Evanston: ladybugs
Evanston: ladybugs
Yesterday saw the attack of the ladybugs.
I noticed several clinging to the side of the garage when I went out in the morning to get my bicycle, and then in the afternoon looked up from my book and found dozens on the outside of the screen. Mostly on the outside. For when I opened a glass door opening onto a waist-high wrought iron railing, called, I am told, a Juliet, ladybugs rained on my head.
I have since read online that in the fall, ladybugs reasonably seek warm shelter for the winter.
While I like ladybugs as much as the next person, I don’t think Carol wants their company while I am gone, so I swept them up and returned them to the outdoors.
It is curious that as a species we have an aversion to some insects but not others. Thus ladybugs are thought cute, but cockroaches, which do not bite or sting, are abhorred. Perhaps there is some atavistic tribal memory of cockroaches tied to filth and disease.
The photo above is of the same tree shown in the entry of October 6. Bare limbs means the streets are paved with leaves.
Although I do not fly for nine more days, I did a preliminary packing yesterday.
My clothes are duplicated in both places, so I return from New Zealand with only a carry-on bag, which contains two computers and a small digital camera.
However going the other way is a different manner. Fortunately Air New Zealand allows up to 100 pounds of checked baggage on flights to and from the U.S. And I have on occasion exceeded that.
While you can get anything you need for a boat in New Zealand, prices are generally higher than in the U.S., particularly at current exchange rates, and often I want exact replacements or parts more easily available here.
This time I am taking a 52 gallon flexible water tank; a replacement American flag; a replacement chartplotter--Navman, which is manufactured in New Zealand, but costs 50% less to buy here; a dozen or so books; about 100 movies copied from television onto DVD; a number of small electronic bits and pieces; and a new quilt.
Most of this fits into one large duffle bag that presently weighs 55 pounds.
The chart plotter fits into the carry-on bag with two laptops and camera, documents, and shaving kit.
Since officially passing 300,000,000 three days ago, the population of the United States has grown by another 25,000.
Friday, October 20, 2006