Big heat, not so Bad.
So much depressing news about the heat
waves crossing and then settling over the national psyche. So much
gripping and complaining about the inevitable weather; and what comes
to mind after all is done to control the effect of rising
temperatures across large portions of the land? Well, someone has to
notice the reverse of this oppressive pattern..
For starters, mosquitoes, yeah, the
disease carrying species is in remission; no more midnight buzz as I
try to allow myself to slip quietly into sleep, no visitors during a
peaceful evening snack on the deck. Stargazing ha! And the flies, yes
those fair weather foes of the kitchen gods..they have almost
disappeared, unless you factor in a bothersome number of their large
cousins, the horseflies which roam hungrily in search of a moist meal
of me.
Ticks have been put out of commission,
though they are undoubtedly waiting for us, lovely prey in the dark
recesses of the forests, away from our lawns, they are not in a state
to climb stealthily to our prime blood pumping stations anytime soon.
And chiggers are not ready to bother our ankles and fester under
skin too dry to accommodate their nutritional needs.
Termites and red ants have relocated
their headquarters elsewhere to weather the dry conditions. Hopefully
they will have lost our address and leave the remnants of plant
casualties to their few relatives left on location. Dry wood rot has
stalled to a minimum damage control situation. It can stay that way
for awhile. Neither mold nor mildew evident anywhere, what a relief
it is!
Fewer butterflies means less voracious
caterpillars on my crucifereae, the kale and cabbage have grown
sufficiently large and bitter to be unappealing to them by now.
Spiders have also changed their demographics to adapt to the
conditions; large ones have gone absent, small ones have put up their
tents in the stressed gardens as opportunity brought weakened midges
and mites to their needs.
My annual slugfest has been thwarted,
no need to check under every clay pot or rock, not a trace of slug
snot or snail trail to track the vegetarian offenders. Even the munch
patterns of the leaf-hoppers and grass-hoppers are few among limp
lettuce and stiff artichokes. It' s easy to slap the poor critters at
dawn when the heat has not given them proper rest and recuperation.
Of all the expected buggery this
spring, I had anticipated an invasion of squash bugs—not yet, the
heat has them beat. Oh yes, I did drown many an egg deposit, as I am
diligent in my cucurbit duty; I patrol the leaves early on and remove
each lovely row of hard shelled brown eggs from the underside of the
plants—i still have our daily zucchini on my Pavlovian mind. Not to
forget the cucumber salads, the gray-green squash slices to cool a
summer palate..i guard the nutritional treasures, come drought or
high water around here..
