The Bold and the Beautiful

This fellow, a giant rhinoceros beetle, sent Grice screaming to the back of the house where she slammed the door behind her in terror after it emitted its trademark defensive hiss. The twenty-cent piece is slightly larger than a quarter.



This little critter didn't make it. It expired out on the porch, but was so pretty we kept it around for a few days just to admire its gorgeous machine-like exterior. You can see the reflection of the ceiling's flourescent light fixture, as well as the photographer, if you look closely.

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UPDATES: Cyclone Nelson fell apart and we had, instead of torrential rains, two spectacularly clear, cool days. After about a week straight of rain, it was a pleasant change. Today is also very nice, breezy, less humid, like winter in Florida.

Lulu has had her collar moved back two notches, so she is definitely growing, though you probably wouldn't notice much in a photo yet. She is what our friend calls "a goer," meaning she is full of pep. Playing with her littermates, she is still going strong long after the others have collapsed in puppy piles of exhaustion. Unfortunately, sometimes she mistakes Elle for a littermate. Housebreaking was not all that difficult. She lets us know when she wants to go out, practically pees on command, and is very private about leaving any hard evidence around. We tried crate training as a means of preventing any nighttime accidents and she adapted fairly well. She still sleeps inside the house, right at my feet, the crate mostly forgotten, but we do use it when, say, I have to go grocery shopping and she would have to wait in the car for too long a time. When she's full grown and there's no chance of someone swiping her, or of her going AWOL, she can come with us and wait in the car, windows down, like a proper Aussie dog. She obeys "sit," "down," "drop it," and the ever popular "no biting." We're working on getting her to come immediately when called, but she is still a puppy after all.

Oh, and re: The Wet, I forgot to mention the leeches.


Information is not knowledge.

-- Albert Einstein