Warning: There are bugs in this section. Skip to the next section if bugs bug you. HA.
So, we don’t have a cap on the chimney in the front room. Actually, we did, but it blew off and then the company that put it on in the first place went out of business, and we haven’t had any luck finding someone to do it. So we put a piece of styrofoam across the bottom of the chimney and have successfully ignored the issue. Last week, Fred came downstairs in the morning and found that a big piece of a nest had fallen down the chimney with three little birds inside. They, unfortunately, were beyond saving when he found them. The nest and the baby birds were heavy enough that when they hit the styrofoam, they knocked it out of the chimney.
I should add here that there are two litter boxes in that fireplace because we needed a place for litter boxes, and we don’t use that fireplace.
The next day, I came downstairs and went into the front room to scoop those litter boxes. And then I squinted down at the litter boxes, and I said “Well, that doesn’t look right.” I turned the overhead light on, and saw the ugliest bug I’ve seen in a while, laying in one of the litter boxes (the one directly under the chimney opening).
I don’t know what it is, but I hope I never see one alive. Anyone know what it is? (I know I could search on What’s That Bug?, but I cannot look at that site without feeling like something’s CRAWLING on me for the rest of the day.)
Just, GAH. If one of these comes flying at my face, I will tip over dead of a heart attack immediately.
Delores, the Orb Weaver who lives in the front flower bed. I think she’s about doubled in size since she first showed up a few weeks ago.
I know not what this is, but I think it has really pretty colors.
I hope y’all had a fabulous 4th of July. Ours was nice – very relaxing – until the sun went down and the douchebags came crawling out of the woodwork. What is it about fireworks that attracts assholes so much, do you suppose? Some fuckwads in our area set off fireworks until MIDNIGHT. Now, Fred didn’t have to work yesterday (he took Thursday and today off so he could have a nice long stretch of time off), but surely there are SOME people in this area who had to get up early? What sucked the most was that there’d be a long enough period of silence that we’d think that they were done, and then they’d start up again. Grrr.
Combine that with the fact that Tom Cullen settled into bed against me and proceeded to spend AN HOUR licking his ass – and he is not a small cat, so when he grooms, the entire bed shakes – and it’s kind of amazing that something didn’t get shot last night, I was so irritated.
Of course, that well-known holiday July 5th follows July 4th, so we were treated to another evening of sporadic fireworks.
It sucked, but when I think of living in Madison and walking out the front door the morning after July 4th to find that the douchebag neighbors, who’d been setting off fireworks the night before, left all their fucking fireworks shit all over our front lawn, well.
I guess I can handle a little lost sleep.
(However, I don’t think it’s fair that Madison waited for me to leave to put in that Target literally 3 minutes from where we used to live. HMPH.)
For those of you who wanted to see the “redneck” (according to Fred) pool, here it is.
Also, the pond as of last week:
Now that it’s full enough to keep the catfish alive, I’m trying to convince Fred that we need an aerator out there to get rid of the green crap. He doesn’t seem to agree with me that we need to do anything – of course, what will probably happen is that he’ll present the idea of an aerator for the pond to me as if he suddenly thought of it himself, and we’ll have to immediately go out and get one.
Whatever works, I s’pose.
I think your old douchebag neighbors have moved to Illinois. We’ve been “treated” to their fireworks shows for the past two weekends (really??? You’re blowing off your fireworks in JUNE???) and then all day on the 4th and some on the 5th. Thank god it rained last weekend, because I was considering going up on my roof with a hose to keep things wet. F*cking douchebags. I may have hoped they lost a finger.
Don’t you have to aerate your pond to keep the water moving around so you don’t attract mosquitoes? (Or other hideous bug creatures. ::shudder:: EWWWWW!!!!)
The douchebag neighbors are present and accounted for here in Houston. 4th of July and New Years are our big pyromaniac holidays which must be celebrated with hours upon hours of the loudest firecrackers known to mankind. My favorite part is the scent of burnt sulfur liberaly laced with ganja. Yep, you heard me. Our douchebag neighbors are also potheads. I feel confident that eventually Darwinian Natural Selection will kick in, and they’ll lose a limb or two…
I don’t know where you live in Houston, Jennifer, but over here in the Heights I would welcome fireworks. Someone(s) around here shoots off guns on those holidays. When I had the house re-roofed, they pulled out over half a dozen slugs. The cat and I hunker down in the hall like we’re waiting on a hurricane.
A nice fountain would be lovely. We have one in our neighborhood pond and it makes a nice backround sound and keeps the water moving around. Or you could do the whole rock tower fountain water feature thingy. That would not be too hard, heh.
Since it is so dry here we have burn bans in place so no douchebag revelry except on the city level downtown. There is nothing that builds love for my fellow man as finding bottle rocket skeletons on my roof. I believe in the School of Darwin. Eventually these idiots will pay.
Your life sounds so nice. You are living the dream.
The orange and black moth-looking thing is a net-winged beetle, and the one that fell out of your chimney looks like it might be a sawfly to me (a male if it’s missing a big ovipositor sticking out of its abdomen).
I live smack in the middle of a city and was hearing fireworks until 2 am on July 4th night. I was pissed! My neighbors were setting them off in their goddamn driveway which is directly outside my bedroom. And I did have to be up early for work yesterday and today. I hate fireworks!
At first I thought you were wearing water wings in the pool (ha!), then I figured those blue things must be the ends of a noodle?
You definately need an aerator as soon as possible in your pond for the health of the fish and to help keep from getting mosquitos.
The douchebag neighbors are present and accounted for here in Dallas, too! Except little “pop” firecrackers were replaced with fucking STICKS of DYNAMITE (well, it SOUNDED like Sticks of Dynamite). Seriously, it was shaking the windows and the cops came looking for the little fucktards. Sigh. I’ve turned into the old grumpy lady down the street.
We have had the same firework business going on here in the past decade. The old people died or moved and the new ones are a noisy bunch. Surprisingly my dogs are not scared at all but the cat gets clingy so I think it freaks her out. I worry about fires too. The worst offenders have four sons so I’m sure the obnoxiousness will carry on down the line.
My neighbors were setting off fireworks and, perhaps, grenades until 2 a.m. I had to work the next morning. Next year I’m going to figure out who it is and then make their yard my dog’s personal toilet.
I have geezer eyes (tm Jane) and I thought there was two hippie neighbors playing a guitar off to the left side of you in the pool. Turns out it’s an upturned wheelbarrow. heh.
Sometimes I just need a real good belly laugh to lift my spirits. You did it for me tonight Libby. I am still chuckling.
Reminds me of the time my sister asked to borrow my Oil of Olay and I said I don’t think it’s a horrible day.
We used to have fireworks for the Queen’s Birthday. They have been illegal in my part of the world (Australia) for years and years and yet every single Queen’s Birthday there are ass clowns letting them off and scaring domestic animals (and native ones too) half to death. I hate it so much. What I hate even more are the fuckwits who walk around the town blowing up letter boxes. The bastards don’t even wait for a special occasion to do that 🙁
With regards to aerating your pool – we had a big pond like that when I was growing up and my Dad just put in some special water weeds which acted as a natural filter. I suppose you would have something like that in your part of the world.
That should have been aerating your pond not pool ^.
The first bug looks like some type of wasp
Love you, as always. Not gonna bitch about you not posting everyday anymore cause only douches do that BUT since I figured out that you post on the kitty site almost daily and I have THIS site bookmarked can you pleeeeeeease just post some squash pictures or SOMETHING so I don’t have to see that BUG when I’m scrolling down to click on kitty central??
THAT BUG FREAKS ME OUTTTTT
Hey Mum! That bug kinda looks like a giant wasp. What a way to die. Submerged in Kitty poo.