There are so many Japanese beetles this year! I spent over an hour knocking them off plants today and feeding them to the Dashwoods. The number of beetles even made it to the news. According to the the University of Minnesota ag extension folks, it’s a metro-wide problem. Springs haven’t been cold enough the last few years to kill them off. They suggest this might be the new norm and we should expect to deal with an increase in other pests too. Stupid climate change.
The Dashwoods aren’t complaining about the beetle snacks but I have better things to do with my time like weed or pick beans or zucchini or bush cherries.
We tried an experiment the other day. Everything in the garden has gotten pretty big so we let the Dashwoods in and kept an eye on them. They left everything alone until they scratched in the potato patch and found a potato! Their freedom was short lived and they have once again been banished to the chicken garden.
Bookman and I had a couple days off together, a long four-day weekend to celebrate Bookman’s birthday. It has been so very lovely. We’d get up around 6 a.m. without the help of an alarm, have a leisurely breakfast and then go out into the garden and weed for an hour or so. Back in the house for a leisurely day. We got the supplies we need to replace the arbor and gate with the rotting posts. We ran errands and did chores. We biked. We ate lots of cake. We read. We went to a bookstore. Good times! I could really get used to a whole bunch of days like these.
We also took Astrid back to the bike shop for some fit tweaks. With the new handlebars and everything my saddle began hurting me in places it shouldn’t. Turns out it was mostly because I had worn it out from so much riding! I got a new saddle and am feeling fine once again. I also got new tires because I had worn those out too.
I’ll be giving Astrid a good cleaning and tune-up later this week to get her ready for my big race on Saturday. I have to attend a pre-race meeting Friday afternoon where they will go over the rules and give us our numbers and GPS trackers. My race starts at 6 a.m. and I think there will be a link on the race page for live GPS tracking. I have 17 hours to finish the 200 mile/322 km course. It’s early yet but the weather looks like it will be around 77F/22C with a light breeze and a chance of evening thunderstorms. A perfect day with incentive to not dally so I can finish before the rain arrives!
Happy birthday to Bookman! Your weekend sounds ideal. What lucky chickens you have – a plethora of bugs and buried treasure, a potato! We were feeding the squirrels on our patio and I started to shuck corn for dinner. One squirrel dragged an un shucked ear under my chair and proceeded to gnaw on the green part! I could understand eating the corn, but the leaves?
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Joan, Bookman sends his thanks! The beetles are getting so bad the Dashwoods are now getting near nightly snacks! That naughty squirrel! It was probably eating the green part as prelude to what it knew would be golden corn treasure 🙂
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It sounds like you guys had a lovely weekend. I’m so impressed with your biking and how far you have come. It’s only been a few years that you’ve been serious cycling, right? It’s been fun to follow your cycling journey, and then, this weekend, you will be the first person I know to bike 200 mi. That’s awesome!!
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Liz, we did! Yes, it has only been two years of avid biking. It surprises me too! I am glad you’ve enjoyed following my journey. I’m going to have to put on my thinking cap to figure out what’s next!
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Happy birthday to Bookman! That long weekend sounds heavenly.
An hour of knocking off beetles! That seems like a long time. Stupid climate change indeed. 😦
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Laila, Bookman sends his thanks for the birthday wishes! It has now become routine to go out in the evening after dinner to collect beetles. They have decided the pole beans next to the apple tree are also quite tasty and are turning the leaves into lace. I know how best to catch them now so I spend about 20 – 30 minutes gathering a treat for the Dashwoods. In spite of collecting 2 dozen or more every day, they don’t seem to be getting fewer in number!
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Yaayy to the race! I hope you will have a memorable time, Stefanie. 🙂
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Deepika, thank you! You are right, this is something I will not soon forget! I will try and remember to have fun and hopefully be able to take a photo or two 🙂
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Happy Birthday to Bookman! Sounds like you guys had a wonderful time. Now, are you doing anything this week to train for the big day? 17 hours?! I think I just fainted 🙂 Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
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Happy Birthday to Bookman! Wishing him a grand year! I like the Birthday plans….relaxed and fun and cake and books! What more do you need in life? All the best for the Saturday race! You will be awesome!
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I was thinking your race was last weekend, but I see you are getting ready for it tomorrow! Good luck! Our weather is nearly perfect here today, so yours will hopefully be equally nice (maybe even a little cooler). I hope you finish and have a fantastic ride. I will be sitting at the museum tomorrow volunteering (well, not only sitting, but on the slow moments between guests so I take my book and read….) and I will be thinking of you! Go, Stef! 😉
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I wouldn’t know what a Japanese beetle is. But The Dashwoods make me think of the Warblers we have here in the summer, eating flies and mosquitoes for us. 🙂
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Sounds like you had a lovely celebration of Bookman’s birthday. I know I’m a bit late now, but better late than never. Happy birthday Bookman!
I wonder if you have now worn out another saddle!
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Oh, and it’s weird reading these posts in reverse as I’m doing!
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