Okay, I’m facing up to it. I’ve been a bad blogger. I’ve not been keeping up.
Yes, I have some excuses. I’ve been extraordinarily busy at work, and have been doing way too much traveling. But those excuses are just that. Not a week has gone by that I haven’t had at least 30 minutes that I could sit and reflect on at least one of the many issues I would like to blog about.
I suspect I’m not alone. I wonder how many blogs out there have gone to seed, untouched by the originator for months or years. In a way, it’s almost easier to not blog, than to go online and admit to one’s being dilatory. But I’m admitting it and moving on . . .
My weighty issue for today is: ridding one’s south-facing “sunroom” of flies & ladybugs. Or, the pleasures of vacuuming flying insects.
When at home, I spend most of my time in what we refer to as our sunroom. It’s not really a sunroom in the classic sense, but rather a cozy, bright room with large south-facing windows. Plants love the room, and it provides a nice year-round view of some of our property. It’s our family room, and home to our television, stereo, woodstove. (It is a bit difficult, though, watching television mid-afternoon.)
In the autumn, some kind of flies (cluster flies, perhaps) and Asian lady beetles seem to like the sunroom as much as Don & I do. From mid-afternoon to early evening, they spend a significant amount of time flying around the large windows. Both are slow – almost sluggish. And they’re irritating.
Now, one could use the classic flyswatter to get rid of them. But it’s far more fun and effective to use a vacuum cleaner. We used to have a useful cordless vacuum that one could put a pipe-type extension to reach further, but it’s been recharged one too many times, and is now useless (note to self – unplug the stupid thing, and put it in the garbage). Now I’m relying on our small electric Hoover, which has decent suction for such a little guy. I’ve placed the little orange vacuum next to me, and as I’ve written this, I’ve stopped maybe 10 times to vacuum up the lady beetles and flies (about 2 beetles for every fly, I’m guessing).
For some reason, I’m finding it really satisfying. Between last Sunday and today, I’ve probably sucked up 150 or more. Because of my success last Sunday, there were far fewer today. The satisfaction doesn’t come from the fact that it’s more tidy – our windows are already dirty, and a few more smudges from dead bugs wouldn’t make that much difference. No, it’s something else, something that I’m not sure I understand. I don’t take pleasure in killing things, and do hope that a vacuum death is swift and painfree.
I’m glad to get rid of them.
And I’m glad to be back in the world of bloggers.