time flies like an arrow

fruit flies like a banana.

Spring is the beginning.  The beginning of bug season, that is.  Bugs, bugs, bugs.  UGH.

Naturally, we see bugs all year long.  But spring introduces our yard to some bugs we have never seen before.  I love new things... but those things do not really include 'bugs'. 

Unless, it is the lovely ladybug.

And as for the bugs, I really do not have enough time in my day to scream in terror, run, figure out a way to remove the bug from the home after cats deposit said bug next to my foot, try, struggle, remove, sigh!!

recaps of the last six weeks

20.   Random. Ness.  Not exactly Stream of Conscious. Ness.

Does anyone know what kind of BUG this is? 

I know what kind of bug this one is... but. Holy. Mary. Mother of Jesus.  Look at the size of this la cucaracha. 

And God gave this slimy vegetable a Gorgeous Flower.  The OKRA is thanking you, God! 

Have you ever noticed the odor of Marigolds?  Frankly, they STINK. 

Unless, of course, the scent that waves to my nostrils is somewhat skewed due to an AFRIN addiction that killed my taste buds and sense of smell.  So, take it from me, JUST SAY NO TO AFRIN !!



twinkle twinkle

There are little fireflies that light up our front yard every night.

We spray ourselves with 'OFF',

The girls grab the nets,

And an empty jar with holes in the lid.

We stand watch on the front porch,

waiting to spot the first firefly near the oak trees.

Firefly Light

Firefly Bright

The first Firefly I see tonight

I wish I may, I wish I might

Have the wish, I wish tonight

We catch fireflies and place them in our jar.

The release of the fireflies occurs in the backyard,

so that our yard becomes full of twinkling lights.

The release of fireflies is like watching 'fireworks'.

The fireflies fly up into the night sky,

releasing their TWINKLE.

We make our wishes!

We hope your firefly wishes come true, too!

La Cucaracha Hunters

We live in the south and have bugs as large as the state of Texas itself. Bugs that I have never learned to accept. Bugs that I have never grown accustomed to. Bugs that I despise. Of those bugs, La Cucaracha (the cockroach) is the worst!

We adopted two cats last year in a delusional state of being petless. Kittens are so cute and fuzzy and furry and sweet and cute (again). Then you bring them home...

Our cats love to hunt anything... geckos, ants, flies, mice, snakes, birds, squirrels and cockroaches.

We have never housed so many critters as we have in the past fourteen months. I spend every bloody morning chasing critters around the house -- trying to remove them from the indoor premises. The cats are quite humane as they ALWAYS bring the critters home ALIVE. So for three hours every morning, I fly around the house on a broom shooing birds (yes, witchlike). Sweeping snakes. Catching geckos. And running from squirrels and mice.

The cockroaches are carried in via cat mouth. Cat #1 holds the cockroach in its mouth, runs into the house, locates ME, and deposits the roach at my feet (alive, of course).

First, I wonder, why ME? Why not husband? Children? Neighbor? Why do I get the prize?

Next I think, I thought there weren't anymore cockroaches in a three block radius of our house. Didn't the cats already catch them all and bring them home?

So, this morning, I woke up to Cat #1 standing above me with a cockroach being deposited next to my head. No need for an alarm this morning. I jumped out of bed and started wailing.

"Are you going to help me out? Or should I just run the vacuum and wake up the rest of the house?" It is only 5:45 am.

And so I begin to sing, in my loud tone-deaf voice, at 5:46 am.

La cucaracha, la cucaracha,
The cockroach, the cockroach,
ya no puede caminar
can't walk anymore
porque no tiene, porque le falta
because it doesn't have, because it's lacking
las dos patitas de atrás.
its two back feet.

Going on a Fieldtrip

Heading out on a field trip to the local park, the teacher asks the children to imagine what they might encounter. Remember this park has a pond.

"Grass!" shouts Hyllary.

"Ducks!" announces Wyatt.

"Geese!" bellows Carter.

"Squirrels!" yells Aliya.

"Bugs and other yucky things!" insists Betsy and Windy.

"Good job, students! I love all of your answers. When we return to the classroom, we will record our findings in our journal," states the teacher. "And ..." an interruption occurs ...

"FLAMINGOS!" shouts Vanessa, who has obviously never been to a park in Texas!













(Photo courtesy of flickr.com and marymactavish)