Bless Her Pointy Little Head

Found on the French doors yesterday was this Katydid, the Hook-faced Conehead (Pyrocorypha uncinata).

This is a female as seen from the lengthy ovipositor but she is still immature, a nymph and won't be adult until the spring now.

Meanwhile this weekend is the annual Halloween graveyard construction and house decoration project. I've already been busy this morning making accessories for Mrs.B's bird witch costume for the end of the month. Time to get out the Fimo for a raven beak and finger bone necklace.

I'm actually pretty happy with how it turned out though I think perhaps some paint is called for. It just looks perhaps a little...anemic yet. I'm inspired to get some more Fimo as it's been decades since I messed with it and I'm sure it has some interesting scary possibilities.

More on the Halloween decor as the weekend unfolds.

A Bump In The Road...

...which I happily spotted and avoided as I drove through the neighborhood this morning. 

A small box turtle ( it's a tortoise to me) half way across the road when I spotted it.

It was moving slowly...yes I know it's a tortoise and so it is proverbially slow. But it was cool this morning so extra slow. I pulled over and moved it into the grass.

Retail Branding Madness!

Hershey's Chocolate World. Hershey PA.

And may the Mayan god of chocolate have mercy on our financial souls!

But back on the road.

Next stop home.

Passing Through...

Danbury Connecticut 

Hail to Charles Ives, a prince amongst insurance men.

And not too bad an amateur composer on the weekends.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uHs6VGKZ4Wo&autoplay=1

The Maine Woods

The only thing wrong with a holiday is that you have to go home. Today is our last day. Cold again this morning, close to freezing. Mist on the water again too until the sun rose above the trees and burned it off.

We took a short but vigorous hike yesterday only 3 miles in total but that's 1700 feet up in 2 miles and 1700 feet down in only about 1 mile. Yes that IS steep isn't it ? Like hauling yourself up the sheep fence on the shoulder of Penyghent...but with lots of trees.

So heading home in the morning, stopping off somewhere overnight and getting home Sunday. Sure as hell not going anywhere near New York on the way that's for sure.

We don't heart NY and even the Hudson Valley was too close for comfort.

Rockhounds

Jr. And I spent the morning in Bethel sieving and sluicing our way through a big bucket of mine tailings in search of mineral specimens and semi precious stones.

Banished Jr.'s best find was this perfect little double terminated clear quartz crystal.

We found lots of smoky quartz, amethyst, garnet and best of all tourmaline. This one is my own best find of the day. 6 tourmaline crystals embedded in a matrix of quartz.

Well that was fun if surprisingly hard work !

Action pictures courtesy of Banished Jr.

Just One of Those Insane Maine Direction Signs

This one is in Norway Me. 

Which is right next to Paris Me.