Crinoids - The ancient sea lilies -350 Billion Years Old

While gathering more rock for my waterfall in the watergarden, I decided to collect some Crinoids to eventually make some ancient 'Indian Bead' necklaces. I picked these up on the side of Highway 72 on the side of the road where 72 and 565 connect in Northeast Alabama. What are Crinoids? Wikipedia describes them as

"Crinoids, also known as sea lilies or feather-stars, are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata). Crinoidea comes from the Greek word krinon, "a lily", and eidos, "form". They live both in shallow water and in depths as great as 6,000 meters.

Crinoids are characterized by a mouth on the top surface that is surrounded by feeding arms. They have a U-shaped gut, and their anus is located next to the mouth. Although the basic echinoderm pattern of fivefold symmetry can be recognized, most crinoids have many more than five arms. Crinoids usually have a stem used to attach themselves to a substrate, but many live attached only as juveniles and become free-swimming as adults.

There are only a few hundred known modern forms, but crinoids were much more numerous both in species and numbers in the past. Some thick limestone beds dating to the mid- to late-Paleozoic are almost entirely made up of disarticulated crinoid fragments."

Crinoid stems:

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Dunavant Cotton Plantation

The Dunavant Cotton Plantation is producing cotton now. The two plants are not enough to do anything with except use in a decorative vase or shadowbox.

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Meyer Lemon update

The Meyer Lemon Tree is doing well. The lemons are slowly changing fron green to yellow ...can't wait to make some homemade lemonade with these. I can remember my Grandmother Dunavant bringing me fresh lemonade while I bush-hogged the "North Forty". Man that was good. I miss you Grandma Dunavant!

Wren

Here is the mother wren sitting amongst the sage on her eggs.

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Black Swallowtail on Zinia

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The butterflies are in a great abundance this year in my ornamental watergarden area this year. Below is a Black Swallowtail. The Black Swallowtails, in my yard at least, are drawn to the Zinia flowers more so than the roses, butterfly bush, and marigolds.

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Water Lotus and Lotus Seed Pod

Here is an update on the Water Lotus growing in my ornamental water-garden in Huntsville Alabama. This is an August 2010 picture showing the Lotus seed pods as they begin to dry. The Lotus was purchased at Across the Pond this year. The seed pods make a beautiful dried arrangement when placed in a clear vase.

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