Attack of the Green Dangle Worms

We're under attack here by wiggly green worms. They're literally everywhere. It started late last week, and has gotten worse by the day. Overnight, hundreds of thousands of them seem to have appeared. They hang by silk threads from the oak trees and wiggle down to the ground where they turn into God knows what! When we come inside we have to pick them off of each other, and somehow or another, they still manage to get all over the house anyway. Worm poop covers the driveway, and more noticeably, the hot tub lid. In order to sit outside right now, you'd need a hermetically sealed suit, boots, and a diving helmet. An unfortunate development, since we're having some of the best weather we'll have in Texas all year. 

Yesterday, I called the county extension agent to find out what in hell these worms are. He said they're oak leaf rollers, that they're here every year, but that for some reason this year they've had an abundant hatch. Great! We've got 80-plus oak trees, so no wonder we're overrun with the devils. I thought the really cold weather we had this winter was supposed to kill off insects! Anyway, they're supposed to be gone in about a month, so says the extension agent, and there's not much we can do but wait it out. I hope I can stand it for another three weeks!

Had lunch with one of my best friends yesterday. We always have a million things to catch up on, and ended up chattering back and forth for over two hours. I took her one of the tomato plants -- should've have taken her at least two. She was delighted to get it, but I'm still overloaded with plants. I think every seed made two this year. We had the family reunion last Saturday and I took about 30 plants with us. Got rid of every single one of them, but I still have dozens more. I need to go out and take a serious inventory -- if I can put up with the damned worms long enough. Thankfully, the garden does not sit beneath an oak tree, so -- fingers crossed -- so far no dangling worm damage there. They have eaten up one of the rose bushes in a big pot by the front door. 

I find myself reading three books at once -- again. I had vowed to stop doing that, since it makes it hard to finish one all the way through. Never used to have trouble finishing books. Now, I find so often that they just don't hold my interest enough and I go off in search of the illusive page-turner. I just remembered, I'm listening to a book on CD in the car, too, so I guess that's four books at once to keep sorted out in this pea-brain of mine. 

I have BRILLIANT: The Evolution of Artificial Light by Jane Brox on my Kindle. It's absolutely fascinating as a historical work, and at times, I can't put it down, but once I do finally "put it down," I don't pick it back up again for days. In my car stereo is A SEPARATE COUNTRY: A Story of Redemption in the Aftermath of the Civil War by Robert Hicks. I started listening to this book on the way back from New Mexico late last month. On a long trip (this one is 850 miles one-way) an audio book can be just the ticket. It can also put you to sleep. This book has been guilty of both. At the Coast, I started ELIZABETH I by Anne Somerset. It's not only an exhaustive biography of the queen, warts and all, but it's also exhausting at times for the reader. Finally, a great little hardcover book, CLABBERED DIRT, SWEET GRASS by Gary Paulsen, sits on my nightstand. I've read several of Paulsen's book and always find his work engaging and excellent.

Nothing with my own writing, but I'll save that for another day.

Onward ....