Mud Dauber - Nature's Master Mason-and-Potter

Mud Dauber

 Nature's Master Mason-and-Potter 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Nests of Philippine Mud Dauber Sceliphron curvatum 

Note skin castings of its own offspring and their preys, 

mainly caterpillars and spiders. Photos by the author. 

“The mud dauber doesn’t seek praise; its work speaks for itself in the intricate, lasting beauty of its nest.”

Mud dauber at work (Internet)

Call this tiny wasp akup-akup in Ilocano dialect;

relative of the paper wasp - alumpipinig, putakti,

falsely feared for its sting, unlike the hornet,

friendly like the alimbubuyog, the bumble bee.

This wasp is nature's mason and potter combined,

for which it got its name and craft - mud dauber;

mimic to man's masonry - or is it the other way?

Ingeniously it builds a beautiful nest under cover.

In our younger days, we would examine its nest,

to find spiders, caterpillars alive but paralyzed,

for its larvae to feed on them until maturity,

a puzzle neither we understood nor realized.

Until in later years we read about Henri Fabre*,

a naturalist who studied this queer creature;

subject of many stories for both old and young 

in medicine, the humanities and architecture.

 “Just as the mud dauber builds its home piece by piece, 

we must build our lives with patience and persistence.”

- Proverb 

Henri Fabre (1823–1915) was a French entomologist, naturalist, and author,

renowned for his detailed and pioneering observations of insect behavior, particularly in studying the life habits of bees, wasps, and other arthropods, combining meticulous experiment with careful observation. ~

International Joke Day July 1, 2026: "Get out of your box" through wit and humor.

International Joke Day

"Get out of your box!" through Wit and Humor

Dr Abe V Rotor

   " What are the chances of my recovering, doctor?

     "One hundred per cent. Medical records show that nine out of ten die of the disease you have. Yours is the tenth case I've treated. The others all died. So you see, you're bound to get well. Statistics are statistics." 

   One hundred men went into the woods to cut logs.  They took along two women to cook for them.  Before the winter ended, two of the men married the women.  This was normal.  However, a statistician startled outsiders by reporting that 2 per cent of the men married 100 per cent of the women!  

    The lion ate a bull.  He felt so good that he roared and roared.  A hunter heard him, found him and killed him.  There is a moral to this, and it is that when you are full of bull, keep your mouth shut.   

In a federal court, an elderly American Indian was charged with bootlegging.
     "You name?" asked the judge.
     "Have you a lawyer."

      Again, silence.
     "Do you understand English?"
     The Indian kept staring blankly ahead. The judge shrugged and turned to the district attorney.
     "This is a trivial case, anyhow," he said. "He doesn't seem to understand a word of English. Probably he doesn't realize he has done wrong. Dismiss the case."
     Told he could go, the Indian nevertheless sat motionless while the next case was called. This time it was a white man who was charged with the same offense. The defense lawyer, noted for his oratory, delivered an impassioned plea for mercy. Unmoved, the judge gave the defendant five years in the penitentiary.
     As the crestfallen lawyer was leaving the courtroom, the elderly Indian fell in behind him. Suddenly the Indian leaned over and whispered in the lawyer's ear:
     "White man talk too much." 

   

   She was an economical, industrious and ambitious young wife and often tried to persuade her husband to give up smoking.  One day she pointed out to him, in exact figures, how much he spent on tobacco in the course of a year. 

     "And you will be better off," she said, "mentally and physically, as well as financially, without your pipe."

     "But all great men have smoked," he urged.

     "Well," she said, "just promise me that you'll give up smoking till you're great.  I'll be quite satisfied."

   A Scotsman dying in an American hospital expressed a strong wish to hear the bagpipes once again before he passed away.  Far and near they sought for a piper, and having found one at last they made him perform daily on the grass outside the patient's room.  To the astonishment of everybody, the patient recovered.  The only drawback was that the other patients all died. 

   TEACHER: "What tense is, I am beautiful?"

     JUNIOR: "Past."

   MINISTER: "Do you say prayers before eating?"

     LITTLE BOY: "Don't have to.  Mom's a good cook."

   TEACHER: How old were you on your last birthday?"

     JUNIOR: "Seven, ma'am."

     TEACHER: "How old will you be on your next birthday?"

     JUNIOR: "Nine, ma'am."

     TEACHER: "Nonsense.  If you were seven on your last birthday, how can you be nine on your next birthday?"

     JUNIOR: "I'm eight today." ~  

              TOAST: To the old, long life and treasure;

To the young, all health and pleasure.

- Ben Jonson

Reference: Speaker's Encyclopedia of Humor

Stories, Quotes, Definitions and Toasts for Every Situation by Jacob M Braude, Pentice-Hall NJ 1961

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*International Joke Day July 1,  is dedicated to spreading laughter and joy through jokes, humor, and funny stories. The day encourages people around the world to share jokes with friends, family, and even strangers to brighten each other’s day. 

Laughter has numerous health benefits.

- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Boosts the immune system
- Improves mood and promotes a sense of well-being
- Strengthens social bonds and relationships  Internet excerpts & images ~

Life Patterns for Survival Silverfish and Catfish

Life Patterns for Survival*

 Silverfish and Catfish

Dr Abe V Rotor

The trunk of an elephant, the crushing strength of a boa constrictor, a chameleon's instant mimic, a housefly's sponging lips, thigmotropic response of Mimosa (makahiya), and man's versatile mental and physical power are some patterns which have enhanced survival of these creatures against the tests and odds of the biosphere.

Organisms which failed  to pass Nature's law of competition and survival perished, while the lucky ones have been able to maintain and continue their own species transcending to them the power which once constituted fitness as members of the biotic community.  Still others produced biological forms and strains, these forming a new generation equipped with a better chance for survival, and leading to evolution itself.

Silverfish (Lepisma saccarina) 

Also called bristletails, the silverfish is one of the most primitive insects.  It lives among old papers and clothes where there is starch or glue.  Two pairs of sensitive antennae, three bristle-like tails, a ventrally flat body and smooth silvery armor contribute to the agility of this hide-and-seek expert to live between files and in crevices.

Philippine catfish (Clarias batrachus)

The catfish or hito (paltat Ilk) is endowed with more senses than man.  From the fleshy beard-like barbels running down the skin to the tip of the tail are taste buds, that it is safe to presume that the catfish can taste on any part of its body.  It lives on all sorts of food - rusty cans, worm baits, flies, snails, etc. Its keen sense of hearing can register vibration in the water and in air.  Scent glands at its nose can detect the smell of a turtle or a worm almost instantly.  The roundness of its eyeballs makes the lenses superior over ours, putting everything in sharper focus.

* Updated article LIFE PATTERNS FOR SURVIVAL Faculty Journal Lyceum of the Philippines Volume II Number 7. July 1966. References: Living with Nature Series AV Rotor; acknowledgement Internet images.

Fruits into Wine. Art and Technology

 Fruits into Wine 

Art and Technology

Fruits have long inspired artists, writers and thinkers, symbolizing growth, sweetness, love, peace and happiness.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Still Life in acrylic on wood (24.5" x 32") AV Rotor

Fruits from different lands and seasons,

gifts to man Ceres and Epicurus gave,

for his health and many good reasons,

from which too, the best wines are made. .

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin;

what else does a man need to be happy?"

- Albert Einstein

Table wine from local fruits developed by the author from fermentation to aging. 

Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

"Good wine grows mellow with age; 

a good man grows into a sage." -avr

“Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.”

– Louis Pasteur

“When there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry take wing.”

– Ovid

“With wine and hope, anything is possible.”

– Spanish proverb

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. 

A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy

 reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness

 gathers love." - Saint Basil ~

The Last Lily of Summer

                   The Last Lily of Summer

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

Soon the first rain of May arrives. Rejoice!

Summer soon ends. Streams meet the river.

Fields turn green, so with the hills, pasture;

And this kindly lily is back to long slumber.  

Powderpuff lily (Haemanthus multiflorus). Photo by the author. 

Living with Nature garden 2026

Your name - powderpuff lily is indeed beautiful,

and you just pop out of the ground so sudden

amidst songs, games and meditation in summer,

surprise to the unwary, to others a good omen.

But may I ask, "Where have you been before?"

neither in habagat nor amihan, you're around

not in the garden, not with flowers often seen,

then like a genie, you rise up - a big red crown.

While the ground is bone dry, the air sultry,

but the sun is milder now, treetops are alive,

children play longer, their lilting heard farther

so with distant thunder, nature's call to abide.

Soon the first rain of May arrives. Rejoice!

Summer soon ends. Streams meet the river.

Fields turn green, so with the hills, pasture;

And this kindly lily is back to long slumber. ~

Summer comes to a close, so with the last lily.

Before it says goodbye, it produces seeds that

remain dormant until the following year. AVR 2026

"A stunning flower unfolds during the month of May.  It forms huge red balls, about six inches in diameter, covered with a multitude of delicate miniature blossoms. Although far away from its native homeland, Africa, the powderpuff lily or blood lily, Haemanthus multiflorus, thrives well in the Philippines.  The inflorescence may remind you of a glorified onion.  The gorgeous flowers last about ten days and are rarely seen during other parts of the year."  (Philippine Ornamental Plants by Mona Lisa Steiner 1960)

A Piece of the Garden of Eden

A Piece of the Garden of Eden

Mural by Dr Abe V Rotor

“Those ancients who in poetry presented

the golden age, who sang its happy state,

perhaps, in their Parnassus, dreamt this place.

Here, mankind's root was innocent; and here

were every fruit and never-ending spring;

these streams--the nectar of which poets sing.”

― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

A Piece of the Garden of Eden (8ft x 14ft) AVRotor

Does the Garden of Eden still exist? If the Garden of Eden still exists, no one knows where. The Bible says a river ran from Eden and separated into four rivers: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates.  Here is an artist's concept of a little corner of that garden. ~                       

In celebration of Insect Week June 22 -26, 2026: The Dragonfly is Older than the Dinosaur

The Dragonfly 

Older than the Dinosaur

Insect Week 2026 takes place from 22–28 June, celebrating the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in ecosystems.

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

Tutubing Kalabaw  (Anisoptera, Order Odonata) 

Photos by the author, Living with Nature Garden,

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

The dragonfly, living fossil in our midst, a rare specimen, among its kind under Order Odonata, Class Hexapoda, Phylum Arthropoda, a prehistoric representative of the living world;

The dragonfly, fierce in name, yet friendly to the farmer and gardener as  predator of many pest, to children for virtually taking part in their games, and artists for inspiring their art; 

The dragonfly, quaintly named tutubing kalabaw (biggest), tutubing baka (medium), tutubing karayum (tiniest, actually damselfly, its closest relative), has other aliases in local dialects;

The dragonfly, subject of hide-and-seek game of "catch me if you can, "that tests innate skill sans prize but awe and admiration to whoever can deceive and catch a watchful roosting specimen;

The dragonfly, anatomically simple yet most decorated in various colors and hues, patterns and markings, aesthetic and functional, as predator and potential prey to birds and reptiles; 

The dragonfly, anti-thesis of conventional knowledge of evolution as shown in fossils embedded in ancient rocks, has long been in existence even before the coming of dinosaurs;

The dragonfly, evolution's model of diminution as tool of survival, contrary to expansionism for dominance as illustrated by the dinosaurs that once ruled the earth;

The dragonfly, hybrid and cross of extinct and present lineages, stirs  phylogenetic research in genetics and evolution, bringing on the drawing table scenarios heretofore unknown;  

The dragonfly, emissary of coming rain, by hovering low in horde over the field, actually preying on small winged insects instinctively coming out of their hiding triggered by the oncoming rain;

The dragonfly, nature's model of a helicopter and airplane combined,  inspired man's invention of flying, yet leaving much of its secret of flight, other mysteries notwithstanding;

The dragonfly, amphibious as naiad or nymph, nemesis of mosquito wrigglers, earns its importance in the medical field, and in helping keep a rich and healthy freshwater ecosystem;

The dragonfly, curiously unique subject of the state-of-the-art  photography, traces back to mythology on one hand, and explores an alien or out-of-this-world, on the other;

The dragonfly, among beneficial insects in biological control, pollination and fertilization, helps keep the integrity of food chain. food web, food pyramid - key ta balanced environment;  

The dragonfly, fugitive in the concrete jungle of cities, on barren lands, threatened by pesticides and pollution, reminiscent of Silent Spring, this time asking, where have all the dragonflies gone?

Damselfly, Tutubing karayom  Internet

 

Dragonfly ancestor, biggest insect that ever lived.  Internet

Dragonflies are older than dinosaurs, with a history spanning approximately 300 million years. They existed before the evolution of dinosaurs, predating them by nearly 100 million years. The earliest known dragonfly ancestors, called griffinflies, lived during the Upper Carboniferous Period, around 325 million years ago. These ancient insects were much larger than modern dragonflies, with some species having wingspans reaching up to 75 inches (about 200 cm). entomologist.net

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* Insect Week is organized by the Royal Entomological Society and supported by partner organizations across the UK and Europe, offering a week-long celebration of insects through science, education, and creative activities insectweek.The event highlights the ecological importance of insects, including their roles as pollinators, decomposers, and a food source for other animals, emphasizing that one in three mouthfuls of our food depends on insect pollination