How are you?
Life lesson of the day: Do not lock your keys, purse, cell phone and extra set of keys inside of your car that happens to be running. I did this yesterday, and afterward stood outside of the vehicle for a moment, like, "damn." I was locked out of my apartment AND my car. I am SO thankful for the auto shop down the street, which has been exceedingly honest with us about repairs and has taken a look at our car on a moments notice. Thankfully it's just a few blocks away, so I walked down there and explained to Dave the situation. He drove me back up the hill, and after informing me that his old school methods did not point to a misspent youth, proceeded to open the car door with a screwdriver and a wire hanger! They charged me $30. I gotta bake him some cookies.
In B family news, one of our long held hopes has finally been realized! A baby fish was born in our aquarium!
Um, you can't see the guppy fry in that photo. This is what she looks like; we named her Babykin.
In Not Minnesota news, here are some of R's photos from his trip to Palm Springs, California, including a picture of a hawk.
It was windy:
R's hotel, whose room service apparently served him the grossest and saltiest philly cheese steak sandwich EVER:
One of their business dinners was held at an aeronautics museum:
Gotta love a pin-up girl!
R also brought me back a living present! Mexican Jumping Beans!
Did you have some of these as a kid?! I did; I think I tried to sleep with them under my pillow, which didn't work out too well.
Called brincadores in Spanish, jumping beans are inhabited by moth larvae; this moth, Cydia deshaisiana:
The moth inserts her egg into a young seed pod of a brushy bush in the Sebastiana genus, native to the Sonoran region of Mexico:
If there is enough moisture, the egg hatches into a larva, which spins a web like a spider. In order to avoid drying out, the larva pulls its filaments to move the bean! Apparently we're supposed to immerse our beans several times monthly in order to allow the larvae to move into the next, pupal stage. Before spinning the cocoon, the larvae will eat a small hole through the seed, which he will then close off with filament. This is because the adult moths don't have jaws! The adults will then break forth in the spring to breed and start the jumping bean cycle once more!
Side Note: Alamos, Sonora is the Jumping Bean Capital of the World!
Have a great weekend!
Wendell!
4 comments:
Babykins, welcome to the family. I'm sure you will be given excellent food and shelter and cared for by very loving parents. Watch out for Gina though, she might try to poke you in the eye. heh heh heh JUST KIDDING
Yay for the fish babe! I have three bettas, and since they like to kill each other, they are separated by glass. I feel badly because the male is in the middle of the two females, and he must have a perpetual boner. He has built a HUGE bubble nest. Last week I let him cavort with one of the females but they started getting a little rough so I had to separate them again. Is causing unrequited love cruelty to animals?
Heh heh heh, cavort! I want to see a bubble nest, Katie! It's great to observe animal sex when you can. :)
Hi to R!!
Post a Comment