Painfully slow still but managed to get the forms in place for tomorrows pour. Decided it would be a good morning to wire in my new battery charger since we are in for a couple more partly cloudy days. It worked just as planned - took 3 hours of generator time to bring the bank from 70% to full charge (while I was running my computer and 2 web cams). Washed up my dishes tonight and saw my first funky beetle of the year. Here comes bug season.... 57,70,50,0
Bug season starting, yuck. Looks like you are making major progress, keep up the good work. It will be interesting to see if Bonita returns with a new calf and what color it might be.
ReplyDeleteBenita, sorry, can't spell.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking I saw one of the small bugs like that yesterday and squashed it just in case. Now I know what to look for.
ReplyDeleteWhat Brand of Charger are you using? I`m setting up an off Grid & have not decided on a Charger yet. I been ready your post since you began & enjoy it. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteThat bug is actually a beetle, more specifically a Darkling Beetle (family Tenebrionidae). It is a completely harmless member of the natural community around you - there is no good reason to kill it.
ReplyDeleteCeu...looks like a dung beetle to me..(known as a doodle bug in West TX) only looking for one natural ingredient.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but no, dung beetles are scarabs (family Scarabaeidae):
ReplyDeletehttp://bugguide.net/node/view/2950/bgimage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dung_beetle
whereas, what is pictured is clearly a darkling beetle, perhaps the genus Eleodes.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/218/bgimage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkling_beetle
While "dung beetle" may be local vernacular for these animals, the near-ubiquitous common name is darkling beetle, with dung beetle being reserved for certain members of the family Scarabaeidae.
To an entomologist, the difference is like comparing a Volvo station wagon to a Chevy pickup - not even close!
The importance of all of this? Appreciating the wonderous diversity of life, especially in the Big Bend area of Texas!
LOL...you must be right! Did you know scorpions are floresent?? Diffrent colors under diffrent wave lengths of black light..but a great way to check the sheets.
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed by your proficiency with electrical stuff. Very professional looking work, but, I just wish I understood it all a little better.
ReplyDelete