If I’ve learned anything from the recent success of my groundbreaking book, A Field Guide to Roadside Wildflowers At Full Speed, it’s that I have no idea what the public is going to think is funny or engaging. However, since my book’s popularity was mainly due to it becoming a meme, the obvious next step for me is to create a whole lot more memes in the forlorn hope of replicating my previous success.
So I did it. I made a whole batch of prairie memes.
Here’s the thing. Some of them aren’t great. But sometimes you have to just throw a bunch of memes at the wall to see what sticks, right? Hey, that could be a meme…
Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are my first attempts at writing prairie memes. If you see one you like, share it with friends. Maybe they’ll like it too. Or maybe I’ll go back to writing essays about beetles I can’t identify… Thanks for being patient with me as I go through this difficult phase in my life.
The Prairie Ecologist 
That’s awesome 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 thanks for that!
You had me at “Hold my nectar…”
LOVE this!!! ❤️ Very engaging, can I use some of this for presentations that we give to kids in our local schools about prairies?
BTW, I love all of your posts.
I had no idea that katydids heard through their elbow. Game changer. I’ve always LOVED plants because they are SO interesting. Hmmmm… I could see a new interest taking shape.
Thank you. Greatly appreciated :)
Loved it!
Thanks for sharing your creativity!
On Mon, Feb 17, 2020, 9:19 PM The Prairie Ecologist wrote:
> Chris Helzer posted: ” If I’ve learned anything from the recent success of > my groundbreaking book, A Field Guide to Roadside Wildflowers At Full > Speed, it’s that I have no idea what the public is going to think is funny > or engaging. However, since my book’s popularity was mai” >
My favorites are the looper and the spider mom. Lots of fun here.
Oh, Yes, adding captions can change the entire set of photos from ‘beautiful’ to ‘Will never forget’, HAH! Up here in Wisconsin at the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area, we had a 16 yo young man take some photos from one the blinds watching the annual spring Sharp Tail Grouse dancing on the LEK! Well he added captions to this quite vibrant and ? comical ‘SEX SCENE’ photo shoot. “We’re all Territorial”, “Is she Looking?”, “Which One, which one?”, to “It’s her choice”, to “She’s mine!” Can’t get any better than that in my mind.
Love these, especially your tag line of “Nothing to see here”.But, I also love how much I learn from your regular posts.
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These are informative and fun, Chris.
For some reason, the bison one tickled my funny bone the most, and might have even a touch more if Shirley’s name was Belinda. Ya know – Belinda Buffalo – Alliteration; a staple in the toolbox of humor.
The ant on the thistle made me very sad. I think thistles do that to deter seed predators, and the poor ants just get caught in the crossfire.
Liked them a lot!
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Interesting! So my question is why are a katydid’s ears on its elbow? Does anybody know how they use them differently than the rest of us? Suzanne
Here’s a sciencey account if what and how katydids hear. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00605735
Basically, it demostrates they are best at hearing the songs of their own species.
Thx James! Just saw this, will check it out.
These are so good! LOVE the tag line ‘Prairies-Nothing to see here!’ Can’t wait to see many, many more of these! Can we print them?
Of course you can print them. Thanks!
Like them. My very favorite is, “Tell me again how good your Mom was”. Fabulous. Nature is!
“These are funny! I will forward to Chad. However, the honey bees “Frank” and “Frank’s Brother” should be “Francine” and “Francine’s Sister” – since all the worker bees are female! No male bee (drone) would ever be caught carrying nectar. I wonder if Chris just forgot?
Thanks for sharing! ” Comment from my grand daughter when I forwarded the memes to her.. I knew only females went out, but did not catch it. Friend in MN loved it and said to make more.
I really appreciate your posts and forward many to friends. Thank You
Thanks Anton. Tell your granddaughter she’s very smart. However, in this case there’s more to the story, and she might like to know that the bee pictured is a native digger bee, not a honey bee.
And I’m 90% sure it’s a male. With digger bees, as with most native bees, the females still do all the important work and the males are pretty much just around to mate with the females. This bee had spent the night outdoors (as opposed to inside a cozy nest tunnel like its female counterparts) and I photographed it as it was trying to warm up in the morning sun. Also male bees certainly do feed on nectar – it’s what fuels them up for their frantic searching for females to mate with. They don’t carry it anywhere, they just eat it (drink it).
Thanks! I shared the mantidfly meme on the Facebook and it’s traveling well. I’ve only been able to photograph one once, on my back porch where it was likely hunting spiders or laying eggs maybe. I was excited to finally see one and get photos, even if it was the less wasp-colored version. I’ll share more memes in the coming weeks, maybe get some more subscribers to the blog!
I just read this and love it– more please!
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