My boss gave away a bunch of her plants when she retired, so I took her oxalis. I brought it home to replace the soil and feed it. I’m letting it hang out on my kitchen table for awhile, because it seems to really like it there. It’s put out a ton of new growth.
Infant Martha Cordelia Brummett Dec. 6, 1920, Mount Gilead Cemetery, Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana
This is representative of the sorts of headstones found on infants’ graves in this area. Sometimes there will be a small lamb lamb or a rose decorating the stone, but often the stone is completely unadorned.
Musietta Infant of Wm. J. & Nancy J. Hinkle Born Sept. 13, 1873 Died July 4, 1874, Bethel Cemetery, Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana
This is an awfully elaborate headstone for a baby’s grave, at least for this area. The lamb symbolizes innocence, and the tasseled drapery represents a mourning shroud.
As if the tomato hornworms and their parasitic wasps weren’t bad enough, Mr. Groundhog has also been stealing tomatoes.
Remember those disgusting tomato hornworms that tried to kill my plants awhile back?
Well this is what happens to them when parasitic wasps lay their eggs inside the worms. The eggs hatch and feed on the worm, which kills it. Then, they burrow out of the worm, turn into pupae, spin cocoons, and hang out until they’re ready to hatch.
Each of those little cocoons is about the size of a grain of rice.
These little guys haven’t hatched yet, but they should soon. I’ve found other infested hornworms with empty cocoons. This is a revolting but Very Good Thing. It means that there are now lots of these wasps around, so they will hopefully keep future tomato hornworms populations in check.
If Henry had to put up with me sticking a camera RIGHTINHERFACE, then it’s only fair that Polly does, too.
Henry has gorgeous aquamarine eyes.
The students had gorgeous weather for move-in day. Traffic on the way home from work wasn’t too bad, either.
This was yesterday morning, not today. And tomorrow, it’s student move-in day, which means traffic will be absolutely ridiculous. I’ll take my iPod with me and try to think happy thoughts. No matter how bad it is, it won’t be anything compared to what folks in China are going through. I can’t even imagine being stuck in a month-long traffic jam. Aieeee!
This little guy spends a lot of time sitting on that perch. It must give him a good vantage point for hunting. Which he’d been doing, as his beak had food all over it.
red paper boat 