Update: its now 52 years ago and now almost to 21 volumes. November 8, 2021.
Gary Lovell
This was a draft of a Facebook note from 5 years ago that I forgot about. Recently they notified me that it will be deleted by October 31, 2020, so I had to publish it. I could not correct the grammar or edit so I copied and am fixing it now and here on my WordPress blog on Nature things. As you know I hit 50 years of notes last year, but this had a brief synopsis of the 45 years which is still appropriate. Gary Lovell
October 27, 2020
July 27,2015
I am starting my 15th Volume of insect and nature observations — 45 years now. I can’t believe I have been doing this for this long. A short synopsis:
Through good years and drought years (1988). Camps, vacation, resorts, two oceans, two cottages on two lakes (Mud and Vineyard).
With two wives (a practice one and the real one). Nearly a dozen moves. With three cats and at least eight dogs. With beehives, turtles, frogs, caterpillars and mantids caged over the years. Observing in the “wild” or the “wild” of my garden my favorites–praying mantises, bees, wasps, true katydids, false (bush) katydids, conehead katydids, moths, butterflies, dragonflies, damsel flies, tree crickets, ground crickets , field crickets, cicadas and non insect favorites– turtles, snakes, frogs and toads, foxes, peregrines. And non favorites– mosquitoes, deer flies, horse flies, ticks and spiders.
Over the years observing nature particularly insects via walks, bike rides, train rides, plane rides and car tours. Through Metroparks, State Parks, national parks and trailer parks.
From the Blizzard of ’78 to the drought of ’88 and perhaps global warming in between or since.
Through the death of both sets of grandparents, my Dad, and several close friends (Jim and Tim, who rode shotgun on many trips). And many others who helped along the way too many to mention.
And a writer who I did not realize was a Mentor until many years later. Edwin Way Teale (an author who wrote many travelogue type nature books and the turning point chapter in a Merit Badge book of Insect Life for the Boy Scouts.)
Through many ups and downs and stops and starts and direction changing, some of the notes went into articles published in the now defunct Young Entomologists Society Journal. Several articles were reprinted in my blog .. https://unusualperspectivesbyme.wordpress.com/unusual-aspects-of-giant-silk-moths/ .
Time marches on and so far I am still observing and writing it down (sometimes forgetting to write something today, only to remember days later).
I am sixty years old now, so what next?? I guess I do what a local radio DJ used to say all the time– “Keep on keeping on”.
Gary Lovell
October 27, 2020
Unusual Perspectives 