By way of scientific nomenclature, Paramecia (plural of paramecium) are unicellular ciliate protozoa. This, of course, means that they’re little globby things that look exceptionally hairy. This also means that since they dwell in many fresh, still water environments, their “hair” is their primary method of movement. As a child, I owned a rather powerful microscope: courtesy of the “scientific toy” section of a local Toys Я Us (do they realize how odd their name must look to Russians, Bulgarians, and anyone else whose language is written in Cyrillic?) I raised my own paramecia, my own amoebas (not so many, amoebas are a bit harder to catch in pond water than one might think) and far too many rotifers, daphnia, and “unknown” things to actually count. I was lucky enough, once, to capture nice, green water: evidence of euglena…wonderful little things with chlorophyll, the ability to swim, and one primitive eye. Euglena was the first “alien” I ever met: something that was both plant and animal, and neither of those things as well. Despite that, noble Paramecium reigned supreme in my protozoan pantheon. Last week, while walking with Corey, I discovered an odd plant growing where I didn’t expect to see an odd plant. Thanks to Andrea and Tara, I learned the name of that plant. I found a story involving the name of that plant as well. Honesty is the name of the plant, though it has a nice Latin name I can’t exactly remember at the moment, and I’m too lazy to check. At any rate, it has a wonderful Latin name…well…most breeds of Honesty have nice Latin names, but there’s an annual honesty out there…and that particular breed has inspired a story. It’ll come up later. In looking at this photo of a single honesty seed pod, with one seed still inside, I laughed at the glancing resemblance such pods have to my favorite protozoa. In looking at this photograph, I decided to name it “The Honest Paramecium” but unlike a true paramecium, this particular bit of honesty lacks a body-full of cilia and an oral groove. Still, I like the name and so it officially sticks. As for this particular photo, it’s one of many that I captured of honesty seed pods. I achieved this particular effect by simply placing a sheet of paper (the same paper that served my Onion Series) over a drinking glass with a flashlight in it. I rather like that connection: an onion-skin gave rise to a story universe, and now, it seems that an honesty seed-pod has done the same thing. It is only fitting (though accidental) that the same sheet of paper might serve as a background for each. There will be more concerning honesty seed pods, and more concerning the onion worshipping culture that grew out of a long-vanished onion husk. There may even be a story about a paramecium. Who knows? But until then, here is a photo. As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week.