By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Patient readers, this is an open thread and I must now go on to eviscerate Ron Klain. Such was not my intent, but a series of minor logistical issues due to the time change interfered, like me sleeping very badly. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. –lambert strether

Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Today’s plant (TH):

TH writes: “I went for a walk at a park in Irvine (Kenneth Mason park), hoping to spy the golden eagle someone I met while photographing the Monarchs earlier this month had mentioned. I didn’t spot the eagle, and the smaller birds weren’t being cooperative, but the lighting on the sugar sumac and bees contented me.”

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the recently concluded and — thank you! — successful annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn’t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember , a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I’m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: