July 2018: Cocoa Pods

The cocoa tree is indigenous to Central America, though most are now located in Western Africa, and is unique in that its seed pods sprout directly from the trunk of the tree itself, rather than from its branches.  The seeds encased in these pods are the source of one of humanity's most globally enjoyed foods, chocolate.  It is so highly sought after that every year 7-9 times more cocoa is bought and sold on the cocoa futures market than actually exists.  Given this irrational over-exuberance, one might be inclined to say that we are "cuckoo for cocoa pods".   :)


Hope your summer is going better than my bad puns!

Jonderson

June 2018: Big Bird

This is a Pileated Woodpecker. They are about 14-16 inches tall, and live in forested areas with wet ground and plenty of dying trees, as that is the preferred habitat of their favorite food...ants.
They are a notoriously skittish bird around people, despite not seeming to mind being near buildings at all.  So as long as they don't see you, they are pretty easy to photograph once you have found an area where they live.