Dawn419 & doc's LSTA: Confounded Computer!!!

[Denim Deb]

It was supposed to be warmer here today, and I was trying to figure out if I should take the blankets off the horses. Only problem being, then the temps are supposed to drop overnight w/a possibility of more rain and/or snow. Either it didn't get warm, or because of the clouds and the wind, you couldn't tell! I'm now home in front of my nice warm wood stove trying to get my toes to thaw out.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Stay warm up there! I just took a hot shower so I wouldn't need it later when the temp is lower. I'm gonna dig out all the lap blankets too- just in case. I found out using a blanket out underneath the sheets keeps the cold air from getting you through the mattress. The sheets don't feel icy when you climb in.

 

[CheerioLounge]

I hate getting into bed on a cold sheet! I've been sleeping on a blanket for a month!

 

[Dawn419]

Had a high of 28 today...19 with the wind chill. Supposed to be down to around 8 with the wind chill tonight. Brrrrrr!

We keep several spare blankets under the foam "pads" that make up our bed, for extra padding plus blocking the cold air, as you mentioned, dl! Then there's Smoke (the cat), she's a little thing but she throws off some serious heat and is good about warming up the bed before we get into it!

Gave the birds fresh water and some cracked corn, checked the mail, got back inside and realized I'd forgotten to grab the canning jars from the shed so I could strain the fire cider. After being outside that short time and fighting the wind I decided it could wait until tomorrow and had a good sip of the tonic to help warm myself up!

Alrighty, time for some summery pix!

June 2010:

We went up to Mansfield, MO and checked out Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds. Really neat place and we got to meet Jere, not realizing who he was at the time. Super-sweet person! We enjoyed walking around their pioneer village and were like two kids in a candy store when we went into the seed store! One of my favorites was the "Wacky Shack":

Since it was our first year gardening here, we basically set up a glorious buffet for every garden pest you can imagine.

flea beetles, aphids, tomato hornworms , etc...

One of our resident tarantulas

We had just enough rain, at the right time, to get a nice harvest from our blackberry patch:

Pepper Anne (RIP) and Smoke hanging out with me while I take sunset pix:

Some type of parasitic (?) wasp that killed a tarantula

The "Green Hornet"

Well, gonna take a dinner break then I'll post more June pix!

 

[Denim Deb]

Don't know what type of wasp it was, but many wasps will stun, not kill some other type of insect, spider or whatever. Then, they'll drag it into a hole and lay their eggs in it. Once the eggs hatch, they'll eat the insect. Then, there are those that lay their eggs on the insect w/out dragging it into a hole. I'm sure we've all seen the tomato horn worm that looks like it has something growing out of it.

Love the pic of the dragon fly. And, the wacky shack looks about like something I'd end up w/if I tried to build anything!

 

[CheerioLounge]

We have giant (up to 3") black and red wasps called tarantula hawks out here that do that with tarantulas! Look similar to the pic but the wings are bigger and really bright red.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Wow those blackberries look good.
It's 32 here now and may be heading for 20 degrees. I do not like freezing weather. Enough pouting- I' ll just put on a warm bathrobe till I'm ready for bed.

 

[Dawn419]

Close-up of the tarantula whooping wasp

Wasp dragging tarantula into it's lair/hole down in between rocks

Thanks for the info Deb and CL!

It definately drug the stunned tarantula down into a hole in the rock "mulch". I'll post the wasp pic over at Dave's and get an ID on it.

Those blackberries were wonderfully delish and barely had any seeds in them at all. We suspect that someone planted the patch years ago (our place use to be part of a larger farm) since the berries from this patch are huge compared the the wild blackberries that are scattered here and there on the land.

I'll finish posting June 2010 later this evening. Need to do some watering and take Bub for a walk.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'd try to ID the wasp for you, but have no idea where my entomology text book is. One of these days, I'll have my library all set up the way I want it, then I'll be able to find my books when I need them!

 

[Dawn419]

Thanks for trying, Deb!

Got it posted at Dave's so fingers crossed! Still need to check the AR sites but some of our weird bugs must not be all that common.

Edited to add this cool video:

Tarantula Hawk Wasp vs. Tarantula

Off to do more searchin....