Recrudescence has been a thread on Tweeters lately, it being fall and all.


My 'ol pals from the former Anchor Pub in Everett , Bill and Bob ,came by to visit me the other day here in Port Townsend. Budding naturalists, they were excited about learning a new word on Tweeters: recrudescence.


Bill was so excited he looked it up in the dictionary, and found it to be a medical term denoting a renewed outbreak of a condition. "hey, it's like when you go to your doctor and he say's 'remember that creeping crud you got rid of last spring, well now essentially it's come back - you got recrud now' Bill explained. " The doctor continued -'and furthermore, that wart I removed then is regrowing so I guess you're getting rewarted too. Sorry' ".


"Bummer" replied Bob, but I think that word is pronounced reCRUDEsence, not reCRUDesence"


"Crud, crude, whatever" Bill grumped. "You get the picture".


Of course the guys understood the naturalist meaning on Tweeters about how fall day length, ect sorta mirrors spring-like conditions causing birds gonads to go into action for a bit. Around here at my place it's been mostly singing Robins and Song Sparrows recruding.


As we sat in my little living room with the door open, a single Pacific Chorus Frog called loudly just outside the door, and a bit later another croaked in the backyard. Unlike the tremendous chorus they produce in spring in ponds about a block away, these scattered frogs were calling singly.


"I guess the chorus has disbanded and these guy's are working on their solo careers" Bob said.


Sometimes flowers have a bit of recrudescence. Last year quite a few Nootka Roses rebloomed this time off year, and often the 'ol Pacific Dogwood back at my old house bloomed a second time in the fall. Interesting having fruit and flowers on these plants at the same time.


"Maybe we should take a walk and see what other recrud we can find around here" Bill said with a grin. Good idea.


Jeff Gibson

Port Townsend Wa