SENSE AND NONSENSE

1974 Sense and Nonsense

It is hot today and I would like to open the back door. But the swallows, who prefer our place to Capistrano, would consider this an invitation to fly in. This wouldn’t be too bad but they are very impolite and want to leave as soon as they arrive. They also have terrible memories and forget the way they came in. One could develop a nervous twitch or two whilst trying to houseclean with birds darting about one’s head. It could also be a futile thing to house-clean if they stayed long enough. Consequently I encourage them to leave early by waving a broom frantically in their direction while herding them towards the door. We definitely must get a screen-door for that entrance!

Now that the sun is finally shining down on us the mosquitoes and black-flies are coming out in droves. Since they seem to be late this year, I believe that they are trying to make up for lost time and some are taking double loads. I spied one mosquito in our bedroom the other night. His cargo tank was so overloaded that he had a terrible time getting up any altitude. His airspeed was so slow that I had no trouble downing him with one blow, I was then so be-spattered with my own blood, I needed a small bath.

One hears so much lately about how insecticides are ruining our environment. I feel guilty every time I spray the house with the stuff. I understand that now we can rid our landscape of pesky bugs and still keep things in ecological balance. You just raise bigger bugs that eat the smaller ones. There is an ad in one magazine for praying mantis larvae. You can raise your own praying mantises and when they get big enough they’ll eat every mosquito In the vicinity. Who knows they might also make good pets and one may well become very attached to them.