Heddie Logan (HL) is taking Ann Raleigh (AR) to see her doctors in Boston. Looks like AR (below right) has found a bottle meant for older passengers. I am sure HL will retrieve that bottle after this picture!
Trip is driving, Kennan is shotgun, and mom has been sent to the backseat. Looks like they are at the Woodville camp. I am pretty sure Trip can handle that buggy better than anyone at the camp (except maybe Fritz), so mom can relax and enjoy the ride.
I have heard of carpenter bees, but not carpenter ants. I noticed a lot of ants in the bathroom at the VRBO house in Pine, CO (elevation 8140.7 feet). The carpenter ants are in pictures below. When threatened, these ants freeze for a few minutes. I have never seen that behavior before in an ant. The entomologist showed up to find the source and said that carpenter ants do not eat wood, they just bore through the wood. I don’t think this is an ant you want in your wooden house on the mountain. The entomologist and owner took 1.5 hours to locate the nest and exterminate these pests. A Carpenter ant is larger than a normal black ant or red ant and measures about .4 of an inch. Luckily, these ants don’t bite people like red ants do. There are some carpenter ant species that are slightly larger, and I really don’t want to meet those species either. Although I was not overly concerned about the ants in the house, I am happy not to share my inside space with any of these ants.
The pond is quite a distance away, but I could still see these Canadian geese swimming (pictures below). The ponds are cool enough to support trout. There is also a commercial pond down the road where you pay for the trout you catch by the pound. I may go visit that pond and fish, but only if they clean the trout I catch. Although I am perfectly capable of cleaning a fish, that task is not on my list of what I want to do today!
Mercedes D. sent this picture of her Glorybower blooming (picture below) in Louisiana. Mercedes planted one plant several years ago and that one plant has spread over the yard. Other names for this plant are Japanese glorybower, Pagoda flower, Giant Salvia, Red Glorybower, Kaempfer’s Glorybower, and bagflower. This plant is native to Asia and can be grown as a hedge, a bush, or in pots. It is a beautiful plant that blooms through the summer and fall. However, a freeze is not its friend. The Glorybower attracts hummingbirds and butterflies and is a pleasant addition to a garden.
These Zinnia pictures (below) were taken at the farm at Woodville this morning. It won’t be long before we pull these plants up to allow their seeds to sprout and bloom during the Fall. We are also harvesting the dried blooms to save seeds for next year. None of the sunflower seeds we saved from last year sprouted. We are yet to determine what we should have done differently with those seeds.
English Tip of the Day: You hear “UM” and “UH” a hundred times a day – on the radio, from your friends, from your family, and in your own speech. Although these may be words or prefixes of Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian origin, they really have no meaning in today’s English Language. Both words are defined as “used to express doubt, uncertainty, confusion or to fill a pause in speaking.” In other words, both are wasted use of someone’s vocal cords and annoying to the listener. In more recent times, “um” and “uh” have been joined or replaced with “you know” and “like”. Listen to yourself speak and allow the pause to occur without filling the space with “um”, “uh”, “you know”, and “like”. Your listeners will be more attentive to the message you are conveying and will truly appreciate your efforts.
** Are you a dog lover? You may enjoy this link.