Backyard Orchard News
Big Balloon Battle at Briggs: Just Call It '15 Minutes of Aim'
Just call it "15 Minutes of Aim." That's how long it takes to toss 2,000 water balloons. Or,...
Water warrior Bruce Hammock dumps water on Kevin Cloonan, then a graduate student in the Walter Leal lab. (2012 photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
In this 2012 photo, Hammock lab researcher Christophe Morisseau chases a fellow water warrior, postdoctoral scholar Pingxi Xu of the Walter Leal lab. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
In this 2017 photo, Hammock lab administrator Cindy McReynolds, now a doctoral student in the Hammock lab, tries to avoid a balloon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
In this 2017 photo, Bruce Hammock douses Louisa Lo, who was his executive administrative assistant before moving to Michigan with her family. Her husband, Kin Sing Stephen Lee, is is on the faculty of Michigan State University's Pharmacology and Toxicology, while she is an administrative assistant at the university. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
'Blue Ribbon Fun' at Solano County Fair Includes Bugs
The 69th annual Solano County Fair, located at 900 Fairgrounds Drive, is themed "Blue Ribbon...
See the bumble bee on the aghan (top row)? This Minnesota sample afghan is the work of Debra Holter of San Pablo. Holding it are McCormack Hall superintendent Gloria Gonzalez (right) and assistant Kara Payne. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Preparing to hang a dragonfly project are McCormack Hall superintendent Gloria Gonzalez and assistant Daniel Brown, both of Vallejo. Crafted by Tina Saravia of Suisun City, it is made of recyclables: fan blades and furniture legs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
McCormack Hall assistants Jacob Greene (left) of American Canyon and Daniel Brown of Vallejo, admire insect-themed photographs: a bee by Ryan Anenson of the Tremont 4-H Club, Dixon, and a moth by Maya Prunty of Sacramento 4-H. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! No, It's...
It's a bird! It's a plane! Is it Superman? No, it's a bird dropping. If you're growing sweet...
The iconic anise swallowtail caterpillar is a pale green with black bands containing orange spots. This is probably the fifth instar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dorsal view of an anise swallowtail caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This younger larva of the anise swallowtail resembles a bird dropping. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This anise swallowtail caterpillar is shedding its skin or molting, leaving its “bird dropping” skin behind. This is probably the third instar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
An adult anise swallowtail nectaring on Verbena. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Flash of Orange: Welcome, California Tortoiseshell!
A flash of orange. Usually we see assorted orange butterflies--Gulf Fritillaries (Agraulis...
A California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica) nectaring on a butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The California Tortoiseshell is bright orange with black spots on the wings, but the underside is a dullish gray-brown, resembling a dead leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This image of the California Tortoiseshell shows the dullish brown and gray underwings, a perfect camouflage. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sometimes it seems like forever before the California Tortoiseshell spreads its wings. This one did several times before it fluttered off. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Five staff and one academic retire at the UC Kearney Research and Extension Center in 2018
Five staff members and one academic based at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, representing a total 148 years of service, were honored today with a luncheon to mark of their retirement.
Center director Jeff Dahlberg presented each retiree with a calendar signed by their colleagues and wished them well in retirement.
The retirees are: