A Wild Windowsill, and More Ladybirds

Here are some peculiar objets d'art on the windowsill of one of my neighbors. I've been meaning to photograph them for weeks but I finally got motivated this morning when the shadow of that shrub was just so.

Here's a close-up, for full effect:

Wowza. Someone had a class in psychedelic ceramics!

Thanks for all your comments on yesterday's post. Funny how sometimes we start out thinking we have nothing to write and then all this news comes out.

Today, it's not a lack of news that's the problem -- it's a lack of time. I got up about 6:45 a.m., which is pretty late for me, and now after walking the dog I've got to get my act together and get ready for work! I went to the 7th Grade concert last night, even though I don't normally do middle school concerts, because Dave really wanted me to see it -- and it was good. Is there a more awkward age, though? If there is, I don't know what it could be.

We released 50 more two-spot ladybirds into the garden last night, and this morning they were still crawling all over the roses, feasting on the aphids. (You can see some aphids on that flower bud, to the right of the ladybirds, trembling in fear.)

I read Tuesday night that harlequin ladybirds -- an invasive, exotic species, one of which I photographed in our garden here -- actually eat two-spot and other British ladybirds. Good grief. It's "Lord of the Flies" out there! I wonder if we're putting out all these nice, tame British insects only to have them promptly consumed? Surely some must survive.

I'll say this, though -- they're effective, at least in the short-term.