Mairlyn's Photos - June 25 2026 - Ticks and Mosquitoes

 

There are two insect pests that we worry about every summer.  Ticks and mosquitoes. We are waiting for a tick vaccine.  Pfizer is close to having one ready in the U.S. and likely would make it available in Canada in late 2026 or 2027.  It seems to be a long road to completion.  A vaccine was withdrawn in 2002 with panic over unproven side-effects that involved lawsuits. That led to a period of no action by pharmaceuticals.  So we arrive 25 or so years later with trials under way in the U.S. that would be followed by trials in Canada. That's good news as there are lots of tick-borne diseases in Canada besides Lyme Disease.  Things like Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis - bacterial and parasitic infections, Powassan virus - a neurological disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - found in the western provinces, and Tularemia and tick-borne relapsing fever - more rare bacterial infections.  Another concerning pest in our yard this year is mosquitos.  My theory goes that it is caused by the hospital and hospice build around the corner next to a creek. Likely the creek flow has been disturbed and there is standing water.  Is there a vaccine to prevent mosquito bites?  No universal vaccine is available.  There are vaccines for specific diseases transmitted by mosquitoes - diseases diseases like chikungunya, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis.  You have to go on vacation to get these diseases.   The serious disease you can get here is West Nile Disease, and there's no vaccine for it yet. There are a few more mosquito-borne diseases - California Serogroup viruses - endemic to many parts of Canada, Eastern Equine Encephalitis - found in swampy, wooded areas of Ontario and Quebec, and St. Louis Encephalitis - found in southern Canada.  I had never thought about the various types of mosquitoes - there are 50 to 67 species of mosquitoes known to live in Ontario with five types prominent as human pests.  Probably my garden has Aedes Vexans as they thrive after heavy rainfalls and are aggressive biters.  And likely the Culex Pipiens as it thrives in urban stagnant water.   I checked out Public Health Ontario and they report that since 2002, over 11 million mosquitoes have been collected in Ontario so that they can assess the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.  How many might be here in Grimsby right now?  My guess is it is far past the trillions into the quadrillion and quintillion sorts of numbers.  How bad is it on any given day?  The Weather Network has a bug activity report.  Today we can expect low black flies, low mosquitoes and no deer flies who are not in season.  I hadn't even considered black flies and deer flies in the equation.   And our picture today looks at the opposite end of the insect spectrum.  It is Monarch butterfly time and they are laying their eggs.

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Marilyn's Photos - June 24 2026 - Summer time is tattoo time

 

Wake Up on the Bright Side    Summer time is sleeveless tops and shorts, and that means tattoos are on show.  Only 13% of Baby boomers have one tattoo or more.  Compare that to Millennials and Gen Z with rates of 47% for Millennials.  It is still mostly ingrained in our generation that tattoos were associated with sailors and criminals, and our churches were against tattoos. And then the warning by elders that tattoos would "bleed out" as the skin ages. I actually don't remember my parents warning us, I remember seeing those horrible distorted images on actual upper arms.  And of course, that would be in the summer. So here we are in our times today, and what is there to see?  It feels like a vindication of our youth to stay clear of tattoos.  The images of the most tattooed man in the world show something terrible.  That particular person is Lucky Diamond Rich and he swallows swords, juggles chainsaws and rides a ten-foot unicycle.  And what has he done to his teeth? And who are these other people in these strange and horrible inked on costumes?  Tom Leppard, tattooed like a leopard. Rick Genest, tattooed to look like a zombie.  Then there's the most tattooed person in Brazil who started removing the tattoos when he found religion. The most tattooed senior couple.  Yikes!  It seems like there are more of "them" than "us" and I expect that is likely the case. It is odd that our boomer generation was skipped in terms of tattooing.  There was lots of tattooing in the 1900s.  And consider the world's oldest - 4,000 BC - known tattoos belong to the Iceman with 61 distinct geometric tattoos - lines and crosses across his lower back, ribcage, wrist and legs.  Some scientists believe they served as a therapeutic or diagnostic medical purpose, maybe a form of acupuncture or pain relief.  Other theories are that they are part of a system of ritual or religious beliefs.  So what are the tattoo trends of Summer 2026?  Ethereal linework, high-contrast visuals and Y2K-inspired tribal designs.   There are a lot of Koi images in tattoo art. The summer 2026 art is towards delicate minimalism and blending classical Japanese motifs with modern ink styles.   I'll stick with the pictures of koi rather than the tattoos.  Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram Share Tweet Forward Copyright (C) 2026 marilyncornwell All rights reserved.  You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to photo of the day or week. Or you have been forwarded this email by someone you know. If you would like to change to photo of the week, please reply with 'week' in the subject line. Forward this email to a friend Update your profile  Our mailing address is: Marilyn Cornwell Associates 3 Sunnylea Crescent Grimsby, ON L3M 2Y2 Canada Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

Marilyn's Photos - June 23 2026 - Number Magic

 

Do you have a favourite number?  Number 7 has been crowned as the world's most favourite number.  It consistently comes out on top.  Simple things like the number of days of the week, the 7 colours of the rainbow and the 7 notes on a musical scale.  Oh, and there are 7 continents. The human brain naturally gravitates toward odd, prime and unique numbers.  I can remember the 7/7/77 moment - people sent off mail to get the lucky stamped date/time. Recently reporters have noted that Trump is frequently citing 22 as the number of something - the US destroyed 22 Iranian ships, he proved 22 Nobel-winning economists wrong, and he met with 22 medical specialists (for his latest checkup.)  He complained that a hypothetical trip to Asia would require 22 hours of flying, and that the capital had 22 fountains, that 22 people were shot in Chicago one weekend.  He's known for repeating numbers. Previously he referenced the number 92 quite a bit, and before that 10,000.  This time there seems to be so many repetitions of the number that the press has reported on it. Especially since most of the time the numbers are incorrect. To get to what it is about, some have tied this to the 22nd Amendment that doesn't let him run for President again.  And he keeps repeating he wants to run for President again. What about this idea?  I suggest we look up number 22 in numerology.  It is referenced as a master number in numerology, symbolizing potential achievement, and a strong connection between the spiritual and physical realms.  It is the Master Builder.  "It embodies a blend of intuition (from the number 2) and practicality (from the number 4), allowing individuals to manifest their visions effectively. Those influenced by this number are often seen as leaders with strong organizational skills, ambition, and a desire to make a lasting impact."  Both sources seem notably strange so let's vote on this. So would we go with the Numerology association or go with the 22nd Amendment obstacle for the president? We can probably bet on this somewhere now.   This image originated with a baked-on pattern on the parchment paper and was turned into an  X and Os grid.

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Marilyn's Photos - June 22 2026 - Summer Time Flying

 

Summer is the time when time speeds up.  Where did the summer go?  That will be a question we ask all too soon.  Expressions like the Summer flies by.  No one says that about the winter, unless they are in a southern climate snow birding it.   Research says that childhood summers feel long because the brain is packed with "firsts" and highly memorable moments.  There is an expression for the sense that time feels like it flies by "in the moment" because a person is immersed in exciting activities. This is known as the Holiday Paradox. Psychological and cognitive research use the terms memory density and dopamine-driven arousal.  Warmer weather increases heart rate, metabolism and levels of neurotransmitter dopamine.  Higher levels of dopamine are linked to how the brain measures intervals. So being energized and in a positive mood, the internal clock "ticks" faster. The lack of bright morning light in the winter naturally slows down biological clocks, causing people to feel sluggish and more focused on internal states, making the days drag on.  There's also the case that summer is arriving earlier, lasting longer and transitioning more rapidly due to climate shifts.  With the transitional periods shorter, the summer experience seems to go faster. So the scientific conclusion is that summer makes us happier - sunshine and warmer weather.  Now let's get packed for summer camp and Vacation Bible School.   I definitely would be willing to go to a week of Vacation Bible School packed with fun crafts and ice cream.  Especially ice cream.   Now this is a watering can collection!

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Marilyn's Photos - June 21 2026 - Father's Day Jokes

 

In Germany, men celebrate Men's Day by "ditching their families and taking hikes, bike rides, or pulling wagons filled with beer and traditional foods."  I bet 98 out of 100 German men are pulling beer on Father's Day rather than hiking. The most expensive Father's Day gift on record was a $78 million submarine given by a Russian billionaire to his father in 2013.  Compare that to Mark Zuckerberg who celebrated a Father's Day in the past by taking his parents and family on a luxurious Mediterranean cruise on his own $300 million superyacht.   The Guinness Record that always pops up first for Father's Day is the most children by one father and then the oldest verified father.  Most children was supposedly in the 1700s with 87 children (all those twins and triplets), and the oldest father was in 1992 with an Australian who fathered his ninth child at the age of 92. It is a surprise to me that no one has the Guinness Record for the most Father's Day jokes - also known as Dad Jokes. Dad jokes are considered "notoriously cheesy" so they win out over Mom jokes. They are characterized as harmless, family-friendly wordplay or purposefully bad puns designed to get a groan.  There are so many of these jokes.   I am sure there are 13,000 Dad jokes and that would overcome the current record of 12,582 jokes in 24 hours. Here are a few listed: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Notoriously cheesy!   This week's Luna image.

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