As I walked up a recently restored stream channel, I noticed this bright red salamander on the rocks at my feet. It was in a dry part of the stream, so it was dehydrated and barely moving. I carried it to a shallow pool and splashed it with stream water and it started to squirm.
At the time, I assumed it was a northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber), which I've seen before. I've been doing some reading and looking closely at the photos, and I think it might be a midland mud salamander (Pseudotriton montanus). I've never seen one of those before! It's always exciting to find a new-to-me species. Does it look like fish bait to you?
Puddles and small vernal pools in the floodplain had thousands of tadpoles. Spring is an exciting time for amphibians.
I fell off the diet wagon this week. Not only did I over do the drinks and snacks at a party, but then Brandon was out of town, and I was on the go, so I skipped grocery shopping and making real meals. After a long day of field work, I realized that my only nutrition came from the coffee I had for breakfast, potato chips and a melted snicker bar I ate in desperation while driving, and a chicken finger basket from a small town Dairy Queen which plagued my digestion for hours. I hadn't eaten anything green for two days, so it was no wonder I didn't feel like cooking. Time to raid the greenhouse garden for some greens!
With a blender full of lettuce, pea shoots, and kale leaves, a splash of water, plus some frozen blueberries, a handful of strawberries, the juice from a lemon, and an avocado, I made an entire pitcher of green smoothie. No cooking required! No chewing either!
When Brandon arrived home late at night, I handed him a big glass of health and he made faces while he swallowed it down. A green smoothie without a sweet banana is a powerful taste. We are steering ourselves back onto the right track now. Having all those greens just waiting to be picked makes it easier.
1 comment:
So relieved it wasn't a salamander smoothie!
-Tamara
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