A Gaura Sphinx

I came across this dude back in early September, the 8th to be exact. Do you see it in the first picture? It’s kinda hard to miss and I saw it easily from a distance, as I approached. Stuck out like a sore thumb really -

This is a Proud Sphinx caterpillar, also know as a Guara sphinx, which apparently is a fairly uncommon moth in East Tennessee! Their documented range extends from Texas eastward and north to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. So, this was a somewhat rare find in these here parts.

Outside of taking these pics I didn’t fuss with it too much or for too long, as I didn’t want to interrupt its feeding, which is sadly ironic because…

The plant this dude was feeding on is called Gaura and there were oodles of this plant all along this one stretch of the walking trails; the area that abuts Moon Creek. They sat back approximately five or six feet from the trail, just outside of the lawn mowers reach so they were left alone and grew quite tall.

Sadly, the day after I took these pics, the 9th of September, whomever maintains the walking trail drove the entire two mile trail using a bush-hog and cut ALL the brush along the trail down completely, some 15 feet back, which included the area where the Guava had been growing and thriving, and where this dude had been dining, alas.

I’m guess this dude fell victim to the bush-hog, as did the Carolina mantis, see below, and many other insects I spied the day prior -

If it’s any consolation the walking trail looks greats and is opened up more now that all the over growth had been cut back but to what end?

Folklore or Fact

Well, if believe old-time folklore, this woolly bear caterpillar’s wide rusty-brown band is indicating we’re gonna have mild winter -

This dude was crossing the walking trail in front of me this morning. I’m guessing looking for a cozy spot to hibernate for the upcoming winter.

Not to be a spoil-sport or anything, and my apologies for being the “bear”er (see what I did there) of bad news but woolly bear caterpillars cannot actually predict the weather, DUH! Rather their distinct coloring reflects their age, diet and the number of molts rather than the severity of  the upcoming weather.

I Can’t Stress This Enough

Edible Starchy Nut Tree - Update

Here’s an update to my earlier post, see link below, about a neighbors chestnut 🌰 tree -

Edible Starchy Nut Tree 

Here it is the end of September and the chestnuts 🌰 have started to turn, ripen, open and fall to the ground allowing me to make a definitive identification on the exact type of tree this is!

Survey says…a Chinese chestnut 🌰 tree

Otherwise known as a sweet chestnut 🌰 tree, which produce delicious, sweet, edible nuts - 

But beware, they’re protected by intensely sharp, needle-like prickles!

I’m not sure if the owners of this tree collect the nuts 🌰 or not. They’ve just started to turn and fall, so we’ll see.

I can’t say that I’ve ever roasted or even tasted a chestnut 🌰 but we’re coming into “chestnuts roasting by an open fire 🔥” season…

Those Are The “Breaks”

Well, that didn’t take long…

So, after spending two hours in the dentist chair this past Tuesday afternoon for step one of a two step crown process, which really needs an asterisk because there inevitably will be some gotchas, making it a three or more step process but I digress.

Here it is Saturday morning, just after 8 o’clock, and as I’m driving to the walking trail I feel something funky in my mouth. Turns out half, yes only half, of the temporary crown that was put in place on Tuesday (not) surprisingly is now sitting in the palm of my hand with the other half still glued in place…for now -

I’m gonna place the blame on this one on that bag of dicks “Murphy”!

Of course, the dental office is closed all weekend and doesn’t open till Monday morning, alas. So here I am with a broken temporary crown that was expected to last two to three weeks, yeah right! Fortunately, I’m not in any discomfort…yet.

It’s been a roller coaster ride with my teeth the past several years to say the least; an expensive, and at times, a painful roller coaster ride!

So for any youngins that might follow along on my silly blog or who happen to stumbled upon it and read this posting, I beg you to please please please please take care of your teeth when you’re young - brush and floss regularly and go to the dentist regularly too to avoid these types of issues with your teeth down the road!

This is my public service announcement for today.

You’re welcome 😉

A New Day Is Dawning

What a peaceful and beautiful morning -

The coffee’s hot, the birds are chirping and singing, the roosters are crowing off in the distance and the sky’s on fire!

Shaping up to be a great Saturday.

It’s chilly 🥶 this morning out on the walking trail, a nice change, and oh so perdy! I have the place all to myself.

Convenience VS Cost Savings

Going through the coupon section of the Publix app this morning and see I that the vast majority of the available coupons, 69 to be exact, are for personal care, health and beauty and cosmetic items. Very few coupons for actual food products. I would never buy the items mentioned above at the market simply because I feel your paying top dollar for them but apparently that’s just me.

Tell me, do people really purchase these items at the grocery store on the regular? I suppose in a pinch a personal care item purchase might make sense, perhaps save you a trip elsewhere but even with a coupon I would think it more expensive versus a store like Walmart.

I say that but have never done the actual research to see. Might I be mistaken?

Prove me wrong 😑!

Let’s Roll

I was looking at a house for sale on Zillow yesterday and was surprised by an installed item in the below bathroom photo (actual picture taken from Zillow listing) -

So do you see it?

Have you ever seen such a thing?

I suppose it works.

It certainly keeps the roll off the floor or counter but does it really work (roll/unroll)?

Creative install or an oops install?!

Thoughts 🤔?

“Served Here, Ice Cold Beer Is”

What’s on tap, hmm 🤔 

Decisions decisions -

One of each please!

Beef. It’s What’s For Diner.

Your ribeyes 🥩 are marinating -

Hashtag NO Fun

I should be referring as a king with all the crowns 👑 I have in my mouth, all the work being done on them AND all the stupid money they’ve cost me, alas!

I spent, literally, two hours in the dentist chair yesterday afternoon, I kid you not, to remove the cracked crown pictured below -

I was given so much novocaine or lidocaine, whatever, that the area is still tingly this morning.

They had to give multiple shots throughout the process because I could feel the drilling at times, ouch 🤕 

This was the first of two visits needed for this procedure and an expensive one too, GRR

Once my new crown 👑 is ready, visit two will be to install it and then adjust accordingly, which will also cost me dearly.

What a rack this dental thing is! A necessary evil 😈 I suppose…

As You Were

A couple of goldenrod soldier beetles enjoying each other’s company 😉 and who’ve ditched the goldenrod for yellow ironweed, tsk tsk tsk -

Yellow ironweed is a part of the aster family, as is goldenrod, so technically this fornication is acceptable, carry on 😉

*Apologies for the blurry pic…

So Many Options, Oh My

Well, “that” time of the year is upon us! Sure did come awful fast too. Although, I do NOT care for Halloween at all, I do enjoy this time of the year, the changing weather, leaves turning and the fall decorations, like these awesome gourds and pumpkins -

Quite the variety these days, just look 👀!

For the “older” visitors, correct me if I’m wrong, but seems like back in the day we basically had the typical orange pumpkins 🎃 to choose from and some gourds. Certainly not the varieties and options that we see today.

Just an observation, no bitterness here.

Walking Streak Activities

Rise and shine peeps -

Heading out for my daily walk -

Not stupid at all. Truth be told, I very much look forward to it each morning!

As a matter of fact, today marks the 83 day in a row that I’ve got my walk in; 13 weeks and counting -

 

Even got my walks in when visiting my granddaughter in Chicago last week!

Avoidance

Pop Corn, It's Been SO Hot

Guessing it won’t be long now before this field corn 🌽 is harvested -

The lack of rain certainly has contributed to this corn drying out faster. It’s dry as a bone and the plants themselves are super brittle.

Where’d the summer go?!

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the below pic -

Oh The Places You’ll Go

And I’m off -

Oh, but wait, as they say, don’t count your chickens before they hatch…

Captain just announced approximate takeoff time is 8:59, UGH!

The delay is one thing and frustrating but to add insult to injury, they were boarding us as the delay was announced, so we’re all now stuck seated in the plane, on the runway.

Well, at least the seat beside me is empty, so that’s a plus…

A Day In The Life Of A Mad Scientist

So, I’ve been noticing these grubs crawling on the walking trail the last several weeks. I believe these are Green June bug grubs, as they crawl upside down, I kid you not! There’s not a whole lot but enough that it’s peaked my interest, also it’s something I’ve never seen before.

These dudes live in the dirt, so not sure why they’re coming up and out and crawling on the hot pavement, it’s odd to me -

I’m also seeing oodles of these, what look like sifted dirt mounds in the grass along side the walking trail. Turns out these are fire ant 🐜 mounds, yikes 😬 and ouch 🤕 if you get into them -

Using a stick, I poked some holes in and around a couple of these mounds and boy-o-boy they came alive!

I also performed a teeny, what some might view as a, sadistic experiment today 😬

Click the YouTube link below to see what happens when you disturb a fire ant nest and then introduce a grub into the  melee -

Fire Ant and Grub Experiment 

It’s a tad violent!

And a bit of a waste of a tasty morsel, yum 😋! Think I’ll see if I can find a couple, then head on over to the Nolichucky for bit of fishing, upon my return from Chicago. I’m guessing they would make terrific bait!

What A Lovely Start

What a beautiful morning for a walk!

Slowing It Down

Friday afternoons are meant for porch sitting and just “hanging” around -

Breaking in new coozies -

And some delicious pizza 🍕 -

#Blessed

A Beauty

Final got some much needed rain yesterday afternoon, although not enough but every little bit helps.

What followed the rain was this awesome rainbow -

Mild Or Harsh

Could this be a sign of things to come?!

The oak trees are loaded with acorns this years, oodles of them, see the pic I took the other day -

According to popular weather folklore, a heavy crop of falling brown acorns in the autumn 🍂 predict a harsh, cold and snowy winter…

Or

Is this simply a “mast year” - a natural cycle where large groups of oak trees drop an unusually massive and coordinated crop of acorns, which happens every 2 to 10 years.

Ask me in the spring of 2027 and I’ll let you know what it means 😉

Udderly Confused

Is this what the question means when asked, “if the carpet matches the drapes”?!

Asking for a friend.