Thursday, June 12, 2008

Hot mamas and a video that is sure to give Kathi something to talk about

The temperatures lately have hovered (more like glowered) around 90, and I am running out of indoor activities to engage my adorable-yet-sometimes-annoying girls.
I want to bird in the worst way, but the cicadas, the heat...dammit. The skinny on the cicadas is that they will be dying off by mid-June, so the birds and I can become reacquainted soon.

To make myself a happy girl, I finally got an orchid:

My new orchid
I don't know from orchids....it's a purplish one, that's all I know. I have always admired orchids but I was too scared of them to ever get one. It's all because of Julie Z. Orchids, Bostons, she is so passionate about things in her life, it's a bit contagious.
Now. How do I care for this fragile-looking plant? I bought one for a doctor I worked for (I gave him a gift for asking me to work for him) about 6 years ago and all they did was keep it in a window and water it occasionally, and it has not only survived, but thrived.

Another cute deal from JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts...

Better gnomes and gardens
I have always wanted a garden gnome, but I have yet to find one that looks the way I want one to. They all look either learning disabled or drunk.

A life and yard dragonfly (near the prairie):
Widow skimmer
Widow Skimmer

Update from my "Watch this space" post:
It's robins.
Hot Mama (robin)
Poor Hot Mama was panting at 11 am. I was trying to come up with a way to mist her without disturbing her, but I left her to her panting...Nature can handle it. But it must suck to sit on your children all day long in the hot sun, with your husband bringing you a few worms for your only nourishment and liquid.

Hooper and Nellie don't pay any attention to the cicadas. Nellie just keeps a lookout for tree swallows (who never even attempted a nesting here this year....dammit).
A cicada was in death throes or maybe had just hopped off a female ( all this cicada horniness around here is making me seriously consider developing teeny, tiny cicada cigarettes for that after-glow..."hey, honey...was it good for you?").
I really just wanted to get a cute video of the dogs doing that precious head-tilt thing.
but Hooper had another idea:



And now we wait for Kathi to tell us about dogs eating cicadas.

: )

11 comments:

Amy said...

No cicadas up here yet. I think they take a little longer to hatch up here by the lake. I know what you need to get some relief from the noise...CHICKENS!

Kathi said...

Ah, the sweet song of the cicada! They aren't really so bad for dogs to eat, as long as you don't mind the occasional Puking of the Undigestible Bits. High protein, low fat = the "perfect" dog treat! I'd use cicadas in dog training, but that means I could only train my dogs every 17 years, LOL!

No, seriously, the hard chitin exoskeletals are not digestible, which is why a dog who gorges on cicadas has to vomit. A small dog or cat could potentially develop a GI obstruction if enough of the hard bits accumulated in the small intestine. Cicadas don't sting or bite, nor are they toxic.

I now return you to your regular blogger.

~Kathi

donaldthebirder said...

I bought some orchids (the kind pictured above) from my work (Kroger) that were put under the counter after the blooms died. They were neglected, so they were only one dollar. I put them in a southern facing window. They had some issues with dead leaves at first, but one is now blooming. They still have black spots on the old leaves.

One should bird during cicadas in the Little Miami River valley. You could get lucky and see a Mississippi Kite. I am surprised no one has found one yet around LMR. I just don't have time to bird anymore with the collapsing economy. And, cicadas aren't bad, just bland.

Anonymous said...

I fear orchids. I think they're beautiful but have resisted learning too much about them because I know I'll get hooked and end up with yet another natural history addiction.

Anonymous said...

Awessome! That particular type of orchid is great for attracting raptors!!

Set it outside, in an open area, early in the morning then run back inside and wait with your camera at the ready. Raptors will probably swoop down within 5 to 15 minutes.

Oh, I almost forgot. Be sure to tie a couple of well-fed mice to the orchid.

Always glad to be of assistance.

Swami

NCmountainwoman said...

The dogs gave me a garden gnome for Mother's Day. He's not too cutsey and he came with his own wheelbarrow, ready to go to work. His name is Al (can you believe they all come with names?) and he's not too bad. You might want to check him out on my May 11 entry.

Good luck with the orchid. I love them when they are blooming, but don't like them in between. I'm just not patient enough.

NatureWoman said...

My Mom, with her green thumb, rec'd an orchid and she was freakin' out about it but it is thriving, too. I'm sure yours will, too! Poor hot mama. I still *love* your prairie!

Mary said...

I'd like a garden gnome but I really prefer gargoyles.

Susan, I wouldn't kiss Hooper for a while. Those hard chitin exoskeletals might come back on you. Katdoc's a charm :o) I heard a Cicada once this week. The drought must be killing them off.

Orchids? I have a silk one, intending to buy a live one with my fingers crossed. I'm downright scared.

RuthieJ said...

That's a lovely orchid, Susan--love that purple color. Good luck.
Poor Mama Robin--hopefully next time she'll pick a nesting spot that's more shady!

Kathie Brown said...

Hey Susan, did that dog get a stomach ache? Has Hooper met Ari, the Caninaturalist from "Out With Ari" blog? They had the same blue eyes. Ari lives in Maine with Kathryn and her link is on my blog. I bet they would be good friends. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Ari eat circadas too!

Caroline said...

Your orchid is a phalaenopsis, or moth orchid. One of the easiest to keep. Go to AOS.org (American Orchid Society website), there is a section on "orchid information" right at the top of the page, culture sheets are located on the left side menu. Free to read or print out.
Hope this is helpful, your plant is a beauty and will stay in bloom for several months. I have one that blossoms opened in early February and are still open today.
Caroline in South Dakota