Monday, August 31, 2020

A Snug Bug and More Doll Carnage


It was chilly yesterday -- chilly enough that I found this little green bug sheltering in the bristles of one of our faded cardoon blossoms. Snug as a bug in a rug, as they say!


Later, when the sun came out, it crawled onto the surface for some sunbathing. It appears to be a young southern green shield bug (Nezara viridula). It's pretty, isn't it? Apparently they like beans and we have both a bean vine and sweet peas. They're both past their peak so the bug can have them.

I've been finding our recent cloudy, chilly weather somewhat frustrating. Remember those gazanias I planted a couple of weeks ago? Well, apparently gazanias won't open unless they're in direct sun. So the plants have grown all these big, beautiful buds and for the most part they've been staying tightly closed.


We finally had enough sun late yesterday morning that one of them bravely unfurled its petals.

For me, it was a quiet day. I made more progress in my reading and walked Olga in the cemetery.


She seems to be trying some new eye makeup. (I'm not sure whether that's mud or what. Sometimes it's better not to know.)


At the cemetery, we found that the doll display bas become even more decrepit. There are only two left, and they're mostly limbless.

So, what else is going on in the world? Every day I read the news with a sense of dread. I will say that although I understand the value of Black Lives Matter and the need to address continuing police violence against black people, I'm worried that the demonstrations -- particularly in Portland -- are becoming counterproductive. Trump is using them to energize his campaign, and we don't need to give that guy any fuel. Is it better to let things simmer down and then re-address the situation after the elections? Or does my white privilege allow me to make that suggestion? All I know is, the polls show the race is narrowing, which I find terrifying, and another four years of Trump aren't going to do the BLM movement (or any of us) any good.

20 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

You have to give this to The Orange Thing - he's brilliant at twisting the truth and turning a negative into a positive. I mean - how can he get away with laying the blame for angry public demonstrations on The Democrats and Joe Biden when the buck is meant to stop at him? His closing speech for the Republican Convention had the kind of theatre we associate with fascist leaders. Scary.

Frances said...

The gazania is the most fab colour. Those dolls remind me of the horrific scene in Toy Story 1 where all the dismantled toys come out from under the bed of the evil child Sid!!

Anonymous said...

Yes, gazanias need sunlight. They would have been glorious had you planted them earlier.
I think #45 is quite gleeful about what is happening in Portland. He has incited it. I am impressed by Portland's mayor.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Your photos are always so exceptional, I regularly interrupt SG’s work so he can see them. And he never complains. If anyone is going to vote for Trump as a result of the BLM movement, they were going to vote for him anyway whether they’ll admit that or not. May we all survive the nightmare that asshole has enabled. And thanks for the distraction of the beauty in your life... and those creepy, entertaining dolls.

Peter said...

I'm also afraid that this is feeding into Trump's narrative about things going to Hell and we need to give him four more years to fix it, that is spite of the fact that this is happening on his watch. Be sure to see the video of the Portland mayor who directly charges Trump with causing the problem. I too am worried!
Peter

The Bug said...

It is pretty scary to imagine another four years of Trump - especially because that might mean even more years because of the path that he's taking us down (dictator Trump?).

Lynn Marie said...

The head of the Portland OR NAACP agrees with you that the protests are counterproductive. In fact a few weeks ago he requested the protesters to stand down. They have ignored him and gone their own white way.

ellen abbott said...

too bad you didn't put your motion activated camera aimed at the doll tableau to find out who's messing with the dolls.

yes, it's getting scary. when a Trump supporting thug (I don't care if he is only 17) kills two people and wounds a third and the police let him go home we are in big trouble. and the parade of Trump supporters in Portland shooting pepper spray and paint balls from their trucks at protesters and again the cops do nothing and the republicans glorify both acts of violence and christians raise $200,000 for a murderer and praise him for murdering, this country is toast.

Sharon said...

I've been feeling the same way about the demonstrations. Things definitely need to change but they will never change with Trump in office. And, we all know that he is using the unrest to his advantage.

Red said...

Your conclusion is frightening.

Angelicastar said...

I just saw the orange thug on the news promising to have a vaccine for the coronavirus by or before the end of 2020. This thug doesn't know what he's talking about and he should let the scientist handle this. He is lying just to get people to vote for him. Yes, I admire the mayor in Portland. He stood his ground and let The orange thing know he is the cause of all this going on. What's happening to the protestors are the Trump supporters are following them keeping up disturbance. Sure if I was there I would fight back to. That's the only thing they were trying to do to this 17 year old because before they chased after him, he had already shot one person. He killed 2 and wounded one critical. It's no harm in protesting. I did it with Martin Luther King. At our march when I was very young, there was no one there trying to fight us. It wasn't like that at all of them. The cops were beating up blacks at the protest. Why can't people protest in Trump's America. He want to be a dictator and tell us what to do. They should invite him to Portland without his security. Lie like he does and tell him he must come alone and beat the grease out of him. If it wasn't for the police Rand Paul and his wife would not have made it to his car. The reason is he sit up at their meetings and talk down about people. I guess he think people aren't listening to him. He was so scared his eyes widened.(lol) The flame has to go(the orange thing) and the killers need to be in jail or atleast arrested. Some laws need to be written to protect people from the police officers. That orange thing is not trying to do anything but talk down on them.

Linda Sue said...

Hearts are shattered

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree the demonstrations have become counterproductive. It is incredibly worrisome. We need to get the Reality Game Show Host out of the White House, and then a real discussion about violence and race can take place. I cannot believe this conversation needs to keep happening decade after freakin' decade. This is the Civil War that truly never ended.

Edna B said...

Poor dollies. I wonder why anyone would want to hurt them so. My mother always taught me that if you can't say something nice about someone, then don't say anything at all. This was not a great year for my gardens. I'm really hoping that next year is better. I think there was just too much heat. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

Catalyst said...

Your gazania blossom is positively perfect.

Angelicastar said...

Steve I came back to say how much I love you for being who you are. You are for the love of everyone no matter what the color of your skin maybe. i grew up in the dirty south, lived in a mixed neighborhood, but never went to school with any other race but black, I remember when the colored (what they called us) had their own waiting room and water fountain at the hospitals. I am mixed race, black, Indian and caucasion. They call us French, creole blacks in Louisiana. Let me tell you about our history in Louisiana. If you weren't white enough to be white you were considered black. I had sisters and brothers that could pass for hispanic, chinese, or white. I've been called that mixed up nigger bitch. Yes i went after this white guy with a broom stick. He took off. You will never know how others feel unless you walk in their shoes. Just last week I was on my way to dialysis and my son was on his way to work. I was right behind him but when this cop got a chance he got between us right behind him. I stayed behind the cop and said to myself, when you stop him for driving while black, you are going to stop me too. He followed him as far as he could. He couldn't find anything wrong. We live in a mixed neighborhood and I assume he felt like he shouldn't be in a nice neighborhood like this. They don't bother me anymore, because several times they knocked on my door looking for a runaway and I told them when i called them about someone parking across my driveway, you all told me that that is the street out there. I will reverse your statement, that is the dam street out there and if you all knock on my door one more time with this bullshit, I will have your asses down town in the court room suing the hell out of you for harrassement because I live here while being black. I told them to be careful to stop by if I call you. (lol) I guess you see I am an angry mixed up woman. (lol) There have to be an end to discrimination. I am so tired and tired of others who support racism. You all don't know how we feel. It's a very bad feeling. I have a young black man out here and I will protect him and myself until the day I die. I love you and appreciate you feeling our pain.

Allison said...

This country makes me so tired. I wish I had a second passport and could go live in the EU. Really nice bug picture.

e said...

I think if you constantly had to worry about being profiled, treated as second class or shot by a trigger happy cop you might feel differently. You have never mentioned being treated differently because you were a gay man but entrenched endemic racism is among many isms ruining this country.

Ms. Moon said...

I'm torn. I, too, think that the protests are feeding the Trump fire but at the same time, like Moving with Mitchell, I think that those who might be apt to use the protests as a reason to vote for Trump were going to vote for him anyway. Last night it occurred to me that perhaps the fact of the matter is that many of us are just not very bright. I'd almost rather think that than to think that so many of us are horrible haters. I don't know. I just don't know. But how gullible do you have to be to believe Trump's claim that Biden is being controlled by shadowy people while at the same time, believing that some anonymous Q dude is telling them the truth about what's "really going on"?
None of it makes any sense. None of it. I feel sick all the time.

Steve Reed said...

YP: He is terrifying, I agree.

Frances: Ha! It cracks me up how every time I go to the cemetery they're MORE dismantled. Who's doing it?!

Andrew: They've come out a bit more in recent days. It's only September, so we should get a couple of months of good display out of them. It's just been unusually cloudy lately!

Mitchell: I think there may be people on the fence who are pushed over the line by the false perception that there is widespread public disorder.

Peter: It's happening on Trump's watch, but he only highlights the problems in Democratically led cities, leading to the (false) perception that it's a Democratic problem.

Bug: Scary, indeed!

Lynn Marie: Well, that's a good point. These protesters may not even necessarily be BLM. I think at this point everyone just needs to go home!

Ellen: Yeah, it's appalling that Trump is defending that kid!

Sharon: I just hope his supporters see how thoroughly they're being played.

Red: It's a scary time!

Angelicastar: Thanks for your comments. I just can't believe where this country is heading! I think people can and SHOULD protest when needed, but I also think those protests have to have some structure. The ones in Portland seem to have spiraled beyond their original purpose. I think, as the mayor there says, the city needs to hit "reset."

Linda Sue: Hearts ARE shattered, I get that, but I think the continuing turmoil is just going to lead to more misery. I think Portland needs some peace and recovery time.

Robin: Exactly! We're all so polarized at this point that it's hard to even have a conversation.

Edna: Well, I think that's true when we're talking about our friends or neighbors or acquaintances. But when it comes to our national leaders, we OUGHT to be critical and challenging when they're taking us down the wrong path. It's our patriotic duty, in fact.

Catalyst: They're beautiful blossoms. I'm so glad they're finally coming out.

Allison: The EU has its scary problems too!

E: Oh, I've certainly been treated differently from time to time because of being gay. And I understand the need to protest. I think protests SHOULD be happening. But I also think they have a life span and some are now doing more harm than good.

Ms Moon: I'm not so sure. I think there are people who don't like Trump who may hold their noses and vote for him because they believe he'll act against disorder -- like people supported Nixon in the early '70s. No one liked him but he was seen as the "law and order" candidate. (Ironically! And look where that got us!)