Black Swallowtail caterpillars

Frost advisory for my area tonight.  The forecast is that the temps will make it down to 36 degrees.  The effects of topography, though, could eat up that four degree difference easily.  I brought some of the plants from the deck inside already but I drove Jormungandr in close so I could wrangle the remaining plant containers onto it's bed and transfer them inside en masse.  The first container I went to pick up was a parsley that I had sitting atop an outside table. My hand froze as I reached for it.  Something was wrong.  Looking closer I saw the plant was positively infested w/ caterpillars.  They each sat at the top of a stalk of parsley and, judging from there only being a stem and no leaf, were eating it.   I brought out my camera, took a picture of them, and left the container where it sat on the table.  I moved all of the other plants inside.  The only ones left out are Yggdrasil, the two cacti, and the parsley plant.  Once that was done I checked on what kind of caterpillars I'd found.   I know what Monarch, Tent (yech), Woolly Bear, and Tussock caterpillars look like but these weren't close to any of them.  Found them on the Internet - Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars!  Another common name for them is Parsley Worms which I can understand based on where I found them.   When they first emerge from the eggs they are black, with rows of white and yellow spots.  Plus, they have a blotch of white on their back to camouflage them as bird droppings.  In subsequent molting acts they lose the white blotch and become increasingly more green.  My problem was what to do w/ them.  I'd like them to make it through the winter but if I bring the plant (and them) inside I'll have black swallowtail butterflies flitting around at Christmas time w/ no where to go.  As usual w/ nature, the best thing turns out to leave them alone.  Late fall broods like this one will move away from the host plant, find a protected place to make a chrysalis, and sleep away the winter.  I can handle that.  I'm very good at doing nothing.  Maybe I'll occasionally check to see if the caterpillars have changed appearance again but I'll leave the parsley plant on the table until the little guys have moved on.

Boxelder Seeds

 

Excerpts from the Sheriff's Report:

3:31 a.m. - Large white mattress cover filled with clothing found on road.  Moved to ditch.

12:53 p.m. - Caller caught two younger males in his cornfield taking corn off the stalks and loading it into a truck.  Caller didn't know they had filled the entire truck bed until his wife told him.  Two male offenders charged with trespassing and theft.

1:41 p.m. - Caller reports a drone flying over her house.  Drone hit the house causing no damage but a male came and retrieved the drone.  He didn't say who he was or what he was doing.  Male got into a car with two other males and left.  Caller was told there is not a local ordinance regulating drone usage.  They should call police if it happens again.  

3:58 p.m. - Walmart stated customer came in and stated he needed a scope so he could shoot his neighbor lady.  Deputy in contact with person.  He said he had no intention of shooting anyone.  He wanted the scope for his air rifle and at most would use it as protection if someone broke into his house.

6:15 p.m. - Three females came to Law Enforcement Center.  They said there was a hit list out and one believes she is on it.  Female worried about being at home while her parents are away.  She said she could stay at her grandmother's house.  Incident documented.  Reporting party to call if person of interest makes contact w/ her.

7:11 p.m. - Officer at high school for a volleyball game smelled a strong odor of an illegal substance in the area of the men's bathroom.  Officer reviewed camera footage with the principal and they believed it to be a male parent that was at the school for the game.  The principal  approached the father and had a talk with him about the suspicion and finally explained that this cannot happen at the school or on school grounds again.

7:23 p.m. - Call from clinic nurse line.  Would like a welfare check on a patient that says he's passing in and out.  The call got disconnected.  No answer to call back.  Officer spoke with reporting party.  He said he is just trying to report the hospital for not taking care of him.  He is OK.  Does not need medical help.

8:09 p.m. - Male teacher reported they found what appeared to be a bag of weed out by a bonfire.  Several students were caught with pre-rolled blunts behind the school.  The juvenile who brought the marijuana left before deputy could speak with her.  Deputy lectured all the other students involved.  Vice principal would like a day shift officer to come in tomorrow and "put the fear of God" into the responsible student.

In the same paper - Letter to the Editor:

When was the last time law enforcement solved an actual "crime"?  At a time like this when the cost of living is higher than ever and people are just scraping by do we really need road pirates forcing people to the side of the road to steal their money?  For a lot of families that one traffic ticket is their grocery money for the week.  Who hasn't sped a little to make it to work on time?  Or had a headlight burn out?  Or tinted their windows because they can see better without being blinded by the sun?  Law enforcement are exempt from that because remember, rules for thee not for me!  ... County Seat resident

Clouds at Sunrise

Friend Kathy and her husband Stan are attending the Orion Festival at the McDonald Observatory.  Instead of being jealous, I figured I'd sit out on the deck and watch the night sky myself (well, I and Whip).  The moon wasn't up and there are no lights over the swamp so I'd hoped for some good viewing.    The southwest horizon was unfortunately already covered by forecasted clouds coming in.  I could almost make out Sagittarius.  I knew that would be where the Milky Way started at the horizon and trace it up through Aquila the Eagle, Cygnus the Swan, sweeping overhead past Cepheus and on to Cassiopeia.  One difference between my friend's experience and mine was 20 degrees.  The low temps here are in the 30's. It wouldn't get down to frosting here though because of that cloud cover coming in.   Time to move all of the plants back into Sleipnir for the upcoming winter.  Once they are safely tucked inside I can cut them back and repot them.  (I say that every year and it isn't until spring when I finish all of that work.)

Foggy Vista

I wouldn't believe this stuff if I hadn't read it in multiple places.

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville gave a speech last week where he said many pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers were part of the furry community.  "It's terrifying when you think about this." He said, "It's possible the pilot flying your plane could have a deranged fetish of dressing up like an animal."   I'd watched a TV drama where the main actors encountered a group of people who liked dressing up as animals so at least I knew what he meant by 'furries'.   I also know, however, commercial pilots and flight attendants are required to wear a uniform (which does not include a tail) so, should any of them choose to dress up as a stuffed animal, it's on their own time.  I'm wondering if Sen. Tuberville has the same issues w/ people who dress up to participate in Civil War reenactments or Trekkies (pretty sure wearing pointy Spock ears in the cockpit isn't allowed either).  Sen. Tuberville's rant  about 'furries' comes two weeks after FBI Director Kash Patel defended, in front of a Senate Judiciary Committee, changes to FBI hiring policies.   Applicants to join the FBI will no longer be automatically disqualified for, among other things, engaging in bestiality.  

I think the government is saying ...

People who choose to dress as anthropomorphic animals aren't trustworthy enough to hand out peanuts on a plane but we can have faith that people who've abused animals will enforce federal laws.

Dunder asleep in the sun

I drove over to the clinic early for another blood draw.  The doc has me doing it every two weeks to ensure my hemoglobin continues to improve.   I asked the nurse to take it from my left arm this time.  My right arm has a vein that looksl like a pipeline so they usually take it from that side but last week the Mothership Clinic had also taken a sample and the tech caused a bruise that hadn't yet completely healed.  Unfortunately, the nurse this morning couldn't find the vein on the left side so the poor right hand vein got poked again.  P.S.  Two weeks ago I was at 8.9 and today I went up to 10.2.  Yeah!

On the way back from the clinic I picked up my mail.  Lots of bills.  First was a document from my health insurance.  Not precisely a bill but a list of changes in their coverage for next year.  Copays raised and some things aren't covered anymore - will need to check if I need to change insurance.  Second was something from my home insurance.  Next month it is up for renewal and the insurance company was letting me know changes in their policy and what the bill for the next year will be.  Noticed the amount is double what it was when I started w/ them - of course that was 20 years and two out buildings ago so can't get too excited.  Third was a Notice of Changed Assessment from the Town.  OK - again not exactly a bill.  The whole town was reassessed this year.  The usual cause is the state government thinks it should be getting more money from an area so it lets the assessors know how much tax revenue it expects and it's up to the assessors to find it (or the government will send their own assessors and do it).   All of my property was assessed to be worth three times as much as it was worth last year.  I double checked that the accessor hadn't taken some land out of AG or had revalued my buildings but the code for the change in all cases was '05-Increase due to revaluation'.  A note included said this doesn't mean my taxes will go up accordingly.  Pretty sure, though, it won't mean my taxes will be going down!   Fourth was a bill from the electric company.  I had contacted them multiple times late in the winter because they stopped sending me bills.  Each time the help desk said it was an issue with their billing department and I had been credited back all of the money I'd paid in since the solar panels went live.  Last week I'd gotten two letters in a row from the electric company stating they had now fixed the billing problem.  I'd be getting bill for the last 17 months all at once and just call them to set up a payment plan since it had been their fault.  I wasn't too worried.  This summer the electric company had sent out an electrician to change out the meter.  He hadn't done that since there was nothing wrong w/ the meter - it was their billing department.  He'd also looked at the amount of electricity the panels had produced and how much electricity I had used and said the diff wasn't much.  He was right.  My bill worked out to about $60/month for both electricity/heating.  No need to set up a payment plan.  

Virgin's Bower seed heads

Foggy morning.  I lost sight of the dog a couple of times on the constitutional.  Rather enjoy breathing in foggy air.  I've never heard anyone else talk about preferring pre-moistened air (unless someone has a cold) so it might just be me that likes the feel.

Semiannual visit to the dentist this morning.  Since I started using a water pic, there isn't much for the dental hygienist to do.  We talked about the usual stuff - upcoming election (we live in the same town so she knows I'm a Chief Inspector), how her garden did this year (she had to carry a lot water but it was worth it), animals we've seen in the woods (the dentist joined in for this discussion).  While they talked I read a poster on the wall about 'calculus.'    The hygienist said 'calculus' meant plaque build up on teeth.  'Calculus' means a branch of math to me.   I wondered if both meanings came from the same root word and, if so, how did that happen?   The question turned out to be too much for the hygienist.  She stopped the cleaning and googled it.  Google said the root word is 'calx' meaning limestone in Latin.  Addition/Subtraction was sometimes done by moving a pebble on a counting board back then which was called 'ponere calculos' i.e. 'placing the pebble'.   So calculus began to mean mathematical computing while the concept of 'pebble'  also became the term meaning a build up of mineral salts around organic matter.  Curiosity satisfied, the hygienist finished up on my teeth.  I told her I had learned something new, that I didn't know before, and that I wanted to remember for a long long time.  She, of course, didn't get the family joke but I left the office smiling.

"Wild" apples

Excerpts from the Sheriff's Report:

6:15 a.m. - Black bag reported in the middle of avenue.  Officer found no bag.  It was the pedestrian sign that someone smashed into.

11:01 a.m. - Report of an active domestic, not actively physical at this time, but they are making fists.  Deputy spoke with persons of interest who said they are brothers and just wrestling in the yard.  Both parties stated it was horseplay with no ill intent.

12:31 p.m. - Female who appeared upset walked into Law Enforcement Center stated she was evicted and has nowhere to go.  She said she spoke with social services and they couldn't help her.  Officer told her social services would be the people to speak with.  Female became more upset and left.

12:57 p.m. - Caller reports their stove is sparking.  Officer shut off main breaker.  Heating element was going out.

1:44 p.m. - Caller doing home visit reports male was putting ammo in gun.  There's a female at the residence.  Male made threats to take everything.  Reporting party believes female is in danger.  Male's vehicle found at another residence.  Deputy in contact with male who stated he was removing a firearm from his mother's residence, he made sure it was unloaded.  He argued with his mother about his funds.  He wanted his money.  Consent search on vehicle - guns were unloaded.  Male escorted to mom's residence to speak about money.  She has power of attorney and will not give it to him.  He was told to go home and take care of his cat.

3:13 p.m. - Caller at resort reporting an older female was on their cameras going to their RV park and stealing aluminum cans out of collection bin.  Cans are donated to Boy Scouts.  Deputy met with reporting party who provided the license plate and named a witness.

6:53 p.m. - Caller reports a male pulled off to the side of the road and is spray painting his vehicle red.  Vehicle has a flat tire.  Driver had bought paint for the car.  Wanted to stay busy while waiting for ride.  No law enforcement action needed.

7:52 p.m. - Caller reports people are flying drones over his property.  He said if it doesn't stop he will shoot them out of the air.  Officer told complainant that if he discharges a firearm within city limits he'll be arrested.  Drone not located.  

8:05 p.m. - Caller reports her teenage son sent nude pictures of himself and is being blackmailed by an individual on TikTok.  He already sent over $1,000 through Apple cards.  Deputy spoke with juvenile and provided info on scams.  Apple card canceled.

9:26 p.m. - Call from irritated homeowner reporting fireworks being lit off last night and now tonight.  It's new land owners with campers.  Deputy reports a large group of people staying at this location for the weekend.  They are unaware they need a permit to light fireworks.

Moonset

A cloudy day so the house didn't get that extra bump of 10 degrees from passive solar heating.  At noon the inside temp was around 65 degrees.  While the sun did shine late in the afternoon, it was only enough to raise the temp a few degrees.  I knew it would only get colder inside after sunset.   Time to give in and turn on the heat.  It's a two part process: flip the switch on the circulating pump and turn the thermostat to heat.  Will be nice not to have to wear a heavy sweater around the house tomorrow.

Volunteer Diane is on Thursday nights w/ me at the library now.  She wanted to carry on the tasks of relabeling books.  Librarian Trevor had just finished w/ the 'G' books  (that's fiction books whose author's last name begins w/ 'G').  I said I needed a half hour before we closed the library to input last week's stats.  "Not a problem.", she said confidently.  You can guess how it turned out.  We did just manage to finish w/ a shelf of books and still have a half hour before closing but five minutes later a patron walked in w/ five totes of overdue books.  I gave precedence to checking in the books since many were from other libraries and the courier comes tomorrow.  Think I can bop downtown early tomorrow, grab a coffee, and finish everything up before the library officially opens.  It's that or leave it for another week and who knows what will come up then.

Thistle Seeds

My alarm went off this morning.  The sheets were warm and I thought I'd stay in bed a little longer.  Nope.  Whip, who had jumped off the bed when the alarm went off, jumped back up, stepping on me, and licking my face enthusiastically.  She waited until I'd flung the covers off and swung my legs over the side of the bed before trotting off to the front door to wait for me to join her on the morning constitutional.  I wasn't in a hurry to get dressed.  Blitzen, who had been by my side when I fell asleep last night, materialized from somewhere to sniff my fingers.  I'm not allowed to pet her until she's smelled each finger.  (Must be a cat thing.)   While I dressed she ran out of the room and then back in at full speed, putting on the brakes when she hit the edge of the rug in front of the dresser.  It accordioned up in front of her - the explanation of why that rug is never laying flat.  We all have our morning rituals.

More birds lately.  Flocks of different species are migrating through on their way south.   The remaining heads of elderberry have been picked clean.  There are empty stems hanging down on the chokecherry and black cherry trees.  Crabapples are still on the trees.   It will take a few freeze/thaw cycles before they fall.  The turkey and ruffed grouse will feast on them later in the year.  I noticed a pileated woodpecker on one of the stockade poles.  Woodpeckers don't migrate but he'll be a regular guest as long as there are grapes on the vines.  The finches are eating thistle seeds right off the stem.  Flickers are marching though my lawn looking for insects.  Should be a bonanza for them this time of year.  There are flocks of yellow-tailed warblers too.  Not sure what they eat but they like to sit on the outside furniture and poop.  Too each his own, I guess.

Autumnal Equinox Sunrise

 

I'm now getting up before sunrise (i.e. I'll be posting more sunrise pictures.)   Got the last of the plastic twine that had been dumped in the woods into the garbage can and hauled away.  There are a few small shreds of orange twine and some plastic pieces laying around but will get those bit by bit.  Glad it's all gone before freezing weather.

Town Planning Committee chairman Roger is planning his third fishing trip to Canada this year.  He asked the members of the committee if we could hold the monthly meeting a week early.  There were four building permits to discuss.  Except for an embarrassing arithmetic error on my part, they all looked good.  We still haven't determined any thing about a possible data center.    Roger said the state's Towns Association is having a webinar on what town's can/cannot do about data centers at the end of next month and if it is pertinent, will show it to our group.  The meeting was finished in 20 minutes.   Since I was at the Town Hall anyway, I checked on the damage to the sneeze guards.  During the pandemic, the board had mounted 2 plexiglass sheets on three foot tall frames.  They fit atop the tables where the poll books are situated during elections.  We still use them for elections but recently, when the town hall was rented out, someone had used one as a sign post and broke it.  I stood looking down at the plexiglass w/ a substantial crack running through it.  (Big sigh.)  Time to give them up.

Chives

 

Drove to the clinic's mothership to have a consultation w/ a doc about next steps w/ the a-fib.  I'd done some research but he explained a few things I didn't know and we settled on our course of action.  Actually I think my biggest issue will be transportation logistics but I'll figure it out.  

It's a two hour trip both ways so I drove over listening to the end of my current audio-book.  I'm not sure what to think of it.  While it did feature four murders, I didn't particularly like any of the characters and I believe there should be at least one that a reader can relate to or at least care about what happens to them.  As I said it was a long drive so started my next audio book.  After a few minutes I was pretty sure I'd read this book before.  I've read many books by that author since he sets his books in the Northwoods so maybe it just sounds like all of his others?  Popped that disk out of the player - will check my library on-line history when I get home to see if somehow I ordered it twice.  Put in my backup book (always have a back-up book) and was soon in a Scottish Castle during the Edwardian Age w/ a 25 year old lady who married a 70 year old baron a few months before.  She's picked up a pet piglet as they made their way north from London for a shooting holiday/Christmas in the Highlands.  Upon arrival the lady was introduced to her husband's son from one of his previous three marriages, his son's new wife, his son's best friend, her husband's kept courtesan (gasp, the ignominy), and a whole host of servants.  I snuggled a little deeper into the car seat w/ anticipation.  This is going to be good!

Winterberry

 

I'm all atwitter.  Saturday is my usual day to wash the bed linen and, since we are in for cooler weather for awhile, decided to switch out the bedding for the winter flannels and, deliciously, the electric blanket.  Will relish tonight getting in between already warm sheets.  

That meant I needed to get the winter sheets and electric blanket out of the chest at the foot of the bed.  It's the same chest my great grandparents used to carry their belongings when they immigrated from Germany.  It's also the same one that Brothers Brent and Phil fixed this summer.  The chest had a crack across the top where two boards came together.  The only thing I asked was that the chest be as air tight as it used to be.  I had always wondered how, in fluctuating humidity, the top fit so well that when I opened it I could smell the sandalwood I'd put in there years ago.  When I opened it up to retrieve the sheets today I could still smell it faintly.  Impressive that the smell still can linger after I had everything out of it and the guys had the chest open while they worked on it.  Must remember to pick up more sandalwood scent.

Canadian Thistle

 I turned on the heat last year on October 11th.  (Easy to check now that I have the solar array graphs.)  May have to turn it on a lot earlier this year.  Next week the forecast is for at least two days w/ lows in the 30's.  The highs will only be in the 60's and most days will be only partially sunny.  The house is already feeling a bit chilly as evidenced by both a cat and a dog snuggling up to me whenever I sit or lay down.    

Errands included stopping at the bank to empty both piggy banks and cash a couple of checks.  Then picked up the local paper and filled up the car.  I've got a long trip to take on Monday but when I saw the price of gas I wished I'd filled it up earlier in the week.  Stopped by the library to check in w/ the new volunteer.  She was going to be on her own until the librarian came back.  Another library about an hour away had remodeled and no longer needed two study carrels.  Our librarian and two village workers went there to pick them up.  When I walked in the librarian was already back and one of the carrels set up against the wall.   When I saw it,  it was college days deja vu.  I felt the urge to sit down and research something.  Picked up my mail and then a cup of coffee and breakfast.  Gotta love small towns.  They are so efficient.  All of my stops were within a block or so of each other.  

Honey Bee on Sedum

I play Words With Friends on my phone.  When I finish a word I have to put up with an ad which I sometimes even watch.  Lately some of the ads struck me as odd.  Would Reba McEntire really work w/ Dr. Oz in selling medicine?  Dr. Oz has already admitted that he gave misleading medical advice (in exchange for money) and surrendered his medical license.   Why would a respected singer/actor team up w/ him?   Better yet, why would anyone follow his advice?   Later there was an ad of Oprah Winfrey selling a honey product w/ Robert Kennedy Jr.   Nah.  I don't think so.  The topper was an ad featuring Angela Lansbury obviously getting an Oscar and pitching a memory supplement in her acceptance speech.  Are consumers really taken in by these obvious fakes?  Why are the ads so lacking in subtlety?  My mind wandered to movies w/ the Devil depicted in them.  Often it's as a hideous being w/ a growl for a voice, horns, maybe a tail.  That's when the movie loses me.  Pretty sure the Devil would show up as a shiny, pretty,  enticing thing.   The Devil, I bet,  knows how to be subtle.

P.S. Dr. Oz surrendered his medical license in Pennsylvania in Dec. 2022.  His license in New York was valid through 2024.  His license in New Jersey was due renewal in 2025.  He does retain a valid medical license in Turkey.

Maximilian Sunflowers

 

Early morning appointment with the cardiologist.  First she affirmed I was still in a-fib.  She asked if I was feeling OK and I said besides feeling tired, I felt great.  She noted my hemoglobin count is still crawling it's way back from the precipitous drop it made a couple of weeks back.  The last blood draw level was 8.9 (it was 12 something before).   Well, that would explain why my autumnal chores are taking me so long to complete.  I've been fixing meals w/ foods rich in iron and adding in fresh fruit for it's vitamin C (and to make my sister happy).  The doc suggested an iron supplement might help so I picked up a bottle of iron gummies.

The TV in the doc's waiting room is always set to weather.  I assume that channel is the colorless equivalent of elevator Muzak.  It did get the man sitting near me to strike up a conversation as we waited.  He said he and his wife met here in the Northwoods but then moved to Colorado for 20 years.  He thought the climate there was too hot and too dry.  The couple then moved to North Carolina for 15 years.  "You know,"  he said, "in all those years there never was a hurricane that even came near.  I would have liked to experience a hurricane."  He also hated the heat and humidity there. His wife had died and he had recently moved back to the Northwoods.  "I love the cold weather!"  He declared.  "And you might even get to experience a blizzard." I added.  His face broke into a big grin and there was a gleam in his eyes.  Yep, he will relish living back here.