Cicadas

 

 

 

 

 Do not worry... it is a plastic bug. 

 

While studying to become a Master Gardener, we took several classes with the Insect Diagnostic Lab U.W. Madison. P.J. Liesch was our instructor.

P.J. has recently shared a new website to celebrate the Cicada. I have shared the information below. 

Are you in the path of the Cicada "invasion"?

 

 

"Now that the solar eclipse has passed, the next big natural phenomenon in Wisconsin will be the emergence of Brood XIII periodical cicadas in late May and June.  These insects last emerged in the state in 2007 around the time that Steve Jobs was releasing the very first iPhone.  While there were some reports of out-of-sync “stragglers” a few years ago, 2024 will be the year of their big emergence.  Since these insects emerge every 17 years, you might only have a handful of opportunities to see them in the Badger State in your entire life.  Despite having grown up in southeastern Wisconsin and turning 40 next year, I still have not witnessed an emergence myself and I’m really looking forward to this year’s activity.

With all the “buzz” about these amazing insects, I recently developed a new Wisconsin Periodical Cicada Website: cicadas.wisc.edu.  This site covers the biology, ecology, and distribution of these insects, with lots of photos, audio recordings, cool historical videos, and other resources."

Click here to go to P.J.'s website 

From P.J. Liesch Insect Diagnostic Lab U.W. Madison

What is up with the Little Copper Dog

 

We flipped the calendar. Here is what Ernie has been up to..

 ♥ doing very well with sit and stay... will listen to guests to sit to receive a treat

 ♥ playing fetch... brings back his ball or toy, placing it by your feet

 ♥ walks very well on his lead and listens to sit and stay on our walks

♥ working on... barking... he loves to bark at our neighbor kids when they are out playing

♥ he also had overnight company... which he loves... when our boys come to spend the weekend... just like me.

♥

Carla

 

Happy Gardening Hodgepodge

 

Happy Hodgepodge my friends, it is Wednesday, time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. Do you complete your own tax returns or hire out? Something you've found taxing lately? 

We hire out to have our tax return completed.

Something I have found taxing lately is the weather. We had a strange winter, with temperatures in the 60's in February. In March we get cold, right down to 0!! In April we have a blizzard with below wind chills. All this goofy weather has stressed one of our hens. She has a respiratory illness. Thankfully she is getting better, she is four years old, getting up there for a hen. I am very happy to see and hear she is feeling better. She had a cough that sounded awful.

 

 2. It's spring (in the northern hemisphere anyway)...would you rather spend the day hiking in the great outdoors or planting a garden? Do you/will you have a garden this year? Flowers, vegetables, or a bit of both?

I am a gardener by trade. I have a seasonal flower business .. 

 The Little Garden That Could

 We grow vegetables, flowers and have fruit too.

3. Do you consider yourself a patient person? Yes, I am a patient person.  In what sort of situation is patience not desirable? I think if trouble is brewing, one better step in. I can be slow to do this, I need to work on learning to step in a bit faster.  Are you happy with the degree of patience you have in your daily life? Yes.  If not, what can you do to cultivate more of this quality in your life? 

 4. Do you like the flavor cinnamon? Yes.  If so what's your favorite something made with cinnamon? I like a hot cinnamon tea.... coffee cake, cookies, cinnamon ice cream.....

5. Learn by watching or learn by doing? Elaborate. 

By doing... I am hands on. My husband will be the first to tell you this. When he wants to teach me something or if I need him to teach me something, he knows he will hear "let me do it with your instruction." This really comes with tech stuff, if he does it for me, I forget right after he does it, how to do it. I have to do it with him walking me through the steps.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Taking a trip down memory lane. In 2021 with our local library, I put on a Garden Chat, May - September... it was just as people were coming out of the woodwork from the lock-downs/Covid19.