Monthly Archives: May 2024

Missed Opportunity: Last on the Card, May 31, 2024

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This morning I noticed these leaves on the pedestals on either side of the door that leads from the street to my front garden, but it wasn’t until Paciano arrived that I noticed the 3 inch wide trail of leaf parts that extended  almost the entire distance across my lot from the pedestals to the kitchen door and then mysteriously stopped!  It was solid stone the entire way and there was no hole in site that might have led into their underground abode.  Why would they have stopped there and why so many different segments–so many that they formed a solid carpet?  If it had been a rain, it would have washed the leaves away or at least disarranged them. These tiny segments, much smalled than the leaves pictured above, formed an absolutely straight and orderly pathway almmost entired covered with green. It indicated that thousands of ants had set down their burdens at exactly the same time and left. What could have caused this? In my 23 years of observing leafcutter ant behavior, I had never seen it before.

But, an equal mystery is why in the world didn’t I take a photo?

And..how strange. As I was getting ready to post this blog, I saw a movement on my arm and you guessed it…it was an ant!  Not a leafcutter, however.

Two other posts on leafcutter ants:

 

The Ants Go Marching Home Again Until They Don’t

Hormigas!!!!

 

For Bushboy’s Last on the Card Prompt

 

Annie

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You must wonder why after so many posts on Annie, I have suddenly not mentioned her at all. Thanks  to Forgottenman, you probably already know that she passed away yesterday and I really appreciate all who have expressed sympathy for Annie’s death. Later I would like to do some further posts revealing her last adventures, but I’m not ready right now to do so.

R.I.P. Sweet Annie.

Papaya and The Sexes

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For the first 21 years I lived here, I always had a producing papaya tree. When I knew one was within two years of its life span, I would plant another and by the time the last one was no more, the next one would be producing fruit. This is now the only papaya tree left, and it has been two years in producing fuit, but it is very strange fruit indeed as instead of growing in a clump at the top, the papayas grow at the end of very long cordlike stems that hang down a few feet from the stem.  Pasiano told me today that this is a male tree and that the fruit is inedible, but my next door neighbor, who I gave a tree to from the same seed that grew this one, says their tree is growing fruit in the same manner and revealed that they are hermaphrodite trees!  I Googled the term and this is what I learned:

Papayas come in three sexual varieties: male, female and hermaphrodite. The hermaphrodite produces the flavorful fruit that is sold commercially.

Every day a new surprise!!! David and Sergio next door are netting their papayas to protect them. Today I planted new seed and was planning on cutting my tree down, but guess I’ll do the same and bag my fruit and see what happens. Monkey see, monkey do.

Golden Shower Tree Abloom for Cee’s FOTD, May 31, 2024

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As you can see, the golden shower trees are in full bloom right now.

For Cee’s FOTD

Baaad Puns, For Fibbing Friday May 31, 2024

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The questions this week were provided by Jim Adams. Thanks, Jim!

1. Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into gold in exchange for what? He would exchange for only two things: bitcoin or newly pressed stilt covers. 
2. What did humans do before the bobbin was invented? Called ahead for appointments.
3. What is the difference between knitting and crocheting?  a missing knit and an added croche.
4. What does a drop spindle do? Creates a mist to cool off crowds in a heat wave.
5. What does a painted pony have to do with a spinning wheel? They are both parts of a carousel.
6. If you stick a needle in your eye, does that show sincerity? No. It shows stupidity.
7. What was Barthélemy Thimonnier known for? The invention of a wallet one straps to one’s inner thigh to protect against pickpockets.
8. What happened in the Golden Age of sewing?  Thread price futures soared.
9. What breed of sheep makes the best wool? The ones who bring in the best return financially are Polypay sheep.  (A real breed.)
10. What happens when the cotton field gets rotten? Wool prices soar.

 

For Fibbing Friday

Guest Post: A Bit More on Judy & Annie

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This is okcForgottenMan again. Judy & I have been engaging on Skype messaging for much of the day, and she is still hurting bad. But she has been cheered by your comments. Her remaining canine critters seem to know what happened, and they have been uncharacteristically subdued, but sticking close by. Then Judy at her computer clicked on the audio of a song she wrote that was performed by a friend. That song is called “I Really Want A Puppy”, the title of an upcoming book Judy is working on. She’s not ready to release the song at large yet, but I listened (again), and her dogs heard it.

Judy: Both dogs have been so quiet and sad and just lying quietly by my side.. But, I just tested the QR code on the cover of my new book and it started playing Becky singing “I Really Want a Puppy” and they jerked up and came running over to me and both licked my neck and then they started playing with each other for the first time since Annie’s accident. Amazing. This is the first thing that has lifted my spirits all day long. Thanks, Becky!

Like y’all, I only knew Annie through Judy’s photos and words. But tonight I found that Judy made and posted a video of Annie playing with a chew toy a couple days ago. Seeing Annie in motion like that finally made her very real to me. (Welling up just writing that!)

Judy just previewed this post and notes: That’s the toy I buried her with. R.I.P. sweet Annie, my dear.

Again, hug your critters if you have them, dear readers!

Guest Post: Annie – Tragedy

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This is okcForgottenMan posting on Judy’s behalf.

Judy/Remi sent me this Skype message a little over 5 hours ago:
I took Morrie in to the vet and when I got home, Yolanda met me at the door in tears. Annie and Zoe and Coco were wrestling and Annie fell into the hot tub which Pasiano had just put scalding hot water into and although Yolanda pulled her out and got a bad bite on the finger, Annie didn’t survive. When I try to talk on the phone about this, I hyperventilate and can’t talk. I am just heartbroken and feel so guilty.

I just received another message:
We are all in bed together [remaining three dogs]. Just too hot outside [to lie in the hammock]. They are so quiet and not playing. Zoe started to slink away when she saw me, like she felt guilty. Poor baby.

This tragedy is hitting her (and her housekeeper) extremely hard! So it may be awhile before she feels up to posting anything here. Hug your critters if you have them, dear readers.

Morning Glories in a Wild Congregation, FOTD May 29, 2024

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For Cee’s FOTD

Eduardo’s Gift

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Since I saw him last, my gardener Paciano’s son Eduardo completed a three-day pilgrimage to Talpa, walking  and sleeping in rugged mountain terrain, to view its famous Virgin.   Today is the first time I’ve seen him in  three weeks, since I was in the states for nine days so missed two sessions.  When he turned up for his weekly English lesson today, he brought me this lovely hand carved wooden owl, inscribed  with this message  on the bottom, (which I have translated from the Spanish): “Souvenir of Talpa for dear Judit (sic).

Such a tender and unexpected gift from this sweet teenage boy!!! Today we spent a good hour reviewing the English names for parts of the body. To check his progress, I asked him to draw the human body and to label its parts.  After carefully  measuring distances to get the proportions correct, here he is at his labeling task. Joints are the hardest ones to remember. Certainly true with me re/ remembering them in Spanish!

Hibiscus Closeup: FOTD May 28, 2024

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For FOTD