Bugs!

There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me. ~Thomas Jefferson

Okay ... many of you (especially gardeners!) expressed some, shall we say, surprise at the fact that we're raising tomato hornworms.

The main reason I'm doing so is because of the amazing moth it becomes. Beautiful and incredible to watch, I give you -- the Hummingbird Moth:





Yesterday, inside one of the jars, I found the tiniest little mama crab spider carrying the tiniest little bitty egg sac (if not for her egg sac, I probably wouldn't have seen her at all). She couldn't stay there, so I scooped her out and put her and her eggs outside. She was SUCH a good mama... she held the sac with her to hindmost legs, and once as she was trying to get away, the sac came loose. You could tell she wanted to run (she probably thought I was going to eat her!) but she scurried back for her eggs anyway, picked them up and moved away.

I know, I know you're all thinking: spider? But nature is incredibly amazing (if brutal) and if you take time to just WATCH sometimes I think you'd be swept away by its beauty.

Most of my day, however, was spent deep cleaning. Why? Because Sunday night I found a cockroach! UGH!! We generally don't see them up here, though they can live here, and we've NEVER seen them in our house. It was an American Cockroach and after some research we found that the German Cockroach is what usually lives here. Our assumption is that it hitchhicked in on some imported (from California or Florida) produce).

My house is pretty dang clean, but it can always be cleaner. So I pulled out the appliances and scrubbed the floors, emptied the pantry and scrubbed, emptied my cupboards and scrubbed. Then I deployed more than a dozen roach bait traps.

Despite my love for nature, I do draw the line at cockroaches (mostly because they try to live in my house... :::shudders:::).

I wasn't online but an hour or two yesterday, and today is my Mom's birthday, so my online time will be reduced as well. Hopefully, tomorrow things will mostly be back to normal.

Have a great day!

=======================

You Are Dominant

You take on huge projects and see them through. You lead the way when it comes to success. You are a leader and a good one too. You are as fair as you can be. You have a defiant streak. If someone tells you that you can't do something, it makes you that more determined. You are impulsive when the occasion calls for it. You make decisions on the fly.

The Circle Doodle Test

About 75% right

=======================

A Menagerie

In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia. ~Charles A. Lindbergh, Life, 22 December 1967

Well... my mental health day turned into "let's clean the house from top to bottom" day AND "let's work on all the last minute changes to the LASR/WC/Aurora anniversary party" day.

Not a lot of down time.

Oh well.

Don't forget that you can enter to win one of THREE Nook eReaders this month at the aforementioned LASR/WC/Aurora Anniversary Party. It's easy to play and enter. Go for it! And these are the expensive, 3G Nooks -- which also come loaded with a whole pile of donated eBooks AND a $50 BN.com gift certificate. Woo!!

Now ... back to our regularly scheduled blog.

First, and without further ado, I'd like to wish my mom a very happy birthday!! I wish I was celebrating it with you ... but know that I'm there in spirit.

====================

In Pillar Place: Monarch, we had five releases yesterday and three on Saturday. There are butterflies popping out all over. In a bit of irony, yesterday's releases were all gendered exactly opposite of their names. We had:

Igor (female), Karl (female), Hermine (male), Earl (female) and Gaston (female). Saturday's releases were all male.

A few pix (are you tired of looking at butterflies yet?):




We also had some early morning visitors yesterday (I had to take the pix through my slider without opening, or I would have scared them all off):




Yep ... three mamas and five baby wild turkeys came through our yard on a walkabout.

DD also found a friend:




I think stick bugs are incredibly cool... one of my fave all time insects. Don't you think they're neat?

And, that's it from the local menagerie. Today should go back to normal (or what passes as normal for us!).

How was your weekend?

=========================

You Are Logical

You tend to be rational to the point of driving other people crazy. You are all about the facts. You don't like to make a big deal out of anything. You take both good and bad news in stride. You believe that the simplest approach is often the best approach. Why complicate things? You know how to get down to business and figure out what needs to be done. You're good at processing information.

The Impossible Figure Test

That's mostly right! LOL...

=========================

Piffles and Pillars

Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well. ~Marcus Valerius Martial

Thankfully, I seemed to have turned the corner with my cold and feel almost human this morning. Yesterday I felt *okay* cold-wise, but was completely exhausted to the point I ended up taking a nap (something I almost never do). I'm truly grateful that, for the most part, I'm quite healthy and when I do get sick it cycles through quickly (I felt the first hints of this cold on Saturday, and I'm already pretty much done). Still, I wish I didn't get sick at all. It's really a pain.

The worst part about being sick THIS week is that it's been pretty nice out. It's still quite warm, but the humidity has gone down so I would have been able to get outside. I was hoping to go play tennis with my DD, do some weeding (dear heavens... the weeds are taking over), maybe some nice long walks. None of that has happened.

Maybe today.

======================

In Pillar Place: Monarch, we should be seeing two more butterflies today. Pi and Rho are both getting dark. Last night they were gray, and I'm sure this morning they'll be black. So, YAY.

As of last night, we had TWELVE pillars on the roofs of their containers, apparently ready to make their pupae, and two more that were acting like it was about time. In ten days or so, we should have a mass monarch hatching!

We've also found three more eggs (I swear, we aren't even looking ... they things are practically jumping out at us) and we've also accidentally picked leaves with *other* eggs on them. Since I felt rotten about doing that, we're hatching the eggs inside and the putting whatever comes out of them back outside.

So far, one set of eggs hatched. They were some weird looking bug that gave me the shivers. I swear they looked a little like miniature scorpions, only they had six legs, not eight. :::shudders:::

Those babies went outside ASAP. Blech.

The next set of eggs are these lovely orange ones all massed together. I'm fairly sure they're milkweed tussock moth eggs, but I could be wrong. We have TONS of those critters outside our house, to the point I almost can't harvest from my own milkweed for the monarchs and have taken to stealing from other patches that aren't covered in critters.

I'm quite glad that the larger pillars are making their pupae, because for the last day or two they've each eaten 3 - 4 large milkweed leaves a day. 4 x 14 pillars = a whole lot of work for me.

========================

You Are Rock-Paper-Scissors

You are very smart and mentally inclined person. You like games that test your brainpower. You are good at noticing patterns and making predictions. You can size other people up well. It may not seem like there's a lot to what you do, but you have a strategy for everything. You tend to think through every decision you make carefully, but you're also sure not to over think anything.

What Childhood Game Are You?

That's about 95% correct. Weird.

====================

Weeds and Bugs and Clouds, OH MY

When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. ~Author Unknown

The last few days have been mostly just gorgeous. Yesterday had its up and down moments where it couldn't decide (sunny, cloudy, sunny, cloudy). The biggest downside to that is this: the bugs are out now, and when it's cloudy, they swarm.

Yesterday must have been a mass mosquito hatching, because when I looked out onto my back deck there were thousands of them just... everywhere. ::shivers::

This is the one thing I do NOT like about the nicer weather here. I don't remember ever having this many bugs when I lived in California.

DD and spent some time weeding the gardens between us and our neighbor. It's very frustrating, to be honest. It's hard to keep your lawn and garden looking nice when your next door neighbor's "lawn" looks like this:




As a result, my flower gardens that run the edge of our shared property look like this:




All the weeds from his lawn LOVE to share their seeds with me. It's a constant battle... and I've considered putting down weed block and mulch or rock instead, but that area is lower than the rest and when it rains, it washes everything away. DD and I spent well over an hour weeding diligently and barely made a dent.

We have a new neighbor, though -- the original owner was forclosed on about a year ago and the house went up for auction, and we're hoping the new guy will do something with the mess.

================

You Should Work With Information

You are highly analytical and logical. You are good at sifting through facts. You enjoy complexity, and for you, there's nothing more exhilarating than solving a puzzle. You are detail oriented and focused. You don't let anything slip through the cracks. You are trustworthy and ethical. People can trust you with there most private information.

What Should You Work With?

Yeah.. that'll work. CIA, here I come!!!

I <3 Eureka

The kind of humor I like is the thing that makes me laugh for five seconds and think for ten minutes. ~William Davis

Woo Hoo! Eureka was back last night and I watched it this a.m. (under orders from Judy who said she'd bust if she couldn't talk about it). I LOVE Eureka.





========================

Started working on my new veggie garden plans yesterday... dug out about 12 inches from the front in order to plant various deer resistant plants. I was sweaty and exhausted and only got about half done.

I did find the usual pests in the dirt: wire worms, grubs, cutworms. And... I saw and killed a squash borer moth. Unfortunately, I'm sure it wasn't the only one which means... my squash plants are probably toast. I'm going to start looking for eggs -- something that will become a daily ritual -- because you can't catch the larvae on these. Immediately upon hatching, they bore into the stalk of the plant and begin to feed, eventually killing the entire plant.

I have never lived somewhere with as many pests (both four- and six-legged) as here. Most of the bugs that exist here do NOT exist west of the Mississippi. Is it any wonder I want to move? *sigh*

Today, I hope to finish digging up around the garden and then tomorrow I plant on moving the plants I have. Monday will be spent buying a few new plants: day lilies, coreopsis, and perhaps some herbs. I have chives, rosemary and marjoram but may spring for some sage and thyme to go with.

BTW -- in case you think I've forgotten to say anything... we still have no butterflies in Pillar Place: Swallowtail. My luck, they will all be overwinterers.

=======================

I did do some writing yesterday. I had to run an errand for my DH to get the seat stitched in his new-to-us car. While I sat in the waiting area, I wrote nearly 1000 words on one of my stories. It was good. Fun. I'd been thinking about the conflict and the characters over the past several days and had to go back and weave in a little different characterization for the heroine and then moved forward from there.

I love to write. I really need to make time to do it every single day.

=======================

Gardening, Bugs and Interviews

Half the interest of a garden is the constant exercise of the imagination. ~Mrs. C.W. Earle, Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden, 1897

No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden. ~Hugh Johnson

I was reading June's Reader's Digest and came across a one page article called "Big Idea, Small Detail". This one was had one column on gardening and one of the quotes was "It's incredibly messy, ruins your hands, wears holes in the knees of your jeans, ends up costing 40 times more than you think it will, sucks up whole weekends in a single gulp, takes over your dreams and frequently breaks your heart" (from Jennifer Reese on slate.com).

As I sat outside yesterday attacking the hordes of weeds that have taken over nearly every one of my gardens (there is this one particular weed that has an amazing root system -- each plant is connected and when you pull one the roots lead to this maze of more plants... I HATE THEM) I thought of that article.

Yes... by golly, I DO get my clothes dirty. And my hands. I keep my nails short (can't type well with long nails), so don't worry about my manicure. And, since I start many of my plants from seeds, and my flowers are usually swaps from my friends and family, it's NOT more expensive. The heartbreaking part you guys have gone through with me (VOLES!!). Yes, I'm perpetually doing something to maintain the garden, but that's half the fun. Weeding is very "zen" for me: it's mindless, hard work that I do with a the end result of seeing that I've accomplished something. I can contemplate other things while I'm working (I've figured out more plot problems while weeding...) and I love that, when I'm done I can step back and see how much I actually got done. I suppose everyone has different priorities in life, but for me? Keeping my hands clean isn't near the top.

The only downside for me, yesterday at least, was that I came in with ticks. ICK ICK ICK... I was washing my hands and felt a tickle on my neck, looked up into the mirror and ARGH! TICK TICK TICK... slap slap... and down the drain she went (I say "she" because the females are the blood suckers, just like the black flies). Of course, at that point there was no way I could just go on about my merry way... I was certain they were crawling all over me (I'd been weeding underneath bushes, so my whole body had been where the ticks were). I showered and scrubbed my entire body (hair especially) so hard I'm surprised I have skin left.

As you all know, I'm not particularly bug-phobic, but ticks make me flip out. BLECH.

==============================

We saw the prettiest moth on Tuesday. Mostly we have brown or white ones, but this sucker was pink and yellow. I looked online and discovered it was the Rosy Maple Moth.



Aren't they gorgeous?

===============================

Otherwise, it's life as normal here. I might be going to interview with Romance in the Backseat on Sunday if I can rearrange my schedule. It would be much easier if I had someone who could go with me and watch DD and Dd THERE while I was busy. **sigh** DH doesn't like to tell me his plans, so it's difficult to plan anything. In any case, RitB is going to be in Salem, NH (anyone else want to play?) and I'm going to try to get my behind down there. Of course, I'm going to have to... yanno... comb my hair and stuff.

Blog interviews are much simpler. *G*

================================

After the Rain...

God in His wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why.
~Ogden Nash, "The Fly"

....come the mosquitoes! LOL... DH decided to mow last night after the rain stopped (yes, it was still wet, no he didn't care), so was out about 7ish and I swear he was followed by clouds of bugs. I suppose they didn't eat much the past few days while the rain fell and were making up for lost time. Yikes!

Was reading Jen's blog yesterday (see, Jen... told you I was lurking, lol) and she's going to start doing Local Love Fridays -- she'll be highlighting small, locally owned businesses in her area. And, I thought that was a cool idea. So, although my local area isn't as big as Ann Arbor, I'm going to give it a try. I'll consider all of NH my "local area". That's fair, right? I mean, I'll bet NH isn't that much bigger than Ann Arbor, lol. My DD finds it amusing that the population of L.A. is higher than our entire state's.

In any case, maybe some of you might be interested in doing the same. In this sluggish economy, it helps to give the little guys a boost.

========================

Last weekend, Judy and I took a little time off over at the LASR/WC site -- we did was was urgent, but let the rest sit. Neither of us has done that in... um... ::scratches head:::... forever?

And now I realize why. Why, when I only took three days "off", do I feel three weeks behind? LOL... So, if I haven't had time to comment on your blogs, that's why. I'm reading when I can, and will be by the moment I have time to breathe.

So, I'm working this weekend. What are YOU up to?

========================

You Are Thick-Skinned

People may not always love you, but that's totally fine. You're happy with who you are, and you don't really crave outside approval. You love yourself, and that's the most important thing. You have high self esteem. And because you don't care what other people think, they tend to like you a lot!

Are You Thin Skinned or Thick Skinned?

LOL... this is about half right...

===========================

Weather, Bugs and Gardening

Dear beautiful Spring weather, I miss you. Was it something I said? ~"Skipper" Kim Corbin

So... It's HOT here. Yesterday was nearly ninety and today will be more of the same and then it's going to cool by about twenty degrees for the rest of the weekend. It's wreaked havoc on my body and my garden.

My cucumbers didn't come through the cold as well as I would have liked -- I've lost a couple of them, and the others don't look very healthy, but I hope they'll bounce back.

We have hummingbirds again -- so I put out my feeders! The coral bells are blooming, and are a favorite natural food for them, so they should be happy as clams. A few days ago, I watched a black swallowtail--perhaps the one we released?--lay eggs on my rue. It takes 3-5 days for the eggs to hatch, so I've started looking for the babies. Yay!

Life is a science experiment, don't you think? Yesterday, we had two mosquitoes, an ant and a spider on the wall of my dining room (ugh.. bugs). While I was getting the ant first, the spider--maybe a wolf spider?--hunted the mosquito nearest it. Fascinating! And, since he proved himself so useful (and he doesn't spin webs) we let him be. Kind of like keeping a cat for a mouse problem, yes? LOL... and now no one wants to come stay at my house since I let spideys run amok!

Allie asked if I'm finding time to write with all the craziness. The answer is yes... but I'm struggling with things just not flowing. That's okay. At some point, I'll hit my stride and go crazy!

DD and DH are out on the boat today. They're going to cook! The air temps are hot, but the water is still far too cold for swimming, so how will they cool down? I wish them well...

And so, it's time for me to sign off and get to work. But first, a walk with the dog before it's too hot to do so. Have a wonderful day!

===========================

You Know Your States

You got 7/10 correct. You've got a pretty good handle on US geography. There's a good chance you've visited at least a dozen of the fifty states.

How Well Do You Know Your States?

Monday Morning Meme and More....

Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror. It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving. ~Martin Amis, Money



1. Do you prefer writing on paper or a keyboard? Why? Care to hand write a short letter to us, scan it, and then post it to your blog?

I write on a keyboard almost exclusively. I'll write notes to myself and brainstorm stuff in a notepad, but actually writing is always on the computer. Why? Because it's faster and I can edit as I go without scribbling. I don't have a scanner, so can't do the last part. I don't have an iPod, a gaming system, an eReader or a Blackberry either. Aside from my laptop (which is a couple years old), I am a technological dinosaur.

2. If the shoes make the man (or woman), what do your shoes say about you right now? (Assuming you’re wearing shoes. Although if you’re not, that certainly says something, too.) Describe your favorite pair of shoes. Now tell us how they make you feel when you wear them.

Right now, I'm not wearing any. I would go barefoot all day, every day if I could. I am NOT a shoe freak. In the summer I wear sandals (usually the flip-flop kind, but leather) or my gardening clogs or sneakers if I'm walking a lot. In the winter I wear hiking boots or snow boots. I have two pairs of dress shoes that I never wear, and two pairs of cowboy boots that I seldom wear. Aside from the cowboy boots, none of my shoes are name brand. It's one of the reasons I don't read much chick-lit or enjoy "Sex In the City" -- seriously, who CARES about shoes? They cover my feet. Beyond that? ::shrugs::

3. Who was your arch enemy in high school? Why were they your enemy? Do you think you could be friends today? Why or why not?

I didn't have one. Seriously. I can't think of one person I even disliked strongly. I did have one in fifth grade, Diane M., who even went as far as to call me out for a fight. I also had one in fourth grade, Mike V., who always tried to kiss me (ICK... I was so not into boys then). Once, as I was walking past him on the bus, he grabbed me and tried to kiss me... so I took my pile of books and smashed him on the head. I'm pretty sure that was his last attempt. I think about the way school is today and realize that HE would have been in trouble for "sexual harassment" and I would have been in trouble for assault. Times were much easier when I was little -- and we worked it out.

Mostly, though, I got along with pretty much everyone in school.

4. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one ability or quality, what would it be? How would this new-found ability or quality change your life?

To NEVER have to sleep. Oh yeah -- I'd gain TIME, Bay-bee!! What I wouldn't give for an extra two hours, never mind a solid EIGHT every day!!!!!

You?

===========================

I have my first mosquito bite. Welcome to the season of bugs. Ugh. I've already picked of several ticks from Dakota, and both my DH and DD have had a tick each. I love the warmth, but hate the bugs.

*sigh*

============================

Woe is Me

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop. ~Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

Or should that be "Woe is I"? LOL...

Yesterday was a bust. I couldn't write a word. **sigh**

Why is it when I set aside all kinds of time for writing, I end up blocked? Oh well, writing day comes again soon *G*.

DD found the COOLEST caterpillar yesterday!! The thing was HUGE -- easily 4 - 5" long and thick as my finger. He was just cruising across the road and she nearly ran him over with her bike. Of course, we had to stop, examine, and realize we didn't know what kind it was... so we brought it home. What else would any normal person do? Check it out:



So, after a great deal of research with decided it was the Hummingbird "sphinx" moth larvae. Those are my absolute FAVORITE moths -- they diurnal (active during the day) and look like little hummingbirds because of how their wings work. Check out this page for some really neat pictures of the critter.

And, no, we're not raising it inside... We put it out in our backyard because, odds are, it was looking for a place to make its pupae and we are very bug friendly.

We also found this weird looking creature:



My camera doesn't do close-ups well, sorry... but it was some sort of beetle on our green bean leaves. The leaves weren't nibbled on, so I don't think it was eating them. And it looks like a tiny turtle sprawled over a white spot -- and when it moved, it moved FAST!

Anyone have any ideas?

=========================

It's been so cold at night that I pulled up my garden and put the flannel sheets on the bed. That can only mean one thing, right? Yep... it warmed up immediately!! LOL...

==========================

What Your Handbag Says About You

You are a low maintenance person. You can adapt to a variety of situations. You are an organized and together person. You are competent and successful. You are practical and down to earth. You tend to be a rather reserved and quiet person.

What Does Your Handbag Say About You?

Yep.

===============

Sunday Smatterings

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. ~Angela Schwindt

DD got her stitches out with some success... she can put a little weight on the foot, but taking "real" steps hurts because it pulls (since the injury was where the toes bend). Yesterday, we were outside for a bit, and a deerfly started buzzing her and wouldn't stop. She whacked at it with her hat, but it wouldn't leave it alone, so without thinking she turned to run.

Not a good idea. &%$# deerfly.

Still, the doctor has decreed that her foot will be healed enough by next weekend that she can go swimming in the lake again. She is thrilled!

============================

Evidently our milkweed is on the map this year. Not only do we have monarchs (three more came inside yesterday and DD named all nine of them but I don't remember what the names were except Sylvia, Dew, Cassie and Curly), and milkweed beetles (these don't make me happy -- their larva actually bore into the roots and stalk to eat which effectively kills the plant), but yesterday DD said, "Mom, this leaf is hairy!"

We turned it over, and look what we found:


Want a closer look?


Aren't they COOL!?! They are the larva of the Milkweed Tussock Moth and they get to be just GORGEOUS as they get older. Check out this picture (not mine):



And, no, they are NOT coming inside. We'll just enjoy them in their natural habitat.

=================================

Today, I will spend building next week's pages for the LASR/WC website. AND... getting ready for the LASR anniversary party that starts on Friday, August 1st. Remember, besides all the really amazing prizes that include books and various other cool stuff, the grand prize is a $50 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com!! Have YOU promoted it on YOUR blog yet? You get an extra entry in every daily contest AND into the GC drawing if you do :-)

Have a great Sunday!

==================================

A Quickie

Really quick, because today is guest blogger day (and please go read and comment and make her feel welcome!)...

First: If I normally visit your blog and comment, and haven't lately -- please don't take it personally. I am so busy I can't begin to describe it. Next week life should be back to only "very busy" down from the current "blow the top of my head off utterly nuts, can't breathe, can't think".

Next: Dena -- I buy all my beneficial bugs from Biconet - I've ordered earthworms and praying mantis so far, and been very happy with the results. I'm sure there are other places to get them, too. You might look in to a ladybug house as well, so you can keep them close.

Remember -- every comment here enters you in my contest. Good luck!

Now go say howdy to this week's guest blogger!

Doggie Daycare, Garden Pests and Hardwood Floors

The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Another stunningly clever title, wouldn't you say?

I took Dakota to doggy daycare yesterday, for the first time. I wasn't sure how she'd do because she's incredibly timid around new things and people. But, I knew her friend (a 4 month-old puppy named Star) would be there because I was dog-sitting him in the evening, so I figured she'd at least have someone familiar.

I got a report card when I picked her and Star up at 3:30. It read --

I had a great time while: socializing with my new friends. I was pretty shy this morning, but as soon as Star saw me, he gave me lots of kisses and I started to relax.

Some of my new friends are: Star, of course :-), as well as Dakota the chocolate Lab, Riley the Golden Retriever pup, Nala the black Lab, Roxy the Golden Retriever, Mollie the yellow Lab, Mojo the Boxer and Bledsoe the yellow Lab.

This is what the staff has to say about me: Dakota is a big sweetheart! She was pretty shy today and preferred to watch the other dogs get rowdy, but she was very curious about everything. Daycare will help her build confidence and relax around groups of dogs.

Isn't that cute?

We'll be taking her in once a week, or once every other week, just for a break. She may be quiet and shy THERE, but she sure isn't HERE.

=============

Dena, you mentioned you had green bugs on your roses. You didn't give a description, but there's a good chance they are aphids (because the really LOVE roses). Don't be mislead by the brown aphids in this picture... scroll down a bit to find the green ones. They are protected by ants who "milk" them, and the ants will attack predators (like the aphids worst enemy: the ladybug). If you're an organic gardener, you can try cleaning them off with a damp rag (maybe with a bit of soap or rubbing alcohol), or you can buy ladybugs. If you aren't , there are plenty of poisons that will kill them. Good luck!

===============

Speaking of pests... it seems it's not a chipmunk or a mole I'm fighting with in my garden -- it's a VOLE. I went in to my local Agway today and asked about my problem, and they said since it's eating the tubers and bulbs and based on the small size of the holes, etc., I had a vole. Dang it. They suggested traps -- but I balked at that. First: I don't believe in randomly killing other critters to get the one I want. If I put out traps, I'm going to catch all kinds of rodents who AREN'T eating my bulbs. That's not fair. Second: I don't want to see it's little corpse. I'm considering a live trap. Is that silly? I can catch him and take him many miles away to a lake area where he can live out his life without eating my plants. Of course, I wonder what else I'll catch?

=================

I can't believe I have all of my edits finished for "Kitchen Matches" and haven't even seen a possible cover yet. Dang, my editor and I are quick! LOL... I hope it's a fun cover. Liv was so serious. Guess we'll see someday soon.

==================

Ahh... hardwood floor installation. It was so much fun the first time around, it seems DH and I are helping my SIL install it at HER house today. Oh. Whee. I've been given permission to only participate part of the day because of Dakota and the DD... thank heavens. I have too much stuff on my plate to lose an entire day.

===================


More Fun Quizzes at QuizPox.com


Too bad the puddles are all frozen solid in January... lol...

Give a Man a Chainsaw...

God in His wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why.
~Ogden Nash, "The Fly"

A week or so ago, DH was out looking at our apple trees. We have two. One is covered with flowers, the other has, maybe three. He wondered, and contemplated, and considered and decided it was because we have too many other trees shading that area.

Yesterday, he took care of most of that problem. Being the equal opportunity kind of guy he is, he took down a beech tree, an oak tree, and a maple tree. The good news is they're all hardwood, so we can burn them next winter. The bad news is he dropped one--the beech--on my apricot trees. I lost one completely and the other is, um, a little shorter than it used to be.

It could have been worse. He nearly dropped it on the very apple tree he was trying to save. He risked life and limb to give it a shove as it fell, and neatly dropped it between the two apple trees.

Oh, and my rhubarb is a little worse for wear.

I'm telling you, the man is a menace with a chainsaw.

====================

Earlier in the day, I was outside working on the back flower garden, moving things around and weeding. Dakota was on her remote trainer and running hither and yon. On one of her "yon" trips, she did a loop through the woods. She probably wasn't there two minutes. When she trotted to me, she had numerous ticks on her head! ACK!! Most were deer ticks, nasty, tiny little buggers. Apparently they are REALLY bad this year. She's already had one embedded in her tummy. And they're so freakin' small, it's hard to find them. Of course, she's on tick stuff, so they die eventually (within 24 hours), but it doesn't repel them. One of the ticks on her head was RED. I don't think I've ever seen a red tick.

In any case, I picked them off and squished them. But later, when DH took down the trees, my job was to drag all the branches into the woods. You know, the woods where Dakota picked up all those nasty creatures. I was sure I was covered in them. I could all but feel them crawling on me. The moment I was done, I hurried in and took a shower and scrubbed about four layers of skin off my body, as well as giving my hair a very thorough shampooing.

Ick. Ick. Ick.

Did I say ick?

========================

Your Independence Level: Medium

In some aspects of your life, you can be very self reliant. Making your own informed choices feels great. But you aren't as independent as you could be. When things get stressful, you sometimes run away from the hard decisions you need to make.

How Independent Are You?

I don't think that's very true... Hmm...

Some Photos For Your Viewing Pleasure

The photograph itself doesn't interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality. ~Henri Cartier Bresson

First off... if you didn't read Laurel Bradley's guest post from yesterday, please do! I didn't get it posted until late and would really appreciate it if you'd give her some feedback! Sorry again, Laurel!

Not much today... bear with me. Life is crazy. Would you believe DD fell on her bike yesterday?? Scraped her knee, the back of the other knee and her elbow as well as bumps and bruises. This on top of her fall from the slide. And THEN when we came in, she fell up the stairs.

**sigh**

So, for now, I'll leave you with this -- some pictures.

Okay, here's the little garden I built for Bailey. The greenest bush is the dogwood we bought for her. Eventually, this will be really gorgeous, but everything is still so small yet.



I'm still shocked at how quickly the red lily beetles came out this year! Here is one clump of very small lilies they've all but decimated! In fact, if you notice, there is one (now DEAD... ha!) lily beetle ON this plant.



Here is what they should look like (though, again, if you notice there is a --NOW DEAD, ha!-- lily beetle on this plant, too).



We pick them EVERY day all summer. The larvae are nasty little buggers who cover themselves with their own poop to keep the predators at bay. But, HA, doesn't phase me.

DD got artsy, too, and took some pictures of her dragonsblood seedum:



And here is DD tickling Dakota's one white paw:



Here is one of Dakota's favorite past times -- knocking the couch cushions off... she pretends it's because she's lost a toy, but I know better!





==========================

You Would Be a Pet Dog

You're friendly, loyal, and an all around good sport. People love to be near you. You are very open with your feelings, and you're quite vocal in expressing them. You are sincere and kind. You love many people - without any sort of agenda. Why you would make a great pet: You're content to chill out with your friends Why you would make a bad pet: You always find yourself getting into trouble What you would love about being a dog: Running around and playing What you would hate about being a dog: Being left home alone while everyone else is out having fun

What Kind of Pet Would You Be?

Tagged and A Conversation With Myself

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. ~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat

Melissa tagged me yesterday. I've done this in the past, and so have challenged myself to think of something new and exciting to list.

Here are the rules:

Tagging Rules:
a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
e. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Here are my six Random things:

1. I've discovered that I don't mind squirrels at my bird feeders as long as they're on the ground, picking up all the loose seed from my "no mess" (aka without the shells) bird food. I've also discovered that this seed shouldn't be called "no mess" because it still makes a huge mess. But at least the seeds don't grow.

2. My cat and Amy's are twins separated at birth. Seriously. Here's my cat, Breeann:



And Amy has a picture of her cat here.

Eerie, isn't it?

3. I don't like white flowers. I think they're dull. They're quiet and fade into the background. I do my best to not buy white flowers for anywhere in my garden -- except white geraniums because they are toxic to Japanese beetles, so I buy those in bulk and plant them around the plants I own that attract beetles the worst.

4. I don't like white chocolate AT ALL. I would rather not eat candy EVER than eat white chocolate. White chocolate should be banned from the candy shelves or, at the very least, shouldn't be allowed to call itself "chocolate".

5. I have absurdly low blood pressure. Both numbers are always double digits, like: 80 over 60. My doctor doesn't seem concerned, and I'm just glad I love salty food, or I'd probably be dead. The doc says it may account for the fact that I'm always cold (yet another reason to get the heck out of the Northeast).

6. I apologize to plants when I prune them or pull them up. I feel oddly obligated to root and then plant any cuttings I can, which may account for the sheer volume of house plants I own. However, I discovered that my library will take plant donations. ((evil laughter))

And...I'm not tagging anyone, but if you need something to write about, feel free to consider yourself tagged!

=======================

So, yesterday I sat down and had a talk with myself. I have all these great, new ideas for stories (including a sequel to "Liv") and find myself drifting all over the place with my writing. It's been frustrating, to say the least.

I gave myself a harsh talking to: "Look at all these partly done novels! It's ridiculous to have these hanging around, nearly finished, all but ready to submit. Shame on you for starting them and not finishing them."

Myself hung her head in shame and agreed that it was, indeed silly to spend all that time and effort on a project, only to stop more than halfway through. So myself opened up the document closest to being completed yesterday, "Return To Stiller Creek", and wrote.

And wrote.

And wrote.

Myself nearly finished the book! I still haven't got a clue where to submit it -- it can't be Samhain because I recently saw that they don't want suspense novels particularly, and I don't want to sub to TWRP with it, because they don't print books less than 65k through Lightning Source and I don't want to be in print through LuLu. It's not suspenseful enough for Harlequin Intrigue, but too suspenseful for American.

It may be a complete waste of time, but at least it will be finished.

===========================

What These Orchids Say About You

You are exotic and intricately beautiful. You possess a unique grace that's both delicate and strong. You are thoughtful and refined. You are the definition of class.

What Do The Flowers You Pick Say About You?

Oh yeah. That's me, to a "T". Yep....

Spring Has Sprung...

Cockroaches really put my "all creatures great and small" creed to the test. ~Astrid Alauda

So, yesterday I was outside with the remote control dog and the DD. They played, I scooped poop -- ah the glamorous life of an author and SAHM -- we still have snow on about a quarter of the lawn, but it's mostly melted (and a bit soggy, and so is the poop, LOL).

We were outside for about half an hour before I got hungry (is it odd that I didn't lose my appetite?) so we went inside. As I reached down to take off Doofus Dog's remote training collar, guess what I found? Yes... it was a TRUE SIGN OF SPRING!!

A wood tick! Woot!!! Between that and the brown-headed cowbird pair I had at my feeder today, I can tell summer is only a few brief moments away. I am waiting for the blackflies to arrive with bated breath...

Oh, and I guess I'd better start pulling my bird-feeders in at night so the bear doesn't grab them.

However, in the "good news" column: there appears to have been a mass murder (suicide?) of cutworms over the winter. As I've been pooper scooping, I've seen many, many of their little bloated corpses on my lawn. Curiouser and curiouser....

============================

I did manage a bit of writing yesterday. No, it wasn't the 3,000 words I needed...it was more like 300! LOL... still, I have a whole scene planned for tomorrow for "Kitchen Matches" and I'm excited because my heroine in the unnamed HQA is about to re-meet the hero! I can't wait to write that.

So, barring a disaster, today should be a great writing day.

============================

Dru, to answer your question from yesterday...when I lived in the city, I bagged my dog poop and put it in the weekly trash. Now that I'm in the sticks, I just chuck it out in the woods behind our backyard. I keep hoping it will keep the deer out of my garden, but apparently the deer here aren't afraid of my dog and treat my garden as an all-you-can eat buffet.

Now, a question for you all: besides Quizilla and Blogthings, anyone know some good quiz sites? I'm starting to run out, and I like having fun... Help?

=============================

Your Thinking is Concrete and Sequential

You are precise, orderly, and realistic. You tend to get to the point and get things done. Difficult, detailed work is easy for you. You take things step by step. Time limits aren't a problem for you either. You work well with deadlines. What does drive you crazy is any sort of task that isn't precisely laid out. You don't like anything to be ambiguous. You prefer to deal with the facts at hand.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

Blog Parties and Lady Bugs

It is better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you are not. - Andre Gide

First off... BSP:

My tour stop today is: The Long and the Short of It Romance Reviews -- I'm in the author spotlight. And I'm giving away a free download of any of my stories, including but not limited to, "One Love For Liv". Come on by!

My daily contest is here.

======================

It rained all day yesterday. It was WARM -- almost 50 degrees. We had the screen door opened... man, I love me some fresh air.

There was, however, one not so good result from all this warmth, though... a mass influx of lady bugs. Dozens of the little buggers came out from where ever they were hanging out for the winter, and then had issues because of all the water. My DD refused to let them die, so we spent the day collecting lady bugs and then looking online about how to keep them alive sans aphids. Ladybug Lady said to soak raisins and put them in with the bugs. Huh. Well, at this point, I'm game to try anything.

So, we soaked about five raisins in water and then put them into the container. In a matter of seconds, the bits of soggy fruit were positively covered with lady bugs!! Wow!

I have no idea how long they can survive on raisins. If it's sunny and warm tomorrow, we'll let them go... if not, we'll hold on to them until it IS sunny and warm, or until they die.

So, here I am, raising bugs inside again. **sigh**

======================

You know what the worst part of having books out for sale? Not knowing how well they're selling... I wish there was some way to install a "stat counter" to tell me each time a copy of "One Love For Liv" was sold. Thankfully, Samhain does royalties monthly, instead of quarterly like The Wild Rose Press, so I won't have to wait that long.

Patience is not my middle name. Or even my nick name.

======================



During the week of March 7-14th, the blogosphere will be party hopping - jumping through our Mr. Linky list of participating bloggers, meeting new friends and partying blogger-style at the Ultimate Blog Party 2008, at 5 Minutes for Mom.

That's where I'll be that week... want to join me?

===========================

So, I'd decided on shortening Jed's injury time in my "Camilla" story to two weeks... but now that's not going to work either. I'm so frustrated. I'm afraid I'm going to have to actually sit down and... **gasp**!... OUTLINE.

(((faints dead away)))

============================

You Should Visit Mexico

You can be as comfortable as you want, eating fast food and partying with English speakers in resort town. But if you're feeling brave, venture out to Mexico City - or explore the tropical Yucatan.

What Latin American Country Should You Visit?

In Which I Ramble...

Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. ~Kin Hubbard

Welcome to stream of consciousness writing. I don't have anything specific to say, so you get to hear whatever comes to mind as I write.

It's raining. UGH. I supposed it's better than snow, and I suppose we need it, but why did it have to rain on a Saturday? This means my DH is trapped inside the house and he doesn't do well on these types of days. Bother.

One set of neighbors with ATVs that they ride behind their house, on the road or pretty much anywhere they like at any hour -- has moved! Yay! And, though I certainly wouldn't wish foreclosure on anyone, my next door motorcycle riding (at 2 a.m. -- vroom, vroom), drug dealing, heavy drinking, acid rock listening (at top volume) loose dog owning neighbor's house is going up for auction in the next few days. Please, please, please let us get some quiet, sweet neighbors in. Please?

I did better on my diet yesterday. The first couple of days were tough because I'm a snacker, and I like to snack on things like peanuts, triscuits, etc. And I couldn't. So I did a lot of pacing and looking at the pantry door with deep longing. Yesterday, though, I pretty much forgot about snacking. And I wasn't as hungry. A breakthrough (break-through?)!

I hate hyphens. Typing the one before this reminded me how much. Ha. There has been talk around the blogosphere about them as well. Nice Mommy~Evil Editor had something to say about them last week. I curse them quiet regularly in my mind. Hyphens should be outlawed (NOT out-lawed).

My neighbor's daughter (not the neighbor I referenced, above) had a science project to do: find and murder forty perfectly innocent bugs for a pin board. She asked me for help. I told her I didn't believe murder was acceptable, but if I came across one already dead, but in reasonable condition, I would get it for her. I ended up providing her with a monarch corpse -- one of the bugs from last year that DD had gotten attached to and named "Mr. Butterfly". His wing was deformed and he couldn't fly, so we fed him and kept him alive for a while, and then put him in a little box to bury outside. But, we decided that his life would have some meaning if he helped another, healthy butterfly not die in the name of science. And we donated his corpse. In my opinion, having children kill bugs is inhumane. If my DD was in school and asked to do that, I would have complained and refused.

Next week is Halloween week at LASR. Check out the romance reviews blog on Monday for a review and giveaway of a Halloween romance. An author spotlight with a paranormal author -- and a free download of one of her books. And lots more fun. We don't have candy for the Trick-or-Treaters (ACK! hyphens!!), but we do have books. And that's even better (though, I do love candy corn).

My DD discovered the joy of "Calvin and Hobbes" this week. She found a book chock full of the comic at the library and has been tee-heeing (HYPHEN! EEK!) all week. I loved "C&H"...

Gah... I could ramble for days. I'm worse in person. Blah, blah, blah. So I'll stop! Have a great day. I'll be building an ark.

=========================

You Are Apple Cider

Smooth and comforting. But downright nasty when cold.

What Part of Fall Are You?

That's very true... I am downright nasty when I'm cold. I HATE cold weather. Grr...

You?

====================

Edited to add:

I'm part of the Sweeter Romantic Notions authors and we're having a Scavenger Hunt this week! Here are the details:

SRN is throwing a Halloween party! Join us on a scavenger hunt. All the answers can be found through our main site: http://www.sweeterromanticnotions.com.

It kicks off on Friday October 26th and will end on Halloween!!

There will prizes, books and goodies, and maybe some chocolate too!

Here are the rules:

Answer the following questions and email the answers to sweeterromanticnotions@gmail.com with "contest" in the subject line.

The winner will be announced on the Group Loop October 31st and in the First Friday News Blast!

So, let's get scavanging!!

1) In the October News Blast what was the title of Edita Patrick's release from New Concepts Publishing?

2) Who has the picture of a dog on their cover art?
Elle Fredrix?
Kim Watters?
Adelle Laudan?
What is the title of that book?

3) What branch of the military is Sela Carson's husband retired from?

4) Cindy Green is published by By Grace Publshing?
True or false?

5) Diane Craver has three titles listed on her author page at SRN?
True or false?

Sleeping Well and Pillar Place recap

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. ~ Vita Sackville-West

I was flat out exhausted last night -- I think not getting enough sleep lately finally caught up with me. I was in bed before my DD, head hit the pillow at 7:30 pm, woke up once when DH came to bed (it's always the kitty scramble...the cat usually sleeps on DH's side until he comes to bed, then runs across me and snuggles against my chest), crashed and didn't wake up until just before 4 a.m.! That was good.

I'm a new woman.

=========================

I'm still hard at work on edits. I need to have Liv's story done by mid-Oct, and I want to have "A Change of Heart" done by the end so I can, yes, do NaNo!

=========================

And now... finally... pictures of Pillar Place!

This is the first set of Monarchs we raised. I learned my lesson, though, and now they all get their own container so I don't have to worry about jostling new chrysalis's if someone needs food or is ready to hatch (like the black one in the back).



Here's one of the first batch, hanging out with the DD. She was a great encouragement for them to fly!


Here's a little of the scene from two days ago -- a flock of butterflies!



And ... amazingly, I managed to catch one just emerging from it's chrysalis AND the pictures came out pretty well:





I'm amazed at how crumpled and small their wings are when they first emerge -- but check out the big, fat behind on that critter! Apparently it's full of the fluid it needs to pump up its wings. After only a few moments, the rump is normal sized and the wings, although still soggy, are full-sized.



Although we still have two butterbabies to hatch... I'll probably not mention it. Consider this the season finale of Pillar Place. Tune in next May for the season premiere -- when the three over-wintering Swallowtail babies Jill, Rose and Martin, will hatch!

========================

Also, if you're into winning stuff, check out the new Author Contest page we added to the reviews site! Make sure you check back regularly, as I'm adding more contests nearly every day. And, good luck!

========================

What Kind of Butterfly Are You?

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Take this quiz!








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