La Wally

Wally has entered the pupal stage. If you look closely you can see lines indicating folds of wings under the leathery skin of the pupa. The segmented part is active, ie, it can swing that pointy thing around. I suppose its a defense against anything that thinks pupas make tasty meals...like the Chinese.

The big question is how long until the moth ecloses (a cool bug term I just learned, meaning "emerge"). Some pupas winter over for as many as two winters!!! Don't do that to me, Wally.

Just now, as I was scrolling through pictures of moths on http://www.whatsthatbug.com/, an extensive identification site, I was filled with awe over how much detail God put into designing even these humble insects. Considering how some moths are decked out, though, it might be contradictory to call them humble.

Lots of moths only come out at night. Where's their audience? Who was meant to witness all that beauty, other than God Himself? I think its beautiful that the Creator put wonder all around us, even in night creatures that we may never see.

In other news, when I googled "eumorpha pandorus pupa", my very own blog came up on the first page of results! It's a little surprising to unexpectedly find oneself on the internet.

Sas-quashed

Loooooove NH?

So does Amy Kane. I just discovered her dem fine blog.

Eumorpha Pandorus

While taking a walk this morning I came across an enormous (approx. 3 in.) caterpillar crawling across the road. With many layers of grape leaves separating its nasty little feet from my skin, I toted its squirming self home and popped it into a big glass jar.

An insect field guide didn't yield a positive ID but I found this nifty larva identification tool online that informed me that I have the larva of a Pandorus sphinx moth. Said larva enjoys munching grape leaves (score!) and turns into a pupa underground. I'm calling it Wally.

Livin' la dolce vita

Out of the blue I received a gas card from my wonderful employer as a bonus. It is--great Ceasar's ghost--worth nearly half my paycheck! Flabbergasted I was. So I goes to Irving to fill up, Shaw's coupon for $.10 off per gallon in hand. Irving had some Reese's promotion going, and I got a dollar back from the coupon; ergo, I was paid $1 and a Reese's pb bar for taking 10 gallons of fuel. Today, at least, life is sweet.

BEST SIGN EVER

What the Hail Part 2

Friday evening, NE's wacky weather dished out thunder, lightning, high winds, torrential rain and about half an inch of hail that remained on the ground until the next morning. It tore millions of leaves off the trees and did a lot of damage in the garden, shredding the corn and just about everything else. And it only hailed up here on the hill, which makes me wonder which of the neighbors incurred God's wrath (couldn't have been me, of course).

Welcome to Snarkopolis

First, you all need to chew with your mouths closed. You're making more noise than a herd of feeding cattle. If I can still hear the sound of crunching popcorn after the movie starts, heads are gonna roll.

Second, woman with the fussy baby: the fact that you're allowing your child to squawk and not taking care of its needs shows that you're a selfish individual who doesn't care about your kid or other movie goers. I feel sorry for your baby.

Third, people who brought children young enough so their legs just reach the back of my chair which they're kicking vigorously: are you out of your blinking minds?! What are you thinking, bringing kids that young to see a movie like this? Even if you were only educated by daytime talk shows, you should know that absorbing all this violence is not good for children. It's not just violence, either. The Joker is a nightmare factory. If your kids aren't frightened or upset, it's because you've exposed them to so much trash that they've become desensitized. As they grow older, nitwits, more intense on-screen horror, violence and insanity will be necessary to cause the catharsis movies provide. Consumer demand for bloodier, more horrifying movies will sink our world a little deeper in it's moral morass. Is it really so difficult to find a sitter for them? Nine bucks an hour is a cheap price to pay for a better world.

Fourth, obnoxious teenie boppers who have seen the movie before and laugh fawningly at the Joker's lines before he says them: OK, I understand that you idolize Heath Ledger now that he's dead, but loudly repeating that Christian Bale is the worst Batman of all time is ruining the movie for the rest of us. Since you're only watching about one third of the movie, I'll give you both $2.20, a third of the price of admission, to get the &#@* out of here.

Quoth She

Some men just want to watch the world burn.
-The Dark Knight

I Phish Because I Care

Quoth She

I'm representing the New York Amalgamated Short Snap Biscuit Cracker and Frazzled Wheat Company.

-from A Retrieved Reformation by O. Henry

Welcome to Snarkopolis

Excuse me?! Can't you read? Yeah, I'm talking to you: middle aged male with the big umbrella who just blew by me in the bulk foods aisle. The sign says NO SAMPLING. Not only have you contaminated the contents of that bin by reaching your germ laden hand in there, but you've also stolen food from Hannaford. That's right, Bug Eyes, STOLE. As in thief, criminal, and against the law. That tasty treat you blithely popped in your mouth: didn't exactly pay for it did you?
I'll bet you think it's alright because you only took a handful, right? Well what would happen if all the free loading bums in the city of Manchester lined up and took just one handful without paying for it? There wouldn't be any left for your selfish self and the store would lose money. Oh yeah, and chaos and anarchy would ensue. That's all. Which is why we have rules. So that responsible people like me can live side by side with parasites like you.

Also,

I will vote for the first candidate who promises to exile Perez Hilton to a foreign country.

Going Swimming in Australia?

If so, you'll need some of this. The urine remedy for jellyfish stings is a fallacy.

It used to be the frosting!

I've noticed several instances of food manufacturers cutting back to offset rising prices, but none of the items I buy regularly has been affected until now.

Kellogg's has reduced the amount of frosting on it's Frosted Mini-Wheats. While there has always been a mixture of lightly and heavily frosted squares in every box of the cereal, lightly frosted squares now greatly outnumber heavily frosted squares.

Whereas an old commercial informed viewers, "It's the frosting" that makes this cereal appealing, I assert that Kellogg's should cut back on the size of the squares or the size of the box, not the famously key ingredient. Don't make me sugar my squares, guys.

Soulfest

Wednesday-Saturday I camped out at Soulfest, a Christian music festival held in Gilford. Around 11,000 tickets for the event were sold, and as many of the festival goers were believers, the atmosphere was very different from secular musical festivals.

Besides the absence of drugs and alcohol, I'd say the main difference is how people treated eachother. 4 people offered to help me lug gear to my camping site and set up the tent. Every morning a guy named Roger made pancakes and coffee for anyone who wanted it. A wallet dropped in a crowd of thousands of people was returned intact to the owner. I probably met more people in 4 days than I have all year. Because of the bond that exists between members of God's family, chatting with strangers was easier than usual.

This is the second year I've gone to Soulfest as a World Vision volunteer and worked at the sponsorship tent or the African Experience tent. In 4 days approx. 200 children from a village in Mozambique were chosen to be sponsored. Yay!!!

I didn't take many pictures because my camera battery died, but I got a few from the candle light prayer service. I wanted a picture of the prayer cross because it is significant, so I snagged one from the internet.

Throughout the day, hundreds of people pound nails symbolizing sin or burdens into the cross. In the evening, the nails are covered with carnations, a visual representation of God's forgiveness. Each morning the nails and flowers are removed.

I had a good time this year despite the rain and was extremely thankful that my cheapie Target tent lived up to its waterproof claim. Lindsay joined me Thursday which made me happier than a clam in silt.

I enjoyed the experience as a whole more than the brain jarringly loud music, but I was pleased to see Unspoken in concert again. Also, Steve Geyer, a speaker and comedian, was excellent. Some WV volunteers made it an especially wonderful time, most notably Mark, Elaina and Nathan, who Lindsay called the "cute cow people" because they're dairy farmers, and a special family from Dover.

Thank you, Isaac Watts

Now let my soul arise,

And tread the tempter down;

My Captain leads me forth

To conquest and a crown:

A feeble saint shall win the day,

Though death and hell obstruct the way.

Should all the hosts of death,

And powers of hell unknown,

Put their most dreadful forms

Of rage and mischief on,

I shall be safe, for Christ displays

Superior power, and guardian grace.

-Join All the Glorious Names