Lionel

Meet Lionel, Gus’ and Fern’s cousin—ok, maybe they are not so closely related and there are 1000s of miles between the three. When we last saw Lionel, he was about 15 feet up in the air and he was probably the size of my hand—maybe larger. 😯 We were on the farm looking at crops. My daughter saw Lionel first. His web spanned the entire field road (the black spot to the right of him is something in his web). 😮

Lionel is not some little spider and I will be quite honest…I do not like spiders…even the smallest. There was no one for miles but the closest person probably heard me yell and scream. We took photos and then backed down the road very carefully so as not to disturb him. 😐

By the way, if you wonder where these names come from…I have no clue. 😀

I wish you a very happy and a very safe Halloween! 😀

And, Happy Gardening! 😆

 

 

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“Gus”

While I was tidying up the last day of vacation I found Gus on his back in the kitchen and sent number one daughter this photo of him doing the backstroke. I left him for a while to be sure he was dead but thought I saw him move, then dismissed it.

 

Next, the time came… I told him not to move and I reached down to get him (to dispose of—shhh!) … and he waved at me … (eye roll 🙄 ). That scared the p-turkey out of me (whatever that means).

 

I texted all of this to her and that I hate “crunch” (you know—when they aren’t dead yet). She asked if Gus was a cockroach… LOL 😀 Then she asked if I had seen any scorpions… 😯

 

OMG … SCORPIONS? I hadn’t thought of that. Told her I thought I would know since I wasn’t in the morgue or the hospital—was upright and walking. She asked where I was walking… (eye roll :roll:). I guess she thought I was outside doing exercise when I was just inside? Oh dear! I tell her that I am walking to the kitchen and she said she guessed I wasn’t in the morgue. Good guess. 😆

I said, “Nope.” And she says, “Phew.” Hahahahaha..!!!

 

She is a smart one. I think I will keep her! This is what we do… This is natural. Comedy? Maybe. LOL 😀

Now, who said my life was boring? 😀

Happy Gardening! 😀

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The polka dot caterpillar

As I was going through some old photos, I found this one taken with my roommates when I was in graduate school. I’m not sure if this was for Halloween, but I remember coming up with the idea of dressing as a caterpillar. We got an old sheet and cut holes and decorated it. We made a tail for the end and I had some of those glitter balls for the person in the front (me). I don’t know how I got to be in the front…seriously. I used some fake eyelashes (with glitter) and we covered our hands–excuse me, feet :)–with socks.

Polka dot caterpillar

I think we look special! What was really crazy is that we walked to the party which was across campus—can you believe we actually went out like this? I was always up for a dare. People honked and yelled as they passed by and we gave them a show—a dance step or two as best a caterpillar can give :). Oh, those were the days…

Happy Gardening and may your memories be happy ones!

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Forsythia 2012

from photoop23 at webshots

Last year I made a post about how the forsythia bush around the corner from our house was in full bloom the first week of February in 2011 (SEE Anticipation). We had a really cold winter last year, not just a few cold nights and then warm up and repeat… It was bitterly cold for extended periods of time and it snowed last year. Bitterly for here means in the single digits with highs below freezing. This year, we have barely been in the freezing temps (for lows)—well, there was one night in the teens, but it was back into the 60s in no time—not our usual winter, but most people have not had their usual winter.

That same forsythia bush was almost in full bloom on the 12^th of January this year and we are still waiting for winter to arrive. Many trees are pushing into their pre-bud stage. Historically, our coldest times are in January and February, but the long-range outlook still shows warmer than normal temps. I so needed a cooler winter after the hottest summer we have ever had (recorded), and we needed it to kill off some of the bugs. As it stands, we are in bad shape come spring and summer. On the other hand, I am still trying to make up for all of the money we paid to the power company trying to keep us semi-cool.

Oh, well. We take what we are dealt and need to find good in it in some way. Happy Gardening and hopefully, your plans for your spring gardens are underway!

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It’s a fly trap or fly catcher

Today, this glass contraption is used as a sort of decoration, but in years past, it was used to catch flies. It has been in my family for many, many years-way more than 50 :). I have only seen it in ‘action’ 2-3 times that I can recall. The farmhouse had window screens when I was little but that was not always the case. Even later, the pesky little varmints would find their way inside.

There are two parts to the trap. Honey or sugar water was placed in the amber-colored base and the globe was reseated. Flies would enter the hole in the bottom and become trapped. I remember watching them fly around inside the globe. I have read that some people used some type of poison to kill the flies (mercury or arsenic or other), but I do not remember anything like such added during my lifetime. For the most part the fly catcher sat on the cupboard in the dining room of the old farmhouse, but when in use it sat in the middle of the dining room table.

I do not know the exact age, but I suspect that it belonged to my great-grandparents. They died in the 20s and 30s (1900s). It is pressed glass, and the base rim is marked, “Patent applied for.” The same term is found at the top of the globe, too. A very similar, almost exact trap, except for the colored base, was patented in 1890. Maybe someone knows about when it was made and would like to share. I would love to know.

Today, the fly catcher (I like catcher better than trap) sits on the Welch dresser my father made. The trap may not be the most valuable item I have, but it is very sentimental. Just think of the different inventions that made their way into our ancestors’ lives.

Happy Gardening every day of your life!

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What’s in the garden?

Walkingstick

No, that’s not a piece of pinestraw in my Peace Lily, but it looks like it. It is a stick bug or Walkingstick that I caught on camera this past summer – see more about them here. We do not have many of them, but every so often they will come around my potted plants. This is the only one I saw this year.

Moths

When we went to the ‘mountains’ this fall (autumn), these white moths (with black accents) were on the side of the cabin where we stayed. Cool, huh? They are rather small-notice the granddaddy long-legs spider for comparison.

I am not a fan of insects and creepy crawly things, but odd ones are interesting (as long as they do not slither, sting, or bite). One never knows what is lurking in the backyard garden or even the garden of life.

Happy Gardening!

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A garden visitor

It was so nice to get a break from the hot and humid weather, but it has returned. I take solace in having only 56 more days until September. Yea!

What’s in the garden today? Hmmm. Let me just say he is BIG and UGLY and about 3 inches long (maybe more). I think he is a grasshopper, but I’m not used to seeing grasshoppers like this. We usually have the small green ones. This guy looks a lot like this fellow here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/9618/bgimage. I do not like using pesticides/insecticides so I hope he is passing through because he looks as if he could eat us out of house, home, and everything we own by just him alone. If he has family and friends….we may be in REAL trouble. Happy Gardening! And, please watch the heat.

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