So Long, Stefanik

 

© 2025 Luke T. Bush

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY   12-21-25

Elise Stefanik has announced she is no longer running for NYS governor and also she isn't seeking reelection in Congress.

As you can see in the accompanying photos Stefanik received a warm Plattsburgh City reception back in August when she was in town for a building dedication.  The photo with her standing at the podium: she looks disgruntled.  How can this be?

After her election to the House of Representatives Stefanik was a moderate but she ended up being sucked into President Trump's spell.  Or was it his spell?  Her critics said she was just an opportunist working her way up to more power and prestige.

She was nominated for ambassador to the UN but Dozing Decrepit Donnie put the kibosh on that.  He wanted her to remain in the House because the GOP had a slim majority.  After that rejection she decided to run for governor but now has dropped out.  The way citizens treated her in Plattsburgh City — vocal activists stopping her from finishing her speech — might have been in the back of her mind when she made her decision.

Democracy in action.

 

Macro Mystery Solved

 

 © 2025 Luke T. Bush

Finally the answer: trichomes. 

With macrophotography invisible details are revealed especially when creating images three times life size.  With my desktop studio I could see tiny crystalline hairs all over the flower.  I wondered what they were.  

Google provided the answer.  I cropped the image to focus on the hairs and pasted it into Google lens.  The first hit showed an image of the same type of growth stating it was trichomes growing on a cannabis plant.  Right growth, wrong plant.

My subject was a snapdragon flower, not pot.  But with the reference to trichomes I could Google on and learn the correct answer.

Trichomes refers to the Greek word for hair.  They grow on a variety of plants.  With snapdragons they are glandular hairs providing defense from insect attacks, releasing foul-tasting sticky secretions that bugs find repulsive.

Generally trichomes have other functions such as water and temperature regulation.  By increasing the air layer around the plant they reduce water evaporation and the same layer can insulate it from extreme temperatures.

So why did Google immediately jump to the conclusion my photo was that of a cannabis plant?  Pot growers are interested in cannabis trichomes because they indicate through their color the THC to CBD ratio.  Using a magnifying lens the grower can determine the harvest state of the plant.   One check is to see if a majority of the hairs are milky white compared to the amber ones.

Apparently pot growers are inputting a great number of search terms when it come to trichomes.  Me, I'll stick with snapdragons.  

Friendly

 

Ticks Don't Stop Biting In Winter

 

A few weeks ago a tick attached itself to this dog's paw during a trail hike at Point Au Roche State Park.  The day was fairly cool so someone might assume ticks were asleep during the colder weather.  But if the temps rise above 40F and there is no snow on the ground ticks are on the move again, lying in wait for a victim.  A second tick was found later on the dog, hiding under its fur, swollen from feeding.  Besides Lyme disease ticks can infect humans with other bacteria, viruses or parasites.  So don't stop checking during cooler weather.

 

New Record: Six Dirty Diapers

 

 

Another phone call to the city building inspector.

 

Hitchhikers

 

 

Hitchhikers

By Luke T. Bush

Before winterkill destroyed them I brought home some snapdragon flowers.  I discovered with my macro lens a few aphids came along.  Interesting to observe but I had to end my photographic study because they were multiplying. 

And Honeydew, Too

 

Pig Doesn't Learn

 

PLATTSBURGH CITY -  11/20/25

I found another dirty diaper today hanging in a Verdantique Park tree.  Someone in the building is tossing used diapers out the window.  A call to the Building Inspector had diapers removed yesterday but the pig behind this is too ignorant to stop.  Another call to the Building Inspector.

 

Cleanup

 

 

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY  11/18/25

After a phone call to the city Building Inspector's Office dirty diapers were removed from Verdantique Park.  If you see a problem on city property, sidewalks or parks, report it to (518) 563-7707. 

Not An Xmas Ornament

 

Sleeping Snookums

 

Bursting Life

 

PPL Cryptid Convention

 

Patterns

 

Hiya

 

Faith

 

Whoo Is Staring At You?

 

Halloween Boo-sters Take 2

 

Wrecked Wall Garden

 

Someone had some "fun" tearing up the stakes and cords holding up the tomato plants growing in the wall garden on lower Court Street.  I tried fixing the problem but all I could do was move the plants from hanging over the ledge, dropping tomatoes on the sidewalk.  This is why Plattsburgh City can't have nice things.

 

Halloween Boo-sters

 

Polychromatic Curl

 

Yummy! French Fries

 

Floral

 

Glory

 

Street Art

 

Room For An Octopus To Grow

 

 PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY  9/17/25

(C) 2025  Luke T. Bush

It was time to move on.

The Plattsburgh Public Library basement is home to its children's room.  Plenty of space for all sorts of displays except one -- a large potted tree that had become too tall.  So now it resides on the first floor of the library with higher ceilings.  The attached sign explains that it is an octopus tree that grows in the rainforests of Australia, New Guinea, and Java.

According to Googled sources the tree's stems resemble the arms of an octopus radiating out from its leaves, growing up to 3 feet long. Other names for this plant are the Australian Umbrella Tree and the Queensland Umbrella tree, also referring to its radiating stem structure.  Flowers and fruit clusters grow along each stem.

The tree can grow over 55 feet tall.  Maybe the first floor ceiling can be raised. 

Chrome View

 

Click on image to enlarge.

 

Golden Cradle

 

Glaring BEM

 

Sweating The Details

 

Susan's Black Eye

 

Stake Dinner

 

 

 

 © 2025 Luke T. Bush

Calling it an ambush bug becomes an obvious choice when you see it capturing its prey, a quick unexpected strike.  It uses camouflage to be undetectable, for example, a yellow ambush bug sitting on a yellow flower petal.  The predator holds the victim  -- in this case a bee -- with its claws and then drives its proboscis into its victim, first pumping paralyzing toxins.  Then the ambush bug liquefies the victim's interior, injecting digestive enzymes.  For its third act it uses its proboscis to suck out its prepared meal.

Cruel nature in a tiny world.

Ambush Bug Sitting On A Black-Eyed Susan

 

Action Taken With Rabid Bat In Plattsburgh City

 

 PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY - 8/29/25

In a previous post I discussed an incident with a dead bat found at the Plattsburgh Public Library ( https://writog.blogspot.com/2025/08/rabies-and-dead-bat.html .)  The bat had been hanging on a wall for a few days before it dropped dead on a ledge.  The Clinton County Health Department was contacted.  It told the library to dispose of the bat: there was no reason to test the carcass for rabies because the bat hadn't bitten anyone (or so it had assumed.)

The health department has published a media release reporting a city resident found a bat acting strangely in his front yard ( https://health.clintoncountyny.gov/BulletinsPress/PR08282025.pdf .)  The bat was removed and was sent out for testing. On 8/27/25 the CCHD was informed that the rabies test was positive.

The news release warns: "A person can be bitten by a bat or exposed to its saliva and not know it. Bats have small sharp teeth, which may not leave a visible bite mark, and a bite from a bat during the night may not awaken a sleeping person."

Good to see action being taken with this incident.  But the question remains: was the dead bat at the library also rabid?  Why wasn't it tested?  Any suspicious or dead bats should be tested to see how far rabies is spreading in the region.

 

Rabies And A Dead Bat

 

© 2025 Luke T. Bush

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY

Years ago a friend found a dead bat in his driveway.  He called the health department and thought someone would pick it up to test it for rabies.  He was told no testing was needed, he should dispose the carcass himself.

Recently a bat was hanging around the public library during the daytime -- on a wall.  When contacted the animal control officer said there was nothing to worry about.  The bat would just fly away later.

The bat never took wing.  After a few days it fell off the wall, dead on the ledge.  The health department was contacted about the bat.  Once again they said there was no reason to pick it up and test it for rabies.  Such a test was only needed if someone was bit.  A library employee had to remove the carcass with a shovel.

One would think that all dead bats including the non-biters would be tested to keep track of how rabies was spreading throughout the region.  The other day a rabid bat was found south of here in Essex County.

But testing all bat carcasses: the official attitude is why bother?  Two words come to mind.  Lazy and shortsighted.

Bibliophiles Heaven

During Saturday as part of the downtown Arts Festival the Plattsburgh Public Library held an alfresco book sale to raise funds.  The set up on the corner of Oak and Brinkerhoff streets attracted many browsers and buyers.  At one table the library staff made friendship bracelets.

 

 

Sunspotters

Plattsburgh City, NY - Saturday 8/23/25

As part of the downtown Arts Festival local astronomer Ed Guenther set up his telescope with a solar filter.  Curious people could peer through the eyepiece and see sunspots.  Passing clouds and ice crystals high in the sky created tricky viewing conditions.

ED GUENTHER

 

The Crowd Goes Wild For Elise Stefanik

© 2025 Luke T. Bush

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY - 8/18/25 

US Representative Elise Stefanik (right), an ardent President Donald Trump supporter, bathes in the "warm" reception from the large North Country crowd shouting their appreciation for her and her policies.  She appeared this morning at the Clinton County Government Center where the building was being named after the late John Zurlo who had served as county clerk.  The crowd response was so overwhelming she only spoke a few words before trying to fade into the background.  But the shouting of intense comments and slogans continued during the dedication.  The crowd was far from mealymouthed, a detail Elise will always cherish.