AtoZ 2019...Oh My 'V' Words & Photos

For AtoZ 2019, Word Prompts come first from 'Family Word Finder' ...

a thesaurus of synonyms and antonyms in alphabetical order. 

I take the first word and the last word of each letter and match it to a

photograph from my collection/files. 

Some invoke words in a story and others invoke that age old adage

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

 

 First 'V' Word Prompt...Vacant

     On several posts throughout this challenge, I have given information on the origin of the word prompt used.  Not all words in 'Family Word Finder' have the word origin feature, but for those that do 'Family Word Finder' says, "If you get into the habit of reading the Word origins, you will gain a broad understanding of how our language grew".

    So, let's explore the word 'Vacant'.  Vacant, vacuum, vacuous, vacate, evacuate, void, vacation, vain, vanity and vaunt all come from Latin vacare...to empty and it's adjective form vacuus.  Thus a vacuum is an empty space...a vacuity; a vacuous remark is one empty of intelligence;  vacant means empty, especially of occupants; and vacate and evacuate mean to make empty or vacant.

     There's more, but I think I'll vacate this line of vacuous remarking and give you the benefit of knowing that the photographed building is certainly empty of occupants...at least the human kind.  However, the relator sign may indicate the building may not be void of possibilities....if you are 'Chip & Joanna', 'This Old House', 'Property Brothers' and me. 

      My non-Latin speaking husband ended that idea with,

"Have you lost your ever lovin' vacuous mind!!!!"

 

Last 'V' word Prompt...Vulnerable

 In April of 2011, a pair of cardinals nested in a rose bush directly in front of our bedroom window.  It was an amazing month or so of photographing the process of nest building, birthing baby cardinals, parenting and eventually being empty nesters. 

     Here are some things I learned about Cardinals and the vulnerabilities of hatching their young.

~The female builds the nest while the male keeps an eye out for her and the surrounding territory for predators and other males. The female will be the only one incubating the eggs.

~The males duty during this time is to feed her on the nest and protect their territory from intruders.

~Once the young hatch, both will feed them. Two broods each season are attempted.

~The nest is made up of twigs, bark strips, vines leaves, rootlets, paper, and lined with vines, grass and hair.

~You can find the nest placed in dense shrubbery or among branches of small trees. Generally 1-15 feet above ground.

~Laying 2-5 eggs that are buff-white with dark marks. The female incubates the eggs for 12- 13 days and the young leave the nest in 9-11 days after hatching.

 

     Obviously the eggs and hatchlings are the most vulnerable to predators like Bluejays who will raid the nests if unguarded. 

     As the babies grow, they can fall out of the nest and be exposed to the elements and dangers on the ground.  We placed a portable fence around the rose bush.

      The parents often perched on the fence while taking a break, but staying near the nest hardly ever leaving it unguarded by at least one of them.