Steve and Judy's Travels!

All these little dots out on the water.

They’re least grebes.

It’s a really southern bird, only touching the southern tip of Texas.  From there it ranges down through Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and a lot of South America.

…about science.

I like how scientists approach knowledge.  The scientific method:

Observe what’s going on.

Ask questions.

Think up an explanation.

Use that explanation to make a prediction.

Test the prediction with an experiment.

Use what you learn to guide further investigation.

The first guess about why something is like it is, isn’t always right.  The guess might look right but keep trying to disprove it.  Share what you think you’ve learned.  Let everyone else try to prove or disprove it.  It has to stand up to challenge.  It has to be reproducible.  If no one can disprove it, it might really be true!  If something has seemed right for a long time, but new information comes into play that challenges what we’ve always thought, determine if the old idea needs to be adjusted or replaced.  The results of your effort don’t have to fit your preference.  The answer might inflame emotions or might be boring.  It doesn’t matter.  All that matters is that the results hold up to scrutiny and be open to modification if appropriate, so that the entire catalog of knowledge on which we base our decisions, and further explanations, is as true as possible.  Not perfection, but our best honest continuing effort.

Charming little things.

All scalloped.  Rufous under their wings and white on the sides of their tails.

It’s a southern bird, ranging from Louisiana to Southern California and down through most of Mexico and Central America.

I don’t watch bugs, I watch birds.  Couldn’t help stopping to admire this though.

Something golden surrounded by floating black dots.

A closer look put it all together.

Best I can tell, it’s a female Widow Skimmer dragonfly.

Jesse has been getting questions lately.   Questions like “Has anybody been eating dirt?”

And maybe “Does anyone think it’s time for a bath?”

Perhaps she’s been unfairly judged.  She got groomed today, and after the grooming she looks like this.

Brown muzzle.  Brown toes.  Her color is evolving!

Either that or Javi the groomer is in on it and covering for her.