Opting out of the attention economy

In a world where everything has become transactional...where everything is an opportunity to make a buck or to sell a product, from politicians selling legislation in exchange for campaign donations down to a podcaster rapturously offering paeans in service of the latest supplement or gadget to service their advertisers, our attention one of the most valuable products of all.

That's why it feels joyously transgressive to opt out for an hour or two, and give your attention to nature, who asks for nothing in exchange. To the contrary: our money is no good with nature. There is no price you can pay to get a rain shower or a sunny sky. You can't order up a nice warbler or fritillary on demand. They show up when they show up. You can increase your chances of encounters if you take the time to get to know the rhythms and ways of the nature, but that, too, takes an investment more valuable than dollars. 

Each summer, as the heat presses in August, the smartweeds begin to bloom in colors from a dirty white to a shocking hot pink, half a dozen different species or more found along the trail and in the wetlands. The tiny flowers attract equally tiny bees, flies, ants. 

Maybe it's their humble stature, or the lack of attention they get in comparison to bigger, more charismatic flowers, or the extravagant carnation-pink hues against their elegant green leaves...but I'm inordinately fond of these little plants. 

That's why I was delighted to spot the telltale flower in a new (to me) spot along the trail. And even better...what is that bunch of dead hanging off the inflorescence? Could it be...a Camouflaged Looper?! One of my favorite invertebrates, on one of my favorite flowers. 

Sources note that Camouflaged Loopers often, though not exclusively,  use members of Asteraceae, or Composite, family of flowers (like coneflowers, Silphiums, and daisies) as a host. It was particularly fun to know that they also appreciate smartweeds' Polygonaceae family. 

I can't go down to the local nursery and buy a flowering smartweed. And I definitely can't order up a Camouflaged Looper to decorate it. The smartweed doesn't want anything from me except to be left alone to do its smartweed thing. Same for the looper. 

They don't even want our attention.