V.w.verweij

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“This is Drip, 3.5 month old.”

“Rosemary of Palisades doing her imitation of a rug”

Photo by Roberto Fernandez Coffey

“Dear PoPville,

I am writing to you to let you know of this amazing music community that started one year ago and has flourished. They just had their one year anniversary and I heard the story for the first time. Apparently two Mt. Pleasant neighborhood people noticed an unused piano at Purple Patch, and they approached the owner, and one thing led to another and they started Open Piano nights. It’s a amazing community of pianists that come play a variety of tunes, from ragtime, to jazz, or classical. Anyone who wants to come play, plays. I just want the rest of D.C. to know about this great piano community.”

Open Piano Wednesdays + Acoustic Thursdays at Purple Patch DC Facebook says:

“Open Piano is a space for pianists to hang out, play, and for listeners to enjoy it. In the style of old-time rent parties, any piano player can drop in and take a turn. It’s not a concert; food and drink are served through the evening by Purple Patch.

Acoustic Thursdays is a biweekly event with live music focusing on one or two musicians. Please check out our event page for dates and bios of artists.

Hosted by Kevin Lambert, musical director of Los Caribbeat and recovering lounge pianist, Open Piano is kid-friendly, there is no cover charge, and no music but live music.”

3155 Mount Pleasant St, NW

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share for the regular fix please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. AdoPtville is run by two volunteers who compile these pets weekly from local shelters.

“Gigi has been in foster care for 201 days! We can’t understand why this beautiful, snuggly girl hasn’t been adopted yet. Gigi is one of the most loveable and sweetest dogs ever. Her basic greeting is a vigorous tail wagging–it’s like a helicopter, round and round! Gigi loves to play, but she can easily entertain herself too. Gigi is a world-class snuggler! She’s happiest cozying up in your lap or flopping over for belly rubs. Gigi is one funny, playful girl–and loves to make you laugh. Do you enjoy going for long walks? So does Gigi! In fact, she’s ready to go right now. Will you apply to meet her? She can’t wait to shower you with love! Apply today to adopt Gigi!

Meet Frankie, a chatty kitty who chirps and meows when he wants to say Hello! He’s affectionate and he’s a huge fan of belly rubs– and he’s got the softest, silkiest tummy built just for petting! Frankie is a sponge for your attention and will reward you with plentiful purrs. And when you get home from a long day of work, he’ll be waiting to greet you (then he’ll ask for more tummy rubs). This confident, mellow fellow also loves to play with toys, or just chill in the window watching the squirrels outside. He’s pretty chill with dogs too! Frankie is FIV+, so he needs an “only cat” home, or a home with another FIV+ cat. (FIV is not contagious to people or dogs.) If you’re looking for a sociable, easygoing, independent fella, Frankie may be the one for you!

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“Greebo & Nall. The boys have grown up quite a lot since they were on the site almost 3 years ago as kittens! Still loving each other to no end.”

“This is Bruce the 6-month-old basset hound puppy who lives near Logan Circle. He hates walking on his leash and instead likes to follow his nose in search of chicken bones.”

Right?

Well done, Spacycloud. Anyone stop in for a taste yet?

2309 18th Street, NW

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“This is Tulip, the 5 month english bulldog puppy from Dupont Circle. She is 30lbs and begs to be carried no matter what!”

“Bamber (of Capitol Hill) looks like she’s afflicted with ontological disquiet. In reality, she’s just basking in a sunbeam and wondering why this bass guitar is on her weight bench.”

(It’s a late 60’s Univox if anybody asks)

There seems to be no end to the diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes exhibited by Nepenthes and their pitchers. These wonderful carnivorous plants grow these pitchers as a means of supplementing their nutritional needs as the habitats in which Nepenthes are found are lacking in vital nutrients like nitrogen. There are as many variations on the pitcher theme as there are Nepenthes but all function as traps in one form or another. How they trap insects is another topic entirely and some species have evolved incredible means of making sure prey does not escape. Some of my favorites belong to those species that employ sticky mucilage.

Arguably one of the most iconic of this type is Nepenthes inermis. This species is endemic to a small region of Sumatra and, to date, has only been found growing on a handful of mountain peaks in the western part of the country. The specific epithet ‘inermis’ is Latin for ‘unarmed’ as was given in reference to the bizarre upper pitchers of this plant. They look more like toilet bowls than anything carnivorous and indeed, they lack many of the features characteristic of other Nepenthes pitchers such as a peristome and a slippery, waxy coating on the inside of the pitcher walls.

These may seem like minor details but consider the role these features play in other Nepenthes. A peristome is essentially a brightly colored, slippery lip that lines the outer rim of the pitcher mouth. Not only does this serve in attracting insect prey, it also aids in their capture. As mentioned, the peristome can be extremely slippery (especially when wet) so that any insect stumbling around on the rim is much more likely to fall in. Once inside, a waxy coating on the inside of some pitchers aids in keeping insects down. They simply cannot get purchase on the waxy walls and therefore cannot climb back out. So, for N. inermis to lack both features is a bit strange.

Another interesting feature of N. inermis pitchers is the highly reduced pitcher lid. It hasn’t disappeared completely but compared with other Nepenthes, this pitcher lid barely registers as one. For most Nepenthes, pitcher lids serve multiple functions. For starters, they keep the rain out. Nepenthes are msot at home in humid, tropical climates where rain is a daily force to be reckoned with. For many Nepenthes, rain not only dilutes the valuable digestive soup brewing within each pitcher, it can also cause them to overflow and dump their nutritious contents. Pitcher lids can also help in attracting prey. Like the peristome, they are often brightly colored but many also secrete nectar, which insects find irresistible. Lured in by the promise of food, some insects inevitably fall down into the pitcher below.

Looking into the pitcher of Nepenthes inermis.

Considering the importance of such structures, it becomes a little bit confusing why some Nepenthes have evolved away from this anatomy. The question then remains, why would a species like N. inermis no longer produce pitchers with these features? Amazingly, the answer actually lies within the pitcher fluid itself.

Tip over the upper pitchers of N. inermis and you will soon discover that they are filled with an extremely viscous mucilage. It is so viscous that some have reported that when the pitchers are held upside down, the mucilage within can form an unbroken stream of considerable length. Its the viscosity of this fluid that is the real reason that N. inermis is able to capture prey so easily. Insects lured to the traps can catch a drink of the nectar on the tiny lid. In doing so, some inevitably fall down into the pitcher itself.

The upper pitcher of the closely related Nepenthes dubia.

Instead of slippery walls or downward pointing hairs keeping the insects in, the viscous pitcher fluid quickly engulfs the struggling prey. Some have even suggested that the nectar secreted by the tiny lid has narcotic effects on visiting insects, however, I have not seen any data demonstrating this. Once caught in the fluid, insects easily slide their way down into the depths of the pitcher where they can be digested. This is probably why the pitchers are shaped like tiny toilet bowls; their shape allows for a large sticky surface area for insects to get stuck while prey that has already been captured is funneled down to where digestion and absorption takes place. In a way, these types of pitchers behave surprisngly similar to the sticky traps utilized by other carnivorous plants like sundews (Drosera spp.).

The viscous fluid also comes in handy during the frequent rains that blanket these mountains. As mentioned above, rain would quickly dilute most pitcher fluids but not when the pitcher fluid itself is more dense. Water sits on top of the viscous mucilage and when the pitchers become too heavy, they tip over. The water readily pours out but little if any of the pitcher fluid is lost in the process. It seems that species like N. inermis no longer fight the elements but rather have adapted to meet them head on. As such, they no longer have a need for a large pitcher lid.

Nepenthes jamban takes the toilet bowl shape to the extreme.

Nepenthes inermis is not alone in having evolved pitchers like this. Viscous pitcher mucilage is a trait shared by its closest relatives - N. dubia, N. flava, N. jacquelineae, N. jamban, N. talangensis, and N. tenuis, as well as even more distantly related species such as N. rafflesiana. Because prey capture is so important for the fitness of individuals, it is no wonder that so many different forms have evolved within this genus. In fact, many experts believe that variations in the way in which prey is captured and utilized is one of the main reasons why Nepenthes have undergone such a dramatic adaptive radiation.

Sadly, the uniqueness in form and function of these pitchers has landed many of these species on the endangered species list. As if habitat destruction wasn’t already pushing some to the brink, species like N. inermis are being poached at alarmingly unsustainable rates. Due to their limited distributions, most populations simply cannot recover from even moderate levels of harvesting. The silver lining in all of this is that many Nepenthes are extremely easy to grow and propagate provided their basic needs are met. As more and more folks enter into the carnivorous plant hobby, hopefully more and more people will be sharing seeds, cuttings, and tissue cultured materials. In doing so, we can hopefully reduce some of the pressures placed on wild populations.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons

Further Reading: [1] [2] [3]

Arlington zoning inspectors recently made an unusual discovery — a group of nuns living in a Williamsburg convent is currently running afoul of some county rules.

And in the process of trying to right that zoning quirk, county officials stumbled upon a similarly unique dispute within the neighborhood over how, exactly, the county should hand out a permit to let the nuns continuing living in their current home.

The dispute is set to come before the County Board this weekend, and involves a group of seven nuns who work as teachers at the nearby Bishop O’Connell Catholic High School.

The “Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” have lived in a home along the 2800 block of N. Rochester Street since winning a permit from the Board last year, according to a report prepared for the Board.

But as county staff commenced a one-year review of that permit, they discovered that the nuns never obtained a “certificate of occupancy,” a document from the county certifying that the building’s occupants were following the terms of the convent’s permit.

Staff notified the sisters and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, and they’re now recommending that the Board give them three months to straighten out that deficiency.

Yet they’re also suggesting a new condition for the permit allowing the convent to operate, after hearing from one concerned neighbor. That person expressed concern that “the use permit for group living/dormitory could be transferred to another occupant upon sale/leasing of the property to another user that could operate under the use permit without further review by the County Board.”

“If the current owners of the house were to sell the property to another user that agreed to abide by the current approved conditions, there is a possibility that another of the uses that falls within the group living category could occupy the premises,” staff wrote. “As a result, staff is recommending a new condition that would limit the use permit to the current convent use; any other use of the premises for group living would require a review by the County Board.”

If the Board agrees to follow staff’s recommendations, it will take up the matter again in April, when members could renew the convent’s permit for a full year. The matter is slated for the Board’s consent agenda Saturday, which is generally reserved for noncontroversial items to be passed all at once.

Photo via Arlington County

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“Louie from Dupont is celebrating his five year adoptiversary by working on his staring skills.”

“Teegra from Brookland”

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“Kimchi of Mount Vernon. He’s a shih tzu/yorkie mix”

“Lou Hillcrest guarding our son”

See this tweet:

IT'S #MICROWAVEMONDAY AT THEE SHOWTIME BAR & GRILLE #FOODIE pic.twitter.com/ot2VcCWFxt

— Showtime (@Showtime_DC) January 21, 2019

Whoa.

2467 18th Street, NW

Thanks to a couple readers for sending:

“Just received an email from a commercial broker saying the building on 18th where Idle Time Books is located just sold, dunno what that means for the business but thought you’d like to know.”

In December the Washington Post reported the upcoming sale of the building and business to real estate executive Scott Spector:

“In November, after years of rejecting potential buyers who preferred her real estate to her first-edition copies of Jack Kerouac novels, [Idle Time owner Val] Morgan found what she considered an appropriate suitor — “the bookstore savior,” as she refers to him, bursting into a raspy laugh.

Spector, in a telephone interview, said he’s contemplating myriad changes, including selling new books along with the used, opening a cafe in the shop, and creating space for readings, lectures and community meetings.”

STAY TUNED.

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“Ziggy. North Michigan Park

12 pounds of pure love. I can never quite capture the hopeful adoration in his eyes. He’s the epitome of a #goodboy. He’ll be 11 this year which I understand is not quite middle age for small dogs. Ahem.”

“Fritz (of @fritzthetitz) and foster dog Gretel (@drna_doxierescue) of Petworth”

Photo by PoPville flickr user
Mr.TinDC

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of Unified Communications (OUC) is proud to announce the implementation of a police non-emergency option. Residents and visitors of the District can now call 3-1-1 to report all police non-emergencies. The OUC defines a non-emergency call as any call related to an incident that does not pose an immediate threat to the safety of individuals and/or incidents that occurred at least one hour before the initial request for police assistance is made.

Last year, the agency received approximately 1.5 million 9-1-1 calls for service, and approximately of 20 percent of those calls were for non-emergency incidents. To improve call taking efficiency, the agency has developed a pathway for non-emergency calls using the current 3-1-1 call tree, previously utilized exclusively for city services and information.

Now after dialing 3-1-1, callers should press Option # 1 to report police non-emergencies like noise complaints, fender benders, vandalism, destruction of property, and for any crimes that have happened in the past with no reported injuries, and when the suspect is no longer on the scene. Once the call is processed with the operator, based on the findings, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will be dispatched to provide a response.

“The 311-phone system will now serve as the initial step in the police non-emergency process, preserving the 9-1-1 line for more critical incidents. This helps us fulfill our mission to provide accurate and expedited service while responding to both the emergency and non-emergency needs of our residents and visitors,” said Karima Holmes, Director of the Office of Unified Communications.

Previously, OUC’s telephony system did not prioritize emergency calls over non-emergency calls. Instead, they were handled by 9-1-1 call takers in the order in which they were received. Re-routing non-emergency call types from the 9-1-1 queue will help to better prioritize emergency calls and preserve the 9-1-1 telephone line for life-threatening emergencies. In any situation in which there is an immediate threat to life and safety, residents are encouraged to call 9-1-1.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user angela n.

You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may have. But please no personal attacks and no need to correct people’s grammar. This is a place to vent and/or celebrate things about daily life in D.C.

Follow PoPville on Facebook here on Twitter here, and on Instagram here.  You can also sign up for daily email summaries here.  Please email tips and questions to princeofpetworth@gmail.com

If you are able please consider ensuring PoPville’s long term viability by donating to our Patreon here.

The Joy of Shreks

Strange days my friends. Strange days indeed.

1200 18th Street, NW at M Street

Photo by Meg Viera

They have no idea what’s coming…

Thanks to Meg for sending Saturday afternoon: “Cherry blossoms are blooming on 15th and U St!”

Looks like tonight/tomorrow will be legit so please send your snow photos, snow dogs and snow fun action via email to princeofpetworth@gmail.com or Twitter/Facebook/Instagram @PoPville (and tag ’em #PoPville on IG). Thanks and have fun!

BOOK | Webtoon | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Dunkin, a pug with a coffee-centric name.

Here’s what Dunkin’s owner, Scott, had to say:

My name is Dunkin’ and I’m named after Dunkin’ Donuts, that being a favorite coffee spot for my family.  I like seeing my name at shops all around town!

Born in July in Fauquier County, I’m glad my family brought me to Arlington.  I enjoy time with my “brother Pug” George, who’s 9.  I keep him good company and on the run around our house, and think I’ve livened him up!  We share many toys, including some given to us for the holiday season.  My favorites include a Koala bear, a turtle, a football, and, of course, a strawberry donut!  I like watching television, especially when I see other dogs and when there’s music on the screen.

We enjoyed having our picture taken with Santa, and look forward to a busy 2019!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email arlingtonnews@gmail.com with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“5 month old Theodora (Theo), North Petworth’s newest resident, is getting acclimated quite comfortably.”

“Hazel of Silver Spring (Instagram @my.dog.hazel)”

Just off H Street, NE.

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“Meet Tulip (she goes by many names, “The Terror of West End”, “The Devil of DuPont”, etc.. Tulip is 4 months old and moved into DuPont/West End two months ago. Tulip hates walking, she’s really only outside to potty and then jump in front of passerby’s to stop them for pets. She likes barking at other dogs (although she’s really just a big chicken) and being called cute.”

If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood.  If you love the animal fix and want to ensure PoPville’s long term viability please consider donating to our Patreon here.

“Smokey & Pete
Edgewood, NE DC”

“Santa paws (aka @murphymcnugget) is wishing all of his DC neighbors a very happy holiday season. May you all be on the nice list…except for you scooter riders who come barreling down sidewalks at me when I’m walking. You’re definitely on the naughty list!”

Most pitcher plants in the genus Nepenthes seem pretty adept at catching prey. These plants specialize in nutrient-poor soils and their carnivorous habit evolved as a means of supplementing their nutritional needs. Despite the highly evolved nature of their pitfall traps (which are actually modified leaves), Nepenthes aren’t perfect killing machines. In fact, some get a helping hand from seemingly unlikely partners.

Spend enough time reading about Nepenthes in the wild and you will see countless mentions of arthropods hanging around their pitchers. Some of these inevitably become prey, however, there are others that appear to be taking advantage of the plant. Nepenthes don’t passively trap arthropods. Instead, they lure them in with bright colors and the promise of tasty treats like nectar. This is not lost on predators like spiders, who are frequent denizens of pitcher mouths.

Most notable to Nepenthes specialists are some of the crab spiders that frequently haunt Nepenthes traps. These wonderful arachnids sit at the mouth of the pitcher and ambush any insects that try to pay it a visit. Often times both predator and prey fall down into the pitcher, however, thanks to a strand of silk, the spiders easily climb back out with their meal. This may seem like bad news for the pitcher, however, recent research based out of the National University of Singapore has shown that this relationship is not entirely one sided.

By studying the interactions between spiders and pitcher plants both in the lab and in the field, ecologists discovered that at least one species of pitcher plant (Nepenthes gracilis) appears to benefit greatly from the presence of crab spiders. The key to understanding this relationship lies in the types of prey N. gracilis is able to capture when crab spiders are and are not present.

Not only did the presence of a resident crab spider increase the amount of prey in each Nepenthes pitcher, it also changed the types of insects that were being captured. Crab spiders are ambush predators that frequently attack prey much larger than themselves. It may seem as if this is a form of food robbery on the part of the crab spider but the spiders can’t eat everything. When they have eaten their fill, the spiders discard the carcass into the pitcher where the plant can make quick work digesting it for its own benefit.

Over time, simply having a spider hunting on the trap led to a marked increase in the number of insects in each pitcher compared to those without a spider. Even if these meals are already half eaten, the plant still gains nutrients. Additionally, the types of prey captured by pitchers with and without crab spiders changed. The spiders were able to capture and subdue insects like flesh flies, which normally aren’t captured by Nepenthes pitchers. As such, the resident crab spiders make available a larger suite of potential prey than would be available if they weren’t using the pitchers as hunting grounds.

The crab spiders may benefit the pitcher plant in other ways as well. Research on crab spiders has shown that their bodies are covered in pigments that register high in the UV spectrum. Insects can see UV light and often use it as a means of finding flowers as plants often produce UV-specific pigments in their floral tissues. The wide array of UV patterns on flowers are there to guide their pollinators into position. Researchers have documented that insects are actually more likely to visit flowers with crab spiders than those without, which has led to the idea that UV pigments in crab spiders actually act as insect attractants. Visiting insects simply cannot resist the UV stimulus and quickly fall victim to the resident crab spider.

Could it be that by taking up residence on a Nepenthes pitcher, the crab spiders are increasing the likelihood of insects visiting the traps? This remains to be seen as such questions did not fall under the scope of this investigation. That being said, it certainly offers tantalizing evidence that there is more to the Nepenthes-crab spider relationship. More work is needed to say for sure but the closer we look at such interactions, the more spectacular they become!

Photo Credits: [1] [2] [3] [4]

Further Reading: [1] [2] [3]