Been thinking...
I've been thinking about walks. Liver dinners. Roast chicken. Greenies. Sun soaks.... Got a looong sun soak today.
Alice has been thinking about those Crimes to Victorians in the East Bay... and caterpillers.
Yes. Caterpillars. For the last two weeks or so there has been explosion of them around the neighborhood.
Not just the tiny local greeny-yellow ones swinging by their silken threads under the big oak trees. Those are there, but are now joined by masses of big furry ones with white and red tufts of fur. Neighbor Doug was picking them off one of his street trees this afternoon with a twist of coat hanger. Flicking them to the ground and then stomping on them. He said they have no local enemies who eat them. The City told him last year there they would be dormant for another 7 years. Nope. At this rate unless we get a big frost for their next cycle, a virus or some bugs which can slow them down, or lots of people do the flick and stomp manoeover, they will eat up all the leaves on Alice's apricot tree and rose bushes. 
Alice has been thinking about those Crimes to Victorians in the East Bay... and caterpillers.
Yes. Caterpillars. For the last two weeks or so there has been explosion of them around the neighborhood.
Not just the tiny local greeny-yellow ones swinging by their silken threads under the big oak trees. Those are there, but are now joined by masses of big furry ones with white and red tufts of fur. Neighbor Doug was picking them off one of his street trees this afternoon with a twist of coat hanger. Flicking them to the ground and then stomping on them. He said they have no local enemies who eat them. The City told him last year there they would be dormant for another 7 years. Nope. At this rate unless we get a big frost for their next cycle, a virus or some bugs which can slow them down, or lots of people do the flick and stomp manoeover, they will eat up all the leaves on Alice's apricot tree and rose bushes. 
Stanford recommends power washing them off the trees.
Funny to see human pedestrians batting them away as if they are monster mosquitos as they hang from the trees on their silk threads. Alice tries to dodge the swingers on walks, but has been gasping at least once a day an hour or more after a walk when she finds one on her clothes or desk. Aaack!, she says.
Today after the big walk I came home and saw one of the big furry ones on the porch's wooden wall. I got within an inch of it and stared. Wouldn't move until Alice flicked it into the front scrubbery. (Yes, she squashed it. Black ooze. A Martian, she said. We are carnivores in this life. Not insectivores.)
Funny to see human pedestrians batting them away as if they are monster mosquitos as they hang from the trees on their silk threads. Alice tries to dodge the swingers on walks, but has been gasping at least once a day an hour or more after a walk when she finds one on her clothes or desk. Aaack!, she says.
Today after the big walk I came home and saw one of the big furry ones on the porch's wooden wall. I got within an inch of it and stared. Wouldn't move until Alice flicked it into the front scrubbery. (Yes, she squashed it. Black ooze. A Martian, she said. We are carnivores in this life. Not insectivores.)
posted by Alice at 12:45 AM
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