Her pattern a symbol,
of the morals of her kin.
Her web a floral design,
from countless threads spun thin,
on which she bears her cross,
to carry it to my grave.

R.I.P. stink bug 🩶

And to the cross spider, enjoy your meal! 😋

The female garden spider (Araneus diadematus) soon lays her eggs and therefore needs a lot of energy. 🍂🍁 She then dies and the eggs overwinter in the cocoon. ☃️❄️

In my poem, the cross spider is depicted both literally and symbolically as the bearer of the morals of her kin. The distinctive cross on her back represents not only a natural characteristic but also the burden of the moral values and traditions she embodies. Her web symbolizes the complex network of ethical principles woven within the community, highlighting how the individual is intertwined with these structures.

The image of the spider carrying her cross to the grave of the lyrical self refers to the inevitable connection between life and death, while also conveying the responsibility and consequences of the moral choices of her kin. The cross spider thus becomes a symbol of the dynamics of tradition, responsibility, and the ultimate transience of life.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

A little over a week ago, I found our crowd favorite Chico with an injury. He had lost part of his tail. I then searched the terrarium for traces to find the cause. I came to the conclusion that the crack in the bamboo was the most likely cause. This matches a blood stain that I found nearby. I'll be honest, I had noticed this crack before, but I hadn't considered the possibility that his tail could get caught in it. The crack has become wider due to the moisture, which is a risk that can happen in any terrarium. That's why I hope that Chico's painful experience is a warning to other owners. It was a lesson for me to be more cautious and foresighted. Chico's tail will grow back, and during this time he will have an increased need for nutrients. Since then, apart from the missing tail, he has seemed vital and behaved as usual. Geckos, like many other lizards, shed their tails when they are in danger thanks to special muscles. It is not yet clear whether this causes pain. Some biologists argue that pain when shedding a tail is an evolutionary hindrance. Nevertheless, it is definitely something that should not be taken lightly. The second photo shows the bamboo with the gap. The constriction probably became a trap. The third photo shows the leaking tissue fluid on the day of the event. The tissue fluid helps to clean the wound effectively. Because a stress-free environment is important for healing and because day geckos usually stay above ground, it makes more sense to leave them in the terrarium. This may be different for ground-dwelling animals because their tails often touch the ground and can cause infections.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

Snakes become milky a few days before shedding, called "blue phase". This is because a fluid accumulates between the old and new skin, separating them. But why do the eyes also turn cloudy? This is because, unlike leopard geckos, snakes do not have eyelids. Instead, they have a spectacle scale covering each of their eyes.

Today, 4 days after this photo, Dakota has shed his skin and is now climbing around looking for the white mice he is so convinced of.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🐝 Busy like a bumblebee!

🌻 At 13, while living in a children’s home, I took the initiative to find my first job at a garden center, working a few hours each week, becoming the youngest in my family to seek and find employment independently. At 14, I moved to Hessen to live with my father and at 15 began working as a newspaper carrier, a job I held until I was 17. By then, I had completed internships as a bank clerk, gardener, and zookeeper. I also started teaching myself web programming and image editing at 14, followed by two internships at an advertising agency. By 22, I had completed my training as an IT specialist and by 23, I was active in local politics, serving on the board of a political youth organization for three years.

🧱 Due to health issues and related prejudices, finding jobs was challenging. For example, I worked as a deputy team leader in a security archive and also took on night shifts at a conveyor belt sorting station, despite the strain on my health due to the sensory overstimulation (ADHD). I also hold a forklift license and other certifications in warehousing and logistics, and have the endurance to handle more than 20,000 packages a day.

👾 Meanwhile, I earned professional qualifications in marketing and media design and now work as a full stack web developer and designer for print and digital media.

🌿 Despite unfounded accusations of laziness or drug use, I have never had the means or social context for regular drug use. I don't even drink alcohol. I have no criminal record, and ADHD is not a psychotic illness. I enjoy nature, photographing animals and plants, and pursuing my interests. When faced with accusations, I see them as reflections of others’ deficiencies, not my own worth.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

🌊 Haven of Serenity

🏝 The sloths were generated with FLUX AI. The environment and some sloth details were created with Adobe Firefly. I spent quite a long time on it. I wanted it to be completely AI generated and that doesn't always do what it's supposed to.

🏗 Originally, when I generated it with FLUX, the sloths were in a kind of metal container in a mechanical setting. I gave the image some longing, warmth and fantasy, but also subtle contrasts.

Initial prompts: FLUX AI
Enhancement: Adobe Firefly AI

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

Mutagenic Sloth Clockwork 🕰🦥

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🐌 Lazily ceated with
🤖 AI image generator:

Initial prompts: FLUX AI

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With FLUX you can create very realistic images. Like many AI image generators, it still has a few small problems with the number of body parts. This has to do with the way it works, but progress is being made. Modern AI models are based on complex neural networks. These networks work on different levels of abstraction to recognize and combine patterns. The program does not count, but recognizes a probable pattern in the context of the specification and environment.

A few years ago I introduced you to Google's Deepdream. A neural network that hallucinated objects into images based on training data in several runs. The basic principle has remained essentially the same since then, although the underlying technology and the ability to generate more realistic images has developed considerably.

Modern AI models work iteratively to create increasingly realistic images by building on and refining previous results. In several runs - now with huge training data and a targeted context - more and more is 'hallucinated'. The limbs are partially shaped like a back, which is why it sometimes recognizes a sloth where there is actually a sloth arm.

Bioculture: While inspiration from biological systems played a role, technology has developed in a direction that goes far beyond what could be considered a direct replica of the nervous system. It is an exciting world full of unimagined possibilities.

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

Siblings playing in the forest 🦋🌲✨️

🐌 Lazily ceated with
🤖 AI image generator:

Initial prompts: FLUX AI
Enhancement: Adobe Firefly AI

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.

Dakota, nine years ago today. Dakota was almost 3 and I was 29. Dakota hasn't changed much, but I'm different now. I find that time can be really confusing. Nine years isn't really a lot, but somehow it is.

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Chico! 🦎

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Why so cute?🙃

🦗 Sickle bush-cricket nymph,
Phaneroptera species

🌼 Oak-leaved hydrangea,
Hydrangea quercifolia

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.