INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

Chevy, just wanted to send my support and prayers for your GS and all your family.

OK, I don't have bugs but I'm hiring those guys anyway! I'll just put some plastic ants on the floor or something. LOL (Although, I already have a pretty hot live-in gardener at my house.)

Sas--Not sure what kind of willow to use for Florida. I'm in NW Washington. Pretty different climate. I'll google that and see what I come up with. Not sure DH would know about the environmentally safe bug guys. You are better off asking them for chemical names and then googling those as well. DH did work for a chemical company and is proficient in water quality issues, so I will still ask him what he knows. He might need to know what chemicals they use in order to answer that though.

i'm importing some bugs....

"I think plants do to me, what glass does to Sassy." Hear, hear, Rosie. (Would you care to share the name of the shade garden/nursery? I'm always up for a field trip and about 2/3 of my garden is shade.)

I was really pleased to find that a hydrangea I thought I'd lost has indeed pulled through (just late showing any green, unlike the rest of them) and my bleeding hearts are really taking off. It kind of makes up for the MANY bulbs the squirrels (or somebody) appropriated.

Rose--I love hostas.

Blondie--The only way I can keep everyone straight is to take notes on each comment and then I type up what I want to post to each of you. Silly huh? That's a lot of sleeping. Hope you are OK.

Funny story--life is never boring with my kids around: Today we were in the car heading to Grandmas for a visit. Brother was teaching Sister how to do a simple origami fold that becomes a bird. It's made in such a way that when finished, you can pump the tail up and down and it makes the wings look like they are flying. They each finish their bird. Sister moves the tail on hers like Brother showed her. She frowns because it isn't working right. So Brother explains that she isn't moving the tail correctly. Sister adjusts her actions. Still not working. Finally, Brother took Sister's bird and starts examining it. He laughs and says, "I know why the bird isn't flying! You folded it so that its head is coming out from its butt."

Speaking of bugs. My son that's out serving a mission for my church in Mexico sent me an email today. Apparently he got to taste a certain kind of bug that has a spicy flavor. He didn't like it. He tried grasshoppers a while back and liked them.

You guys are so funny! So what's so wrong with bugs? A Lady-bug was in my house one time, at the beginning of Winter, so I put her in one of my huge hanging plants.. didn't put her outdoors! And Spiders get picked up with a kleenex, and either thrown outdoors, or in the basement if it's too cold. Bugs are your friends... they eat other bugs... like gnats & things!

And Sass did the handyman? She just places a call to the county extension, and they send one out? I haven't tried that one yet.... But probably safer than standing out in that dark alley......

SASS! THAT'S NOT A BREAK-UP! It's not even a "parting"..... It's an "I'll call you when I'm fixin' bisquits and gravy, so that's about every night into morning, so see you then."

Geez, where's Cammi? I have to pick on all you other guys when she is off on one of her .... um.... whatevers!

Mombie.... Your kids sound so funny together.... Not to mention talented....! I should have you all come over to my house, and give me ideas on my gardens, like where to put what, and get rid of what!

Morning Blondie! You doin' okay? Are you staying out of trouble? We used to watch Murder She Wrote.... great show!

Hopeful! Yes Squirrels DO like bulbs! Seems they leave them alone, after a couple years, and probably work themselves in deeper... DH puts stale bread in their feeders, to keep them away from my veggies and plants.

Rosie! You are trying to lure those guys? Hah! Yes, make a trail of plastic slugs, caterpillars, and spiders into your door-way...to throw them off, then when they ring your bell, you can jump out at them in your cheer-leader uniform, and shake your pom-poms at them! They'll probably call the authorities. Phyllilooserthanelastic used to do these things..... Until................

Teka...HAHAAH! Pretty damn funny! What a face. I am sure I am so scary first thing in the morning! Oy

Chevy- you crack me up. We are very very loving to most of our bugs. I have bought pray mantis egg sacks and lady bug nests from the garden store to leave out to eat aphids and icky bugs. We capture spiders and moths and take them outside too. My DDs all capture bugs and take them outside and howl in protest if their friends try to kill them! We usually don't spray unless we are in danger of loosing a plant or spreading an infestation. We have a pest company because of rodents. Since bait boxes so far none anymore, so it's worked. We live out near fields and a creek and have lots of racoons, skunks and critters. We had a neighbor that just let his cherry trees rot and the house was empty, seller moved and untill it sold there was too much "free" food. We even took a cedar tree down because they thought raccoons squirrels were getting up the tree and into the roof. Just a big PIA until that house sold and the new folks took down the old wormy cherry trees! One year we had a raccoon up the tree and he had diarrhea all down the cedar tree, filled with a zillion cherry pits! Gross! I bet he had the tummy ache from hell! When the fruit got too ripe we would have to go pick up drunkin robins that hit the patio windows. We have a cage just to keep them until they recover from head trauma and wake up. Sometimes they break their necks and that's it.

I was up bright and early getting a small loveseat for my daughter that I found on Craigs list. Cute clean design, perfect for a college apartment. The guy said who ever shows up first gets it. I was there at 8:30... home by 9am. It's perfect for her and I txted a pic and she likes it. Great price too. Yay! I am a little sore from helping load it.. muscles we don't use on a daily basis! Owie..Haha.

I have to tell you a funny story about panicking seeing a bug- house on fire above. My DH was a volunteer in the Phillippines for Peace Corps. He was stationed out on a tiny island, pretty remote. His house was one room, on stilts and made of thatch bamboo reeds etc. as was the local custom. Well he was/is still afraid of scorpions and saw one or two on the wall of his house. He went after them with a machete and an entire section of the wall fell out because he went a little nuts. That caused some pretty funny stories about that crazy American hacking his house down to kill a few bugs! The other story I died laughing over, was my DH sitting in the outhouse. He reached over to get a magazine page (tp there) and saw an 8 inch tropical spider coming right at him. Apparently he went flying straight out of the outhouse, drawers down and fell face first in the sand. This caused serious hilarious stories from the neighborhood kids. My DH has a WONDERFUL ability to write and does it like Dave Berry so when his letters came from overseas, my room mates in college were like -"read them quick! " OMD they were sooo funny!

MRI & CT finished, now chewing nails for results. MRI about did me in, had a nice 2 hour nap.

Greetings!

We are fortunate in our neck of the woods. Not really a bug problem area. Maybe ants sometimes, but nothing poisonous or scary on this side of the Cascades. I grew up in Arkansas as a little girl. Now THAT was a different story entirely. I'll keep my green paradise in WA thanks.

Chevy--Thanks (about the kiddos) When you are ready, post your garden again, along with pics of what you want to plant. Maybe we can help you arrange your garden from afar? LOL Sounds silly, now that I put it into words, but it might be fun. My mom also grew up with an outhouse as a girl. She talks about the catalog pages too. My mom has a story about it being pushed over with her in it!

Rose--Super funny DH stories! My son is living in Mexico right now. He has seen some scary crawlies while there.

Sas--Thanks for the tip about Reader's Digest. I just might try that. I hope I'm not being too dingy here, but what is W&F? My daughter in particular has endless funny stories involving her. DH has been writing a book called Raising Romina. It's about raising a child with Turner's Syndrome, but it's riddled with humor and fun because she has been such and amusing adventure...and pure sunshine.

Spookie--Glad the scans are overwith. Chewing my nails with you. When are you supposed to hear back?

Rads are kicking my butt now. DH is going to come home early everyday now until it's over. Almost done!

Spookie, have you been having pain ? Do you have to go to that particular center for insurance purposes ?

Yeah, most insurance, Medicare? Require going to a free standing facility. Not hospital. They are swamped. So get another radiologist to help read and cover the load!!!! But that's toooooo simple, and would affect their bottom line, $$$$$$$$..