Could it be... Satan?

While doing some work in the Kitchen on Tuesday, I was pestered by three flies buzzing around in a most annoying fashion.  I pulled my 12 gauge fly-swatter from the utility closet hook and I proceeded to whomp on those insects.  I killed the 3 pest in short order - or so I thought.  Maybe I missed with my swat once or twice, because there were 2 more flies landing on the cutting board.  I again took aim and swung my swatter.  That should do it.

Until I was preparing for bed, and there were yet again two flies in the master bathroom sink area.  I dispatched them without my corrective lenses.  

Come Wednesday morning, maybe five flies or more in the kitchen.  "Honey, have you noticed the infestation of flies in our house?"  Of course.  Sue raises the blinds that are keeping the hot Texas July sun rays out of our dining room, and we find a score of flies butting into the window glass on the inside.  We take turns whacking away as their little black exoskeletons pile up on the floor, windowsill, and dining room table.  This swat team action goes on for a day.  Maybe 40, 60, 70, 80 or more as we are quickly racking up the score.  The fly swatter rips after such extreme use, but it is our most effective weapon to deliver us. We're going to need a bigger swatter.

Sue uses a spray can of wasp-killer recently acquired to spray around the outside of the window.  I allow her to do it, but I predict that the wasp and hornet killer is formulated for the hymenoptera order of insects, not our current insect pest, and therefore will not staunch the flow of pesky flies.  Besides, I suggest, these flies must be coming from inside, not outside.  The debate rages, the logic of each argument is presented.  

Mark:  I say, With this quantity of flies already inside the house, the maggots must be coming from somewhere inside, no way would all of these vermin be getting in from outside".  Look within if you seek the truth.

Sue:  "Well, OK then, where is the corpse?  The Writ of Habeas Corpus demands that if you are make such accusations, you should be able to produce the body, where is it?"  These flies must be coming from the outside and entering through a crack in the external masonry.  Not from decaying flesh inside our own walls.

Is the source of the plague of flies coming from within or without?  The debate rages, while we swing away, dropping ever more exoskeletons to the floor.

Or... could there be another explanation?  Let's check the internet for wisdom.  Of course, why din't we think of this before?  Flies are known to be a harbinger of Satanic presence. The obvious answer is that it is so hot in Texas now, that Satan himself feels right at home here in Texas.  The Lord of the Flies.

Up until now, I presumed the fire ants were the state insect of Hell, they are certainly demonic; but I guess flies can follow along with Hell's demons too.

Glad to say Satan and his flies have now gone away.  We are enjoying the angelic bliss of working A/C and few of the six-legged winged misery bugs.

Glad Tidings at Newsy

The word "news" is a relative new-comer to the English language.  Before the word "news" came into popularity, people seeking information would inquire, "What tidings?  Be they glad or ill?"

No doubt the English language has changed, and also to be certain, the way we receive our tidings nowadays is widely varied, including downloadable digital content on your phone.  

Such glad tidings were indeed delivered to me last week the "old fashioned"  way, a voice call to my cell phone from our son Grant.  Grant tells us that he will accept a career offer for full-time employment with Newsy as a 'digital content producer'.  He will summarize and encapsulate news stories in writing, weaving the perspective of several different sources to cover news stories and editing-in associated digital images among his written copy.  His copy will then be read by one of the anchors or 'talking heads' at Newsy and distributed to various major news and entertainment organizations that use Grant's Newsy content on their websites [that's as best as I understand the process].

Since his graduation from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri this past May, Grant had been working at Newsy on a part-time basis this summer after taking a journalism course from one of the Newsy executives.  She stopped him after class near the end of term and asked about his summer plans, saying Newsy would be interested in having him work for them over the summer based on his good and more-than-competent work he had shown in class.   His summer, part-time status only lasted about a month, before they made him an offer for a career position.

He very much likes the work, and tells us he enjoys the work environment and all his co-workers.  He begins on Monday, July 20th (one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind).  He will be working in Columbia, Missouri, a town he has grown to know well and a place he has become very comfortable.  One of the reason that I liked his selection of Mizzou for his degree, is that we were told that J-School alum could count on the influence of the "Mizzou Mafia", it is said that Mizzou journalism graduates can be found in every place imaginable around the world, and  (a wise word to a good fellow) it is good to be part of the Mizzou Mafia.  I think they were telling us the truth.  It doesn't hurt that his sweetheart will be finishing her senior year at Mizzou this coming year in Columbia too.

We understand this weekend, he is out selecting a new bed for his new apartment and perhaps some other furnishings. I say Blessed be these glad tidings indeed! - no matter on what platform, device or medium they are delivered.

I hear you knocking...

I hear you knocking, but you can't come in...

So goes the lyrics from the classic rock 'n roll tune.  But what is that that I hear coming from the kitchen?  It's a scratching, it's a scraping, it's a thump and a clunk.

It is Isaac, one our Desert Tortoises.  He hibernates under the secretary in the kitchen nook, and he has now concluded that under the secretary is his preferred burrow now that it is 100 degrees out in the backyard.  You might think these tortoises are mere reptiles with not much brain power beyond the the rocks they so well resemble.  But you would be quite wrong.  These torts have personalities, show curiosity and preferences.  Isaac has learned to scratch and punch the back door of the kitchen, indicating he wants inside - just like our dog would do.  

Sometimes we let him in.  Sometimes we don't.  But I'll give him his due; Isaac is persistent. 

Isaac our Desert Tortois at the kitchen door
Let me in!

We will probably let him in again.  He certainly will get to come in to settle in for hibernation in mid-October.