Friday, November 11, 2022

Well Camouflaged on Thursday

Do You See What I See?

When M was here on Wednesday, he mentioned that one of the branches on the peach tree was showing signs of possible borer activity (they bore into the tree and the tree oozes sap to try and repair the damage).  Later, in the afternoon, I went out to check the tree and this caught my eye.  


Grasshopper!

This grasshopper is so well camouflaged!  It was about 3 inches long and going by the size and color  I suspect it is a Gray Bird grasshopper, but, I am not sure.  

I went to check on the tree on Thursday, too, and guess who was still there?


It was still there, on Thursday, too!

It was another sunny day with an afternoon high of 68F.  I did two loads of laundry, including bed sheets, and hung everything up inside the house to dry; then, I remade the bed with different sheets as the flannel sheets take longer to dry.  I spent the afternoon doing some paperwork and bill paying, including my property taxes.  The evening was spent watching news on TV, chatting with friend R, and video chatting with my daughter.

A corned beef (from a can) sandwich for brunch, today; rice, chicken curry, cucumber salad, and peach chutney for dinner.  

Today, I am grateful for:
- Working appliances 
- A sunny day
- A warm home
- Being able to pay my bills
- Phone calls and video chats

Today's joyful activity was strolling around the garden.

28 comments:

  1. That is some good close up photography work! He's very big & aren't grasshoppers destructive? Hopefully he moves on quickly.

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    1. Thank you, Mary-Lou. Yes, grasshoppers can be destructive. I usually just let them be, though, or let the birds find them (all part of the ecosystem, I guess) and so far, I haven't had a big infestation of them. :)

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  2. That is a mighty grasshopper! It's huge! It looks like the size of our sparrows! Great pic.

    You don't need an omelette maker as you cook amazing, varied delicious food all the time and make great use of leftovers. I don't need an omelette maker as I should just learn to use a pan, but I have a habit of eating junk so I'm hoping that the gadget will get me eating slightly better.

    (as soon as I use it, I'll share the experience)

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    1. Thank you, Lyssa. Gray Bird grasshoppers are called that because they are so big that, sometimes, they are mistaken for a small grey bird when they fly!
      Omelets were one of the first things I was taught to make in domestic science class at school! Sometimes I make an omelet curry - cut up the omelet in 2 or 3 pieces and add them to a curry sauce to be served with rice. :)

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    2. I am absolutely going to have a go at curry omelette!

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    3. Let me know what you think of it, if you make it! :)

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  3. I haven't seen a grasshopper in ages, at least not one like that.
    I remember as a girl in our backyard in CA, a large grasshopper like this bit my dad on the tip of his finger. A small drop of blood arose.
    I used to love to play in our backyard. I loved insects, worms and birds of all kind. I still do actually :)

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    1. The first time I saw these types of grasshoppers, I couldn't believe how big they were!
      Backyards are wonderful places to explore! I'm always finding interesting things in mine! :)

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  4. That's a pretty big grasshopper. I never knew they bored into trees. I always think of grasshoppers eating leaves.

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    1. Yes, it is a big grasshopper, isn't it? Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that the grasshopper was responsible for the boring. I think it was maybe hiding from the birds or, perhaps, eating the peach flower buds! The borers are a type of insect larvae; mostly a type of beetles or sometimes a type of moth - they lay their eggs in the bark of the tree and when the eggs hatch the larvae bore through the tree as they munch their way out!

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    2. That sounds more like what I'm familiar with.

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    3. I should have been clearer in my post!

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  5. Beautiful photos.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  6. That is a huge grasshopper. Amazing how nature works to camouflage and protect all sorts of animals and bugs from predators.

    I did laundry, too, and still have a load in the dryer...sigh...

    I hope you have a great weekend. xo Diana

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    1. It's definitely a big grasshopper! I agree; Mother Nature is amazing.
      Hope that last load of laundry has now been done and put away! I still have to put away the laundry I did yesterday!
      Thank you, Diana; hope you, too, have a good weekend. :)

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  7. Good day Bless, and happy birthday! 🎂🎈 I hope you have a wonderful day! As a child I was “terrorized” by grasshoppers so now I have a morbid fear of them. I think I would have died if I had seen it! Take care on your special day. 😀 Judy in Anaheim

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    1. Thank you, Judy! :) I've had a good day, so far!
      I am not too bothered by insects unless they are cockroaches! :D

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  8. What a huge grasshopper! I never knew there were such big ones. They are edible but not for the squeamish!
    I bought some canned corned beef not too long ago and made a spicy corned beef hash which DH was quite enthusiastic about. I must get another can.
    We are having our roof reshingled so it is noisy around here and we are not wanting rain right now!

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    1. It is huge, isn't it? Or, maybe I should say "wasn't" it?! I pointed it out to M, today, and I'm afraid that was the end of the grasshopper! Yes, I know that most grasshoppers are edible; they are supposed to be very nutritious, too.

      The spicy corned beef hash sounds good. I often cook the corned beef with onions, tomatoes, and chili powder to have with rice or bread. :)

      Oh, I do hope the rain holds off until your roof is re-shingled! Hope the work proceeds without any delays!

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  9. I've caught them in my garden, too. They do a lot of damage. Mine was on the citrus tree. They are pretty easy to catch in a jar. I used to feed them to the chickens. Now I give them to my neighbor, who has a flock. I no longer keep them. It's good that you have some canned meat in your stockpile. I have spam, canned chicken, canned tuna, and beef jerky.

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    1. I've a tendency to let the grasshoppers be, but, my gardener M got rid of this one when I pointed it out to him! LOL. I haven't checked the orange tree or the lemon trees, but I hope I don't find any more!
      Yes, I keep several types of canned meat and fish in my stockpile, Stephenie; chicken, tuna, mackerel, sardines, corned beef, and beef stew. Spam is another good canned meat to have on hand. :)

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  10. It appears that grasshopper is moving in.
    He must've heard what a nice spot it is.

    Just a regular day for me. I made the soup I mentioned in a previous comment then planted the pot of bulbs I mentioned in a different previous comment lol
    Did some raking, decluttered a dish, cleaned the windows -inside and out- to the back garage door. Gosh does that please me. Such a little thing but it makes me so happy as that's the door I go through in and out lots of times each day and the window was pretty cruddy.
    For crafting I've been crocheting a blanket and also doing a little embroidery. I found an unworked stamped embroidered pillow at a thrift shop for $1 not long ago. I removed the insert and have been working on that.

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    1. The grasshopper was still there, today, too! But, not for long - I showed it to M and he squashed it!
      Sounds like you had a very productive day! It's funny how cleaning something like that garage door window gives such a sense of satisfaction, isn't it?
      I like the sound of those craft projects you're working on! I was going to do some fun sewing, today, but, I was busy doing other things, instead. Maybe I can sew, tomorrow. :)

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  11. To be sung to that well known tune ...

    Happy Birthday to you,
    Happy Birthday to you,
    Happy Birthday Dear Bless,
    Happy Birthday to you.

    I hope you've had a lovely day and had some treats to celebrate.

    Is the borer activity likely to affect the fruit production of the peach tree or is it something that can be treated. It'll be a shame if your potential peach crop is affected by it.

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    1. Thank you, Eileen! :)
      I did have a lovely day and yes, there were treats! :)

      The borer activity can damage a tree to the extent that it can kill the tree. :( M will prune the affected branches and he warned me that he might have to apply a chemical treatment, as well.

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  12. You have good eyesight, Bless. I would have never spotted that grasshopper.
    Belated Birthday wishes. Xx

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