Port Townsend has been quite warm lately - warmer than the "norm" it seems to me. I've got a theory as to why ; me and The Global Warmer. We've been hanging out for a few days. Warming things up.
You see, my little old toyota truck ride, Maroon, has a clutch problem and is not galloping around PT right now. But, hey, I'm lucky to be able to use my dear ol' dads truck for wheels - I got work to do. Alas, while my little Maroon is a semi-environmentaly -responsible vehicle, my dad's truck is, like, totally not. Maroon at least tries for good mileage, while Igor is sort of crazy.
Igor is my dad's name for his truck. Dad has always named his vehicles, a habit I've mostly avoided myself except twice (so far). Dad's truck name Igor, as I understand it, is some sort of obscure reference to the assistant of the good doctor Frankenstein. (I'm not totally sure what Dad had in mind with the name - Dad has always had a convoluted sense of humor) but after driving his truck around for a few days I could understand a monster movie connection. That's because Dr. Ford has created a monster with the F250 (custom!) truck.
Yes, the thing is huge and guzzles fossil fuel at a rate to bring a smile to any oil executives face. While driving it I have christened Igor the " U.S.S. Global Warmer". When you can actually watch the fuel gauge go down during a fifteen minute trip to work, you know that you're enabling a climate change hoser. As the gauge drops I can almost hear Greenland melting, or Alberta burning.
On our voyage out to Cape George on wednesday we had a near collision with a butterfly - an Anise Swallowtail just about smacked the windshield - my FOY swallowtail. The Olympic peninsula is not exactly the most butterfly diverse place, it being typically a bit too gray and gloomy for a lot of these bugs but, thanks to me and The Global Warmer the increased heat made for a great butterfly day at the ol' landscape job site. Saw more butterfly species in a few hours there than I've seen anywhere around here in a while: a Red Admirable, a Saytr Anglewing, a type of Blue, a species of elfin Hairstreak, and two species of Whites (Cabbage and a little one). You will notice a lack of species detail there - I'm still a developing butterflier. But I was excited.
The job site happens to be a good bird site too. First notable birds were a number of singing Yellow-rumped Warblers passing through. In the past I proposed a new name for these birds , the "Zippy Butterbutt". That hasn't been picked up by the AOU yet (maybe they don't read tweeters) though I think it addresses the bird quite well. It seems to me that the Butterbutt is the most active warbler ever invented. They always seem to be chasing each other around at high speed in what seems to be an almost excessive way compared to other 'wobblers'. There must be a scientific explanation! Testosterone?
Heard a few Orange-crowned Warblers passing by, and then.... a mystery song. It was a warbler for sure, but it had me stumped ( I knew what it wasn't). Then I spotted the little thing up in a pine tree. I ran to the truck for binoculars but by the time I came back it was gone. Comparing it later to recordings on Birdweb, I'm sorta sure it was a Nashville Warbler. Maybe - it was quite small also.
Now ,if I was reporting from the Far West - Neah Bay- I could probably post any outlandish sighting and be believed. The place is notorious now. Driving the U.S.S Global Warmer out there and back would surely raise sea levels, lower my bank account, and raise temperatures even more than my low -mileage voyages around PT seem to be doing. I imagine the resulting global warming could inspire things like Roadrunners, armadillos, and other warm weather creatures to show up at Neah. Hey , it could happen - remember that Lucy's Warbler last year? Of course Roadrunner's and armadillos would have to mostly walk or hitchhike to get there, not being big fliers, as far as I know.
Well, anyhoo, I hope to get Maroon's clutch fixed real soon so I can dump The Global Warmer, so as to cool off a bit and use less gas. I guess I just can't blame trucks for all my global warming responsibilities because I do actually breathe (exhaling CO2) and I also eat beans - I'd had some for breakfast on wednesday , which resulted in methane emissions, and that's a real dangerous 'greenhouse gas' to pass into the atmosphere . Living - it's just so imperfect.


Jeff Gibsonfarting around Port Townsend Wa