I noticed the strangest thing. Around 4th of July they made their annual appearance, right around the time they usually do. I made a note for myself to start eliminating them (the soapy water method), but never got around to it - too busy with other things. So I'm moseying around outside the other day, and NO BEETLES! They are normally all over one rugosa rose in particular, it's like home base for them, but they were all gone. They weren't on any other plants, either. No clue what went on there, but I have never seen that happen, they're usually orgying it up well into August, sometimes even a bit later. Wonder if it's a sign it will be another harsh winter - ?. Or maybe I just had a lot of hungry birds hanging around the yard this year :0)

Seedmama, you are so sweet. I really don't mind bringing food, but I am just not ready to commit to naming it yet. LOL I like to cook and I can always bring something in a cooler. I talked to my daughter and both of her children have tournaments this weekend so she can't come. I don't feel like I am bringing much at all. George gave me the seeds for Baker's Family Heirloom so I'm just giving a couple back in a different form. I wish I had planted more, but I only did four. One failed to germinate, but another pot must have had two seeds sticking together so I got four after all. I don't even like Roma's much, but my DH does. I will gladly share those with George because I have plenty. My plants are still very small though, because I was determined not to "plant and cover" like I normally do. I guess they are strong little plants however, because the night George lost his, I just slid mine under the shed that had a piece of plastic on the front of it. Our temps went to 31 according to Mesonet, but I didn't lose anything. One of my carpenters told me today that everytime I get my yard in shape they come and mess it up again. I think this is the last time though. They had a bobcat for this project and it made some pretty deep ruts, but they also graded it out to make the water flow away a little better, so all and all I think I will benefit. They poured the final concrete today for our safe room/tornado shelter, but we still have a lot of work to do. It has been an interesting (although stressful) process. Tomorrow they are ordering siding for it and with a little paint it should just look like another room on the house. They are also ordering in the metal to match the house roof. That should take care of the outside but we have the finishing on the inside to take care of. We probably will leave that until the roof is on. The roof is just to make it look like the house and to make the water flow off, because it has a thick reinforced concrete flat roof already. I will have to explain it to you on Saturday, because it has been an interesting project. The flower pots are just lightweight plastic, but they are big enough for small plants. I grew lettuce and peppers in some of them last year and they were plenty big for that. I have oodles. If I could trade one for a plant, any plant, I would be happy. LOL I have the room where the shelter connects about 2/3 painted and that is my last inside project, then I am moving outside for the summer. LOL It always seems like I have so much to do that I think my neighbors must be frustrated from looking at our home, but they always just say, "Look how much you have already done, and how good it looks". Guess that's what happens when you buy an old house. The work never ends. Thanks again for your offer to bring food for me, but I am indepted to you already for all of those flowers I have growing that came from your seed stash. Hope to see you on Saturday. Carol

Robber fly. When I was a young kid, I used to walk a well worn dirt path at my Grandmother's farm. These robber flies would always sit in the middle of the path and take wing as I approached. They would fly straight away from me as if they wanted to remain within the boundaries of the path. Their flight would cause them to encounter other robber flies that had their own spot staked out in the path. Sometimes two or more of the robber flies would seem to attack each other as one of them flew into the other's space (but maybe they were not fighting). The encounters were fun to watch (at that age) because of the speed with which these critters can move. I never saw one of these conflicts result in a death or injury, but from all the buzzing of wings and thrashing around on the ground, you might have expected to see some loose wings or legs afterward. One of my friends had a robber fly alight on his leg once and instead of shooing it away, just let it stay where it alit. After about a minute, my friend swatted at the fly exclaiming "It bit me". It left no mark so I don't know if he was actually bitten or if he just said that. And, his swat did not connect, as I said, they are fast.

I guess you can take advantage of the robber fly population and get some batting practice in.tennis rackets make good fly swatters to.maby a potatoes gun for the jb peach balls.get creative.I am learning weild ways to kill bugs that way.for instance,I just learned cooking oil,new or used,kills every bug I pour it on.like dish soap and water,it suffocated them.bakeing powder and yeast,with some suger,added to hot water,makes my fly bait.it ferments a day or two,then its sealed tight for two weeks.the end product is effective for all species of fly.after its in the trap a few days it ferments again,into vinegar. Now fruit flys die by large numbers.it just cycles over and over.flys ferment bringing in more flys.its nasty stuff! I'm still worried about the black widows, they are as bad as my flys but have no nateral preditor here.I want to get some chinise mantis eggs,and lady bugs,but I may have to wait til next year.we got a month or two befor winter starts in here.