Dog Germs

There is a very serious tent caterpillar infestation in these parts. We drove up to Kelvington last night for beer and a burger and were surprised to see the many large swaths of poplar trees that are leafless. 

They haven't seemed too bad around our yard, but when I was pulling quack grass out of a perennial flower bed today, several of the worms were on the leaves of one of the rose bushes. Damn! And here's the amazing part: I picked them off with my BARE FINGERS. 

It's as if someone else has taken over my body. 

Why, a few years ago I actually began to catch moths with my bare hands, and put them outside. I could never have done that before.

I still can't crush an insect (other than a mosquito) by touching it directly; smashed bodies give me the heebie-jeebies. I flung the tent caterpillars into the grass and came into the house for gloves and a plastic bag to dispose of them. Still I don't like to do this, because it seems cruel. Better to kill them quickly so they don't suffer, but I can't make myself do it. 

Quirks, eh. Irrational, but there they are. 

Recently I discovered that our office dog has been drinking water (probably for the past five months) out of the flattish bowl that I always use for lunch when I'm at work. There is now no chance that I will ever eat from that bowl again, even if it's been washed with hot water and soap, then bleached/sterilized. I know it's silly. I've probably eaten off the same dishes as a dog has, many times in my life, not knowing it. It's not going to hurt me. Nevertheless, I've seen where dogs put their noses and the kinds of filthy things they'll eat, like cat turds. I'll be taking my own plate and bowl to the office and keeping them in my desk where no one is likely to feed or water a dog or cat from them. 

What can I say? (Shrug.) Some things put me off, and sharing dishes with dogs and cats is one of those things. I wouldn't eat or drink from my pets' dishes, and I don't want them to eat off mine. It's just one of those quirks that I don't feel guilty about, but accept and respect myself enough to heed. Others may think and do as they wish, and I'll do the same for me.

We had an overnight guest on Tuesday, and this was the scene on Wednesday morning.

I've seen a lot of this in recent years. You've got company, and in the morning everyone sits around the kitchen table with their phone or laptop. It's the new way, I guess. Doc is touring/playing across the country and his laptop is his office, so he's got things to check out when he gets the chance. Scott's got a little iPhone love going on and was looking up some particular music to share with Doc. 

That's my iPhone laying unused near Scott's glasses. He's got progressive lenses that he can't use for reading. 

I was where I can often be found: at the sink, doing dishes. 

Doc and I had been able to visit in the kitchen for several hours the previous afternoon, a rare opportunity for some one-to-one conversation (the best kind), and in the evening Bev came out and we sat and drank wine for a couple hours, and Scott came off the field and joined us at dark. 

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Teresa on Ducks and Deer": 

The circle of life! Happy June. 

Ha! I didn't make that connection! Good one.

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Lori on "Ducks and Deer": 

I love hearing about your animal kingdom there. Just curious...do you have raccoons? If not, would you like some? We have two babies visiting us under our deck. 

Oh my! What are you going to do? 

There are raccoons around but since we've had an outside dog till just recently, we didn't see them. Now that we're without a yard protector, I expect we'll get a glimpse of them once in a while. I think there was a litter in our unused chicken coop last summer. I went in to get my bicycle where Scott had stored it over the winter, and heard some telltale chattering on the other side of the wall that warned me quite quickly away. 

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