Friday, May 21, 2010

Summer!

Summer has finally arrived in the high desert, after the strangest Spring.  Until yesterday, May 20th,  it has been unseasonably cool and breezy.  And while the temps are now climbing to their normal stature, the reason I know it is now summer, is because of the arrival of the dreaded flying ants!

They seem to plague only me!  Not my husband, who quietly and blissfully slumbers beside me, oblivious to the drama about to unfold.  At night, while we're in bed, with just my reading lamp on, and a crack in the bathroom window to let some fresh air seep into the room, the flying ants must slip in under the window screen.  Or perhaps they have sneaked inside during the day, unnoticed, when a patio door is opened and closed momentarily.  Then they will lurk behind baseboards, in window sills, in the folds of curtains, until they see ME readying for sleep.   Now, here they come, bouncing and snapping inside the drum lampshade of the bedside light fixture that I purchased on ebay...a circa 1950's mid century style, a tall, slim gourd shaped glass, with the "made in France" gold paper label still affixed on the bottom.

Their hard little hourglass bodies, maroon red in color with glassine wings are repulsive to me!  I snatch them with my hands and crush them between my kleenex protected fingertips.  This is not an easy task, but if I don't remove them, they don't stop their pesky behavior after the lights are out.  In fact, that is when they become really bad characters!

Always there are one or two who have escaped being captured.  With the lights out, and my eyelids finally becoming heavy and my mind finally drifting off to dreamland, I am rudely awakened by a shrieking whine inside my ear!   This, of course, startles me awake, and I angrily swipe away the horrid thing!  I make sure it is dead, and try to settle back down for sleep.   Mere moments later, or perhaps hours later, (who knows!) I am jolted to full consciousness again by the sound of fighter planes dive bombing into my hair!  I wave wildly with my hands, and because I am really tired, do not turn on the lamp to see where they have retreated.  I hope they have 'just gone away.'

Oh, delusional me!  I'm fully awake again as I feel something crawling along the back of my neck.  I brush my neck quickly and decisively with a purposeful hand, and also explore the inside neckline of my pajamas.  Satisfied that nothing seems to be there, I edge towards sleep again.  But this is not to be!  I feel a sharp pinch along a left back rib!  This time, I leap from the bed, flip on the light, and swiflty yank my pajama top up over my head.  I see nothing!  But suddenly, I feel another sharp pinch on my abdomen!  I pull down bottoms, and THERE HE IS!  I HATE HIM!  HE IS DEAD MEAT!  How he got past the elastic barrier of the waistband is one of life's mysteries.  I am pondering this fact, rather confusedly, angry that my journey into sleep has been such a rough one.  I turn to look at my husband, still oblivious to the light, my plight, my fight!  And now, he has reached the huffing and puffing stage of a large locomotive, chugging along the tracks of his dreams.  He doesn't care that I'm upset, angry, and have had a battle with ants!  He doesn't even know about the ants!

I look at him one last time as I gather up my favorite pillow and head for the spare bedroom, because now I have a train to contend with.

❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

The above was my attempt at prose this morning, after my lingering memory of last night's battle with disgusting bugs!  I don't think all bugs are disgusting.  I do have a blog on Moths afterall, which I have not posted to for over a year.   Mainly, that is due to a non monsoon season last summer.  That is not predicted to be the case this year, so the moth migration should be spectacular! 

I also have designed many canvases over the years which depict various insects.  Here are a few of my favorites.


Faerie Chandelier
If a faerie had one.....it would look like this!


                                                                      June Princess Shoe
This hovering bee is actually needlepointed on canvas!
                                                              
                                                                      Beautiful Beetle
                                                
Wouldn't he make a handsome purse insert?

                                          
 A sweet birth announcement canvas for a baby girl!

Well, now I have the distaste of flying ants purged!  I think I'll go smell the roses!


PS...don't forget to vote for my quilt in the Quilting Arts competition, "Stitch This!"  See previous blog entry!  Thanks!
 

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