Hazards of Gardening

I touched caterpillar poop!

Can you spot it?

To you seasoned gardeners lend a deaf ear. I, being very green to gardening, never knew there were caterpillars this huge. It makes me squirm just seeing the picture of the, now dead, tomato hornworm. As James and I were out casually picking our snow peas I noticed on the tomato plant some strange black cylinders. Me, not thinking, picked them off. When I picked the second one I realized what I was touching, poop! Then curiosity set in. What could poop that large and be at the top of my tomato plant. I didn't think mice could climb up such a viney plant. And that is when I saw the evil hornworm. I might have shreiked, which in turn made James shriek and ask what? Bill was mowing the lawn so I took it upon myself to rescue the tomato plant from the evil doer. James coaxed me with words of encouragement. "Be brave mom!" I got my stick ready and had to fight this hornworm from the plant. We put it in a bowl, there was more shrieking from the girls, and we took the fat worm to Bill. Where we sacrificed it under the lawn mower, not once but twice, till it was no more!

Bill told me they always had them on their tomato plants and that there are probably 20 more out there! I called my mom and she has never seen them. So, we must be in an area just warm enough for them to survive.

Earlier today the girls and I went on an adventure. Bill had told me about a dam close by and I was thinking we could go to where the resevoir side was and play around. You know, catch toads and possibly salamandars. Once I loaded up all the girls and drove out there I noticed there is no way to get to the calm side of the dam. So, we set out to play on the banks and throw rocks into the river.

Side note: Bill has this on going joke that I really got my degree in Geology not Geography. He likes to say I study rocks. Which, I do like rocks and did have to take a good share of Geology classes for my degree, but I am a Geography major not a Geology major.

As we stepped lightly around the broken glass and burnt out camp fires from riverside parties we found some pretty cool rocks. I think that some of them even have fossils in them. I don't know for sure since I am not a Palentologist, but they are really cool. And we said we were looking for fossils, so they must be.

We love summer!

Campbell taught me the other day that this is how bunnies sleep.The girls love to play with their dress up clothes. Here they both have on at least 2 tutu skirts under their clothes skirts.
This summer James went to a Garden Camp. It was run by 4-H. They met once a week for 2 hours and it ran for 6 weeks. She had fun and on the last day she brought home some green onions that we used in our fried rice for dinner. It was delicious.
Campbell catching a toad. She then proceeded to take it around to all the kids standing there that were too timid to pick it up and ask them if they wanted to touch it. She loves animals. No matter how ugly or bumpy!
Taite is the perfect baby. She is so happy and content. She loves to talk too. Bill is in a house full of chattering girls. I think that might be one reason why he loves mowing the lawn so much. The sound of the mower can drown out all of the talking!

Pictures!

New playground by Grandma's house.

Taite after a little girl accidentally put sand in her mouth. Yum, first taste of sand.

James on swing at the lake.

The hot pool!

Riding Hanna, Grandma's pony.

Log rolling at the Mississippi River Museum.

Lizards at the museum.

The girls (James Campbell and Kennedy)

Big sisters and little sisters.

Bill and Taite reading a car magazine.

Campbell and I hard at work

Kitty loves Taite

Girls playing with Dad at the park in Nauvoo.

Nauvoo Temple

Taite and her bug friends.

The Monster Garden, we are learning many things from our first year of gardening.

Pictures to come soon.

We have been having such a fun summer. Bill had the 3rd off from work so we went up to my parents house for the weekend. We had fun at the farm, like usual. Friday night Bill and I took advantage of my parents babysitting and went out to Indian food with our friends Adam and Laura. Saturday the 4th we went to a parade where the girls got lots of candy, we saw some WWII fighter jets (I think that's what they were), Taite napped and we had fun. Then we grabbed our swimming gear and headed to the ward party on the lake. Campbell liked swimming and James liked jumping on the trampoline and swinging on the rope. A friend of the family was talking with us. I will try to paraphrase the conversation.

Ann: You girls are so big and looking so smart!
Campbell: I am smart.
Ann: Oh, yes you are. (with a little giggle)
Campbell: And . . . and (everyone waiting with bated breath) and I am clever.
She is a girl who knows who she is and what she wants!

Later in the evening we went to a lake close by to watch the fireworks. We forgot about all the misquitos in Wisconsin. It was a wonderful night and a great celebration of this free country we live in.

My dad was leaving to go to India for some work, so the girls and I decided to stay with Grandma for a couple more days. Bill had to go back to the grindstone. We picked strawberries, made jam, went to a movie, rode the pony and horse and played in the "hot pool" (hot tub in Campbell language). Some great friends of ours also came out to visit. James, Campbell and Kennedy had fun playing Polly Pockets while Laura and I had time to chat to our hearts content. It was wonderful to have a girls afternoon.

Once I get my five million pictures uploaded I will post again!