty is all around in nature. I do not know this plant, but its pattern of leaves from above makes it resemble a green flower. I’ll be disappointed if it turns out to be an invasive.

Another gorgeous clump of ferns…

Another gorgeous clump of ferns…

Junebug Beetles (Cotinis nitida)

Practicing granddaddying in case I live long enough.  Thea looks a little unsure of my skills.

Gleaning FaceBook: Mr. Shaw's Weblog

Back in 2008 I kept a classroom blog for my Forth Grade class. It has since been taken down and pretty much lost. But here's a bit of it I captured and put up on Facebook. I store it here for the record. 

 

Gleaning Facebook: No Man Is An Island

This is absolute truth. Those among the wealthy who in their arrogance get to a place of entitlement where they truly believe, as some do, that they have "earned" billions of dollars, are deluded. No one "earns" a billion. However admirably someone has shown discipline, intelligence, originality, wisdom or other worthy traits in amassing a fortune, they have also benefited from good... um... fortune. As John Donne wrote, and as Warren eloquently points out in other words, no man is an island.

In my opinion:

• entrepreneurs should expect a good return for their successful efforts.

• investors should expect a good return for wise efforts.

• businesses should earn good returns for supplying needed products or services

BUT:

• a business should not be viable unless it can pay a living wage to each of its full-time employees

• every business owes the public reasonable safety and health and environmental precautions as a minimum requirement for viability.

• it is perfectly fair and a reasonable expectation to require everyone of us to pay higher taxes on each additional thousand dollars we earn each year. The more a person earns the more they have profited from the freedoms. infrastructure, natural resources, and labor of the nation as a whole.

Comments

Deborah Lake Dawson So happy someone said this, I have gotten verbally attacked for saying this. Mary Lake what I have tried to explain to you.
J Grant Magness Terrell Shaw, does anyone know if Elizabeth Warren has herself ever owned a factory?
Terrell Shaw I don't know, Grant. Do you know if Trump has ever worked for an hourly wage, depended on a next paycheck to cover an electric bill or the price of groceries, or, IDK, stood in a grocery store check-out line?

Ruth Baird Shaw J. Grant Magness and Terrell Shaw, two of the greatest men I know... continue to love and respect one another in spite of political differences..
J Grant Magness Terrell, I'm not a Trumpian, but I am not aware of him having ever spoken degradingly or passed judgement on those who have worked hourly. That would be analogous to Warren criticizing factory owners as one with no such experience. Blessings, G
Liz Tyler This is a person who REALLY tells it like it is. Our best route to a better outcome for our country, kids and grandkids is to LISTEN to her and put this knowledge to work.
Sam Burnham 1) People that own factories pay taxes for those roads as well. They often pay A LOT in taxes. 2) Some folks on those roads have never and will never pay taxes. Ever. 3) Many factories provide their own security teams, industrial fire brigades, and even EMS personnel. A fire at our local paper mill is often extinguished long before the local fire department arrives. 4) It's interesting that poor people and people who have failed in business have the same roads, same services, and the same educated workforce as the successful people. Interesting. Now, if y'all would like to discuss "underlying social contracts", oh I'd love to have that conversation!
Jeannie Blakely 1) Perhaps some factories do, but many do NOT. Pfizer for instance paid no US income taxes from 2010 to 2012. Fedex made over 6 billion in the last three years and hasn't paid a dime in federal taxes. And they obviously use the roads to move their goods. Maybe you're cool with Fedex letting you and me foot the bill for their roads. I'm not that generous of spirit! http://billmoyers.com/.../10-companies-that-dodge.../ 2) Really? They got around the gas tax when they filled their cars up? I would like to talk to them and find out how. 3) And many do not. Or rely on our excellent police and firefighters when things get out of hand (like the huge fire at Bekaert plant here in Rome a couple of years ago - thanks taxpayer supported cops and firefighters for evacuating the area, helping to contain the fire and keeping everyone safe!!). Should we just trust factories to be able to "handle it" even when the potential damage (as in the Bekaert example) can affect our citizens? http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/.../article_c928b9fa... 4) And it's interesting that you seem to view a meme that I read as a message of "everyone benefits so everyone should pay their fair share" as a rich vs. poor issue. I feel incredibly lucky to live in this country and to benefit directly from all of the services the government helps provide. My kids are well educated, I drink clean water, I enjoy our local parks and I'm employed at a publicly funded institution. I don't love paying my taxes (who does) but I understand that a lot of these things I enjoy are directly related to me doing that. I just wish that some of these super rich business owners that don't want to pay into a system that they get huge benefits from would understand this as well.

BILLMOYERS.COM 10 Corporate Tax Dodgers You Should Know About | BillMoyers.com 10 Corporate Tax Dodgers You Should Know About | BillMoyers.com
Sam Burnham 1) By simply replacing our Marxist tax code with a simple consumption tax, all loopholes will be gone. 2) By the time you factor in the EITC, their tax burden is reduced to zero or, in many cases, they actually get paid in lieu of paying taxes. 3) I'm quite familiar with the Bekaert fire, trust me. 4 The message is not everyone benefits/everyone pays. The message is, the government is the only reason anyone makes it in this world. You're nothing without the government. Which is not just inaccurate, it's a lie. Allow me to add that I'm obscenely familiar with the Bekaert fire. Thanks for the kudos. And back on #4, my point is we all have the same "benefits". If you can look at a successful person with a straight face and say they didn't earn it, why doesn't everyone succeed? They all have the same benefits. Why do people fail?
Laurie Craw Sam Burnham Everybody who operates a car on our roads pays the state gas tax for transportation, which the Republican General Assembly raised last year. Sales and excise taxes hurt the working poor more than the rest of us.
Sam Burnham Laurie Craw the poor and some middle class people receive a tax refund in the form of the EITC even when they paid no income taxes. This amount in welfare receipts is often more than they would have paid in taxes for gas and other taxes. Therefore they actually paid 0 (or were even paid) in taxes. Pocahontas Warren is a joke.
John Carlin But like she said, the government shields those investments from marauding bands of criminals who steal to get by. Yes you loose a lot to the bureaucracy but you'd lose it to violent criminals anyway. And to other countries with their own violent criminals.
Sam Burnham The government IS a marauding band of criminals who steal to get by. What's the difference?
Terrell Shaw The government is you and me Sam.
Sam Burnham By design, not by practice. If the government was limited to what's specifically listed in the Constitution, we would still be the government.
Deborah Lake Dawson Hydrageas blooming and backyard full of camillia group cover is blooming.

Gleaning Facebook: Our Local Democratic Ticket

Our local Democratic slate for November has been chosen.

Tonight Joyce Mink prevailed in a contest of two fine candidates for our school board. As a retired teacher, Joyce Mink will make a wise, experienced, dedicated voice for our students and teachers. Sheila and I have known Joyce and her wonderful family for decades. She is top notch. I am particularly pleased that she has run such an honorable and respectful race... especially since her competitor has served our students and teachers so well and honorably for 28 years. I am glad that I live in the city. It would have broken my heart to have had to make a choice between two folks I so admire.

Joan Ledbetter is our across the street neighbor and is just a fine person. Her education and experience will be valuable in organizing and operating the important county clerk's office. She grew up knowing Floyd County government as the daughter of our former county attorney, George Anderson. Here's a little info about her experience and qualifications:

http://www.joanledbetterclerkofcourt.com/about_joan

W. Jeremy Salter will make a great District Attorney. A major issue for me is the terrible rate of incarceration in America. I want our DA to be tough on crime, but also sensible about ways to decrease recidivism. As I understand it the District Attorney has great influence and amazing flexibility in prosecution. Other counties have tackled the issue of drug infractions through special Drug Courts. We need that in Floyd County.

I have been acquainted with Bo (Deboria Arrant) for a couple of years now and he seems a dynamic young leader to me. I think Bo would add diversity and also youth and vitality to our board of commissioners.

Kenya Robbins is another young leader about whom I have heard good things. I do not know him yet, but I intend to get to know him in the next five months. He is well qualified by training to be our County Coroner.

Give Floyd County progressive leadership again.

Vote Democratic! 

Inez Snell Layton, 1921-2016

 Here is the program from Aunt Inez's memorial service today.

Here is the obituary from Ride's Gardendale Chapel Funeral Home website:

Inez Snell Layton was born March 28, 1921 in Dale County Alabama, to Annie and Albert Snell, the youngest of five daughters. Mrs. Layton passed away unexpectedly May 16, 2016 in Mt. Olive, Alabama at the age of 95. 

Mrs. Layton is survived by her daughter, Faye Layton, grandsons Rick Layton and wife Leslie Layton, Tim Layton, granddaughter Cindy Sorrow and husband Lu Sorrow, great-grandson Ryan Layton, great-grandaughters, Christen Sorrow, Hope Layton and Christy Layton, two step-great granddaughters Kim Sorrow and Tyler Sorrow, One great-great granddaughter Lenah Layton (Tanya Layton), two sisters-in-law Carrie Ben Layton and Dorothy Layton. And many nieces and nephews. Special friends Dot Smoothers, Janey Madding, Rick, Regina, Alexis, and Collin Pennington. Mrs. Layton was comforted in her later years by Evelyn, Kay, Elizabeth and Deborah. 

She is preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Layton, her son, Richard Layton. Her parents Annie and Albert Snell. Her sisters Ethel Redmon, Mavis Matthews, Dorothy Peebles, and Rose Trawick. 

Mrs. Layton was trained at Baptist Princeton by Ida V. Moffett as a nurse in Birmingham, Alabama, and served her country in World War II. Mrs. Layton worked in the emergency room at Charlotte Memorial Hospital for many years. She was a dedicated individual who loved her church and community and often volunteered at Carraway Hospital and Meals on Wheels. 

A celebration of Mrs. Layton's life will be Thursday May 19th, 2016 at Gracepoint at Mt. Olive United Methodist Church. Interment will follow at Forest Hills Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9:30 AM until the service hour. 

Messages of condolence may be made at ridoutsgardendalechapel.com. Donations may be made to Gracepoint at Mt. Olive United Methodist Church, 2451 Mt. Olive Rd., Mt. Olive, AL, 35117.

Gleaning Facebook: May at Arrowhead

The well-feathered Barn Swallow nest on the front porch at Arrowhead
is home to four speckled eggs as of Tuesday.

 

I may have interrupted this female Spiny Soft-shelled Turtle as she was preparing to lay some eggs right in the middle of the drive. After our extended photo shoot she ambled off the road and back to the lake.

Thanks to Ducks Unlimited and others for the 2012 wetland restoration at Arrowhead below our big lake. We use the picnic shelter here for almost every group that visits. From it we can watch Great Blue Herons, Killdeer, Great Egrets, Green Herons, Ducks, Geese, and more.

The Barn Swallows are still in the egg.

The Butterfy Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is getting ready to bloom.

I noticed Wild Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) growing near the pond nearest Floyd Springs Road.

Wild Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)

The Butterfy Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is getting ready to bloom.

Purpletop Vervain (Verbena bonariensis) This plant is a native of South America. It has escaped cultivation and grows in a ditch at Arrowhead, as well as in the flowerbeds.

Huckleberries? Blueberries?

I have done a lot of exploring the 350 acres of Arrowhead. I thought I'd seen all the ponds. Today I found one more secluded little pond.

Cirsium sp. (Thistle).

Another view of the pond I stumbled on today.

Plantago lanceolata (English Plantain)

Cicuta maculata (Water-hemlock)

Pyrrhopappus carolinianus (False-dandelion)

Allium canadense (Wild Onion)

Glandularia canadensis??? (Rose Vervain)

Plain Bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) Like most of our snakes in Georgia it is non-venomous. I didn't manage a very good pic. In my defense I must say: she didn't stick around to pose.

Sonchus asper (Spinyleaf Sow-thistle) or Sonchus oleraceus (Common Sow-thistle) (per Richard Ware)

Asclepias variegata (White Milkweed)  One of my favorites.

Scutellaria integrifolia (Narrow-leaf Skullcap)

Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy)