Thursday, 17 August 2023

Katydids on Crumbly Acres

The ankle is coming along. I did some gardening yesterday. Well, cleaning out of dead plants, and it went well. This morning my tenosynovitis has kicked it, however. Back on goes the brace. Ah, isn't old age grand?! 

Insects in the family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids. They eat leaves and grass, and are nocturnal. They are outside in the daytime, however! I guess they don't really sleep. We must have hundreds, nay, thousands of them! This is a nymph, and it'll shed its exoskeleton and grow larger. They only live a year,so I hope they make hay while the sun shines!



They are a bright, cheery insect.

The mating adults sing outside in the dark. It is a lovely noise, similar to crickets:

Katydid from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟 🐟
To answer your question RedPat , I have to bring Percy goldfish in for winter. The pond is too shallow and freezes solid. In addition, with Climate Change, it freezes, then thaws, and this isn't good for any frogs. I remember when I had tropical fish, there was a little nanny suite. I looked it up, and it is a fish breeding box. 


I was thinking of trying to rehome the littlest goldfish. Percy ate three of the four, shown here when we bought them in April, 2023!  It hasn't grown too much. 


Then, I remembered there is a small, independent pet store up the road. JB went by, and they said they'd be happy to take the little one. That is a relief. Off it'll go today. The others are too fast for Percy. 

πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ πŸ”¨ 

Our Ottawa family nearly has a new kitchen. A lot of the work is done. They are at the painting stage. They managed to use the dishwasher, which is great. The first thing they did was to pack everything up before the demolition, then a rebuild. 


Now they have a half wall to the dining room, and the appliances are back in place. I am so happy for them. The end is nigh.

24 June, 2010 

With better nutrition, better education and better genes, our children are all taller than we are. While house hunting, they kindly let us stay with them. (Mind you, I did help in the night with newborn Isabelle!) This is the story of life in a tall person's house. Trying to make toast; reaching the tall person's kettle, reaching the fake sugar (in the cupboard above the refrigerator) and then there is the 'emergency' light.

 

9 comments:

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
... you are speaking to one who never reached five feet... sigh... thank the lord for step stools! YAM xx

Barbara Rogers said...

Sweet little bugs those. Loved your tall people's house video. You are definitely a couple of hams. (No idea where that term came from, but hamming it up seems quite appropriate for you both!) Hope the new kitchen will afford more accessibility for short people!!

Divers and Sundry said...

We are being serenaded by cicadas. I haven't seen a katydid in ages.

I'm glad the little goldfish will have a safe home. I feel your pain with the height issue. Even in a normal height kitchen I struggle.

Patio Postcards said...

The new kitchen does look quite sleek & modern. I think I'm going to call my self crumbly acres because that is what it feels like some days. Hopefully the brace helps quickly to stabilize the ankle.

RedPat said...

Thanks for the update on Percy. I didn't think you would let him join the other fish again.

Elephant's Child said...

The kitchen is looking great. I would like all our benches to be an inch or so taller.
Love that you can rehome the fish.

DeniseinVA said...

Good to read that your ankle is progressing in the right direction. And tenosynovitis? Is that a form of carpel tunnel? Either way it sounds very painful and I hope you get relief very soon. Fascinating that you have all those katydids. I should go walk around my garden and see what I can see. So, the little one is saved from Percy. I’m glad for the little one’s sake and Percy sounds a character. You both being in the big person’s kitchen made me chuckle. I am 5 ft 6 and hubs is 6 ft. and son is 6 ft. 4 in. I am banned from climbing on stools by both as not too good on stools, Stools and I have had our challenges over the years. Great post, always enjoy. Thank you!

Jeanie said...

I'm so glad your ankle is improving. I have often heard of katydids but never seen one so thanks for that! Now I know!

Nancy J said...

I can relate to tall cupboards so easily. I am short, and the previous owners twice before ?? redid the kitchen, at least that’s what I understand. The garage door remote is in a very high place at the very back of a cupboard. I use the knife steel, gently to open the door. Other shelves I just don’t use. Hugh and I both have what I think is bronchitis, poorly doesn’t even begin to say how we are. Thank goodness we were well when the Canadian family visited.!!!!! Sewing a bag as a pattern tester at the moment, but a “red eye” or “pink eye” doesn’t help.Enjoy the family visit for Caitlin’s birthday.