SEEDS FOR THOUGHT:Annual pecan show is set for Dec. 9

As you begin pecan harvest, make plans to be part of the largest pecan variety trial program in Texas. It's the annual pecan shows that take place all over Texas, including the Permian Basin.

Facebook and digital photography for citizen scientists

“Conversations like this are what make Facebook worthwhile!” wrote Sheridan Coffey, a naturalist from San Antonio. She was commenting on a discussion about a photograph I posted on my Facebook page. I post two photographs of West Texas flora and fauna every day on the page (along with less than 50 words of text). The photograph was of a large hornworm that was curled at the top of a plant, with a strange black mass at its rear end, and several silklines tying it to the plant. One expert thought it was evidence of a parasitical disease, while another thought the caterpillar had just finished molting.