Walking Stick

Then there's this thing. Maybe a walking stick. Green body with turquoise legs and orange antennae. I think. At the opposite end from the possible antennae is some sort of yelow grasping mechanism. Or something. Found this on my sliding door. Had to go in the other door so I wouldn't squash it. 

Has Equifax Ruined Your Credit?

As you probably know, Equifax allowed the credit data of millions of consumers to be breached. If you want to know whether you were a victim, first you have to give up your right to sue them. 

Someone could be charging stuff in your name as we speak. Here is an interesting article with advice on how to monitor your credit.

Guess I'd better get my free credit report and see whether my identity has been stolen. 

Mothra

Last year I had one hornworm on my desert willow tree. It was apple green, about four inches long, with yellow and purple stripes and a curved horn on its end. I thought, "How cute!"

This year I saw a sphinx moth on the desert willow. I though, "How pretty! It hovers like a hummingbird, and it used to be a hornworm. Maybe she will lay some more hornworm eggs."

Then the hornworms ate all the leaves off my desert willow. 

I still thought the hornworms were cute, in a monstrous sort of way. But my poor tree!

I called the Tucson Botanical Garden and the Master Gardeners. They both assured me that the leaves would grow back and there was nothing to worry about. After all, they would pupate and turn into lovely sphinx moths, which are pollinators. I didn't have anything against pollinators, did I?

These monsters use those four pair of claws or hands or something to stuff leaves into their mouths. Out the other end, they excrete little brown poop grenades. The poop is about 1/4" long, and has incisions that look like a grenade. I can't imagine how they get the incisions on there.

So, the advice I got was to 1) do nothing and wait for the leaves to grow back, 2) spray a bacteria on the tree that would kill them, or 3) pull them off and fling them some place far from the tree. They are very selective, and won't just eat anything. 

I opted for #3. It wasn't easy. Those feet have suction cups on them, and the hornworm does not want to go anywhere or do anything but eat and turn into a sphinx moth.

I flung a few hornworms on the ground, and within minutes a roadrunner appeared, picked up a hornworm, slapped it silly, and gobbled it down in one bite. Then he repeated with the other hornworm. 

My partner in crime. 

Ciudad del Alimento

Don't have time for a trip to the lovely and lively country south of the border? Going to Food City is like shopping in Mexico. Norteño music greets you as you enter, and all the signs are in Spanish and English. You can get a piñata or a statue of La Virgen de Guadalupe or a memorial candle. The produce is cheap, but never organic. 

It's really pretty amazing. Many of the customers and cashiers are speaking Spanish. 

You'll find the usual assortment of dulces, principally made of corn syrup, sugar and food coloring. But it's fun to be dazzled by all the colors. 

They even have a health supplement section to counteract the effects of los dulces. 

I was amazed to see giant bags of chia seeds, a staple of my vegetarian diet. I make chocolate chia pudding, flavored the Mexican way with cinnamon and chili powder. It reminded me of how delighted I was to find chia seeds for sale in Pátzcuaro a few years ago. I thought I just got lucky, but the shelves at Food City suggest chia seeds are staple of Mexican cuisine. It's got me hankering to head south again. 

Free Water

If you have central air conditioning, and you're not harvesting the condensation, you're missing out on free water. Many air conditioners have a condensation line that dumps water out of a pipe right next to the house. Water near the house is a problem for a few reasons. It could cause land subsidence, which could damage your foundation. It can also attract termites and other wood destroying organisms like mildew. 

So grab that water! Buy a garden hose fitting like the one in the photo at a hardware store. Attach a garden hose, and put the other end on a thirsty plant. 

Being the geek that I am, I got to wondering how much water this system produces. A few days ago when the temperature was 95 and the humidity was only 26%, I collected the water from the condensation line in a measuring cup. I was impressed to find I collected 0.7 gallons per hour! 

Someone pointed out that this water doesn't have a lot of minerals in it, which is true, but it also doesn't have the nasty chlorine that comes out of the hose that's attached to the hose bib. It doesn't seem to hurt the plants. Here's my new Mexican Honeysuckle, about to get a nice drink. 

Staying Cool When It's 107

When you have to wear a fur coat all summer, you look for any opportunity to cool off. 

'S Wonderful! 'S Marvelous!

Lovely, light and spacious two bedroom, two bath townhome in the perfect foothills location close to St Phillips Plaza and the Rillito Riverwalk. End unit offers privacy. Two car carport with storage rooms.

Cheery eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Ceramic counters and backsplash. Beehive fireplace in living room, which is over 16' x 27' and includes the dining area.

Diagonally scored concrete floors. Smart neutral color scheme.

Lovely northeast-facing back patio is a relaxing spot for admiring the beautifully landscaped and well-maintained common area. More storage out here.

Here's your community pool.

Guest bedroom could be a fine office, with its custom shelving, outside entrance, bathroom and recessed ceiling lights.

Gorgeous remodeled master bathroom with travertine-look ceramic, walk-in shower and generous granite vanity top.

Huge master bedroom is over 12' by 22' with two windows to the back porch.  The interactive floorplan is here. This lovely home sold for $215,000 on August 15, 2017.