FEB 10, terminal exclamation: "CAN'T COMPLAIN!"

 a) Review of material posted on February 10 in previous years ...

2020: trees, sabal palmettos (illustrated poem - 'brief saga')
2021: bottom line of medical humor, word on GERD (poem - 'brief saga')
2022: attribution, inspired by O. Nash (illustrated poem  - 'brief saga')
2023: Canadiana, Newfoundland potato famine (illustrated poem - 'brief saga') 

b) Today's Offering (Feb 10, 2024): 

poetry lyrics:/ An acquaintance you meet on the train/ Can not know of your
 personal pain./ When he asks, "How ya doing?"/ There's no point in pursuing ... /
 Your refrain: "I'm okay, CAN'T COMPLAIN."  

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FEB 9, birdlore: window-strikes

If you are viewing these photos with an i-phone:
1) Hovering the selection arrow over any photo will prompt the appearance of the 'title'.
2) You can enlarge any photo (a black background may appear) by clicking it.
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a) Reprise of material posted on February 9 in previous years ...

2020: anagram swarm, tribute to a Senator (wordplay map)
2021: old world palindromes, #13,14 (wordplay maps) 
2022: exotic destinations, Hawaii vs. Haida Gwaii (illustrated poem)
2023: culinary verse, caponata (illustrated poem)

Tb) Today's Offering (Feb 9, 2024): 

Giorgio (on the left) with
Pete the Plastic Pelican

Other Canadian retirees

At the harbor,
Mt. Pleasant SC

Lunch: Heron-herring?
No! That's a great egret with a shrimp

lowcountry pizza-boxes

b) current birdie-pic

window-strike by persistent bluebird: frontal view

FEB 8, handbook of micro-nutrients: vitamin B12

a) Reprise of material posted on February 8 in previous years ...

2020: new world palindromes, #5,6 (wordplay)
2021: American satire, greetings to Senator Hawley (poem)

2022: reminiscence, limericks by Dr JJ (poems, various) 
2023: inspired by Ogden Nash, rehash of "The Purist" (illustrated poem)

b) Today's Offering (Feb 8, 2024): 

poetry lyrics:/ Wrote the vitamin-expert, "My thesis:/ B12's key in
 erythropoiesis./ Many systems protected./ Other functions affected?/ The health
 of the myelin sheath is."

Authors' Note: The myelin sheath is an envelope of lipid-rich material that wraps around peripheral nerve fibers, acting as a form of insulation; its development and maintenance is dependent on vitamin B12. Erythropoiesis is the formation of red blood cells that takes place in the bone marrow.

You can find our incipient collection of verse related to micro-nutrients, i.e. trace minerals and vitamins on our topic-based blog "Edifying Nonsense" by clicking HERE.

FEB 7, at heart: atrial flutter

a) Reprise of material posted on February 7 in previous years ...

2020: poets' corner, depressed limericist (poem)

2021: magical palindromes, Ma is as selfless as Dad. (wordplay)
2022: gun control verse, concealed carry (poem)
2023: at heart, hypertension (poem)

T

b) Today's Offering (Feb 7, 2024):

poetry lyrics:/ Heart racing with atrial flutter,/ Your ticker will kick and you'll
 shudder./ What's its cause? Not exotic,/ Nor atherosclerotic./ "You can still eat treats
 loaded with butter,"/ Your arrhythmia maven might mutter.

Authors' Note: Diagnosis and treatment of atrial arrhythmias, as discussed here, is the field of endeavour of a subgroup of cardiologists (you could think of them as "the rhythm gang"). Atrial flutter is readily diagnosed by a pattern on the electrocardiogram distinguished by atrial complexes at a rate of about 300 per minute, with relative block at the atrio-ventricular node resulting in a regular but fast ventricular rate, and pulse, of about 150. Although atrial flutter is not commonly caused by coronary artery disease, it is unlikely that any cardiologist would advocate ad libitum consumption of foods "loaded with butter".

Atrial fibrillation, a related cardiac arrhythmia associated with a highly variant heart rate, is discussed elsewhere.

You can view more poems on this topic by proceeding to "Cardiologic Tracings: AT HEART" (parts #1 and #2) on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

FEB 6, birdfeeder action-photos: downy woodpecker

a) Reprise of material posted on February 6 in previous years ...

2020: Carolina lowcountry, Shipping News (photo peculiarity)
2021: old world palindromes, #11/12 (wordplay maps) 
2022: binomial phrases, flora and fauna (illustrated poem)
2023: objectionable adjective, histonomical (poem)

T

b) Today's Offering (Feb 6, 2024):

current birdie-pic

downy woodpecker

  

FEB 5, poets' corner: satirical doggerel

  a) Reprise of material posted on February 5, in previous years ...

2020: American satire, intelligence (Californians) (poem)
2021: death and the afterlife, last breath (poem)  
2022: reptiles, brown (Bahaman) anoles, (illustrated poem)
2023: higher connection, wannabe autocrat (poem)

b) Today's offering (Feb 5, 2024): 

You can find lots of other verses on this blog under the listing "Poets' Corner".  Click HERE.

 You can find lots of other verses on this blog under the listing "Poets' Corner".  Click HERE.

FEB 4, birdfeeder action-photos: chickadee in the rain

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to JMH!!!

a) Reprise of material posted on February 4 in previous years ...

2020: trees, Muir Woods (illustrated poem)
2021: trees, George's apple-twigs (illustrated poem) 
2022: pill-poppin' verse: glucocorticosteroids (poem)
2023: duplication, hubba-hubba (poem)

b) Today's Offering (Feb 4, 2024):

Carolina chickadee

FEB 3, bar-fauna: ark's bar (Noah's on-board pub)

   a) Reprise of material posted on February 3 in previous years ...

2020: sister-cities anagrams, ScadRoe/CrabPulse (wordplay map)
2021: sister-cities anagrams, ScotArm/IsraelPub (wordplay map) 
2022: sister-cities anagrams, Modster/PruneBail (wordplay map) 
2023: pluralia tantum, eruptions (illustrated poem) 

b) Today's Offering (Feb 3, 2024):

poetry lyrics:/ At Ark's Bar, the barista, a bat./ Served a stallion, a stag

 and a cat. "Could fawn, kitten or foal/ Get a drink at this hole?"/ The bat shrugged.

 The horse neighed, "And that's that!"/

 (It was Noah's house rule: "Serve no brat.")

Authors' Note:  

barista: italian for bartender at an establishment serving either coffee-based drinks or alcholic beverages.

The story of the primal flood and Noah's Ark provides some opportunity for speculation, as here. What space for care and facilities for recreation were provided for the animals fortunate enough to be selected to board and avoid the environmental destruction that otherwise awaited them? These passengers were slated to become the basis for repopulation of the planet after the floodwaters receded. (One might also ask about the facilities for the animal husbandry crew, but that's another question.) Previous authors seem to have given little thought to these issues. 

The authors, on occasion, visit a waterside watering-hole, known as "Art's Bar", whose name, transmogrified, gave birth to the current fantasy.  

 If you liked this submission, you might want to refer to our entire collection of verses about human and animal denizens of bars, pubs and other watering-holes. Click HERE.

Followup illustration:

"Two by Two", Alice Anthony
Quilt exhibited at 
N.Charleston Convention Center, March 2022. 

c) current birdie-pic    

                                                           

House sparrows and pine warbler
remote shutter (bluetooth) initiated 

             

   

FEB 2, birdfeeder action-photos: northern mockingbird

 a) Review of material posted on February 2 in previous years ...

2020: classic palindromes, Dennis sinned. (illustrated poem)
2021: funny bones, fracture of scaphoid (poem) 
2022: funny bones, hook of the hamate (illustrated poem)
2023: defining opinion, hot (poem)

To access the details of any item in slide format, type its title, as displayed above in red font (e.g. ...  hot), into one of the two search bars at the the top of your blog-page. Underneath the slide(s) for each entertaining delight that you discover, you will find a clickable link that lets you easily explore a more widespread collection of wonderments (verse, photos, wordplay, song-lyrics etc.) on the topic of your choice. 

b) Today's Offering (Feb 2, 2024): 

Northern mockingbird

FEB 1, ambulatory verse: hike

a) Review of material posted on February 1 in previous years ...

2020: exotic destination, Chemainus, BC, continuation (poem -'brief saga')
2021: anagram swarm, Republicans-In-Canada, r-i-c 16-18 (wordplay maps) 
2022: variant Nantucket limerick, sugar-daddy from Nanking (poem)
2023: parasites, geohelminths (poem)

b) Today's Offering (Feb 1, 2024): 

poetry lyrics:/ Ambulation? Appraising the hike./ Terrain skaters and dancers
 don't like./ Rocky beach, cliffside paths,/ Jungly thickets (no grass)./
 "Boots will suit such adventure!" touts Mike.

 You can review all our verses on this topic, accumulated for you on our companion blog "Edifying Nonsense", by clicking HERE.