Early American Literature discussion
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Chat by the Wayside
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Our 10-day forecast is looking a bit wet...but a little cooler for the most part than it's been.
I'm praying the temperature goes down without any severe storms. It seems like whenever a cold front comes in, it's always slamming into extreme heat and setting up bad storms. I prefer when the temperature drops gradually. The heat is taking a toll on my health at the moment. I like spring best.I haven't heard crickets this summer. Maybe the cicadas are drowning them out. I liked crickets until a couple came into my house, chirped all night, and drove me and my cats mad!
Dorothy, it sure does look rainy for you. I think it's going to rain for a few days here after today. Tomorrow, the temps are supposed to be in the 70's.🤞🤞
Loretta wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Dorothy wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Of interest regarding fireflies or lightning bugs, plus a mention of Lonfellow's Hiawatha poem...I found this online:"What does Wauwatosa mean?Wauwat..."
Loretta,
I'm still scared of spiders, snakes and bats. I'm not crazy about bees, but they pollinate, so I tolerate them. My mom literally stepped into a ground hornets nest a few years ago. My dad, who was still alive then, and I rushed her to the hospital. The ER doctor counted more than 60 stings and stopped counting at that point. My mom was hooked up to 4 IV's to counter the stings. Nurses from all over the hospital stopped in the room to see "the hornet lady!" Some hornets were still in her clothing and fell onto the bed in the ER. She was on steroids and antihistamines for 10 days. It was terrifying!
We (surprisingly) have "pine sawyer beetles" here. They are really terrifying to look at. I've only seen one this year so far, but several years ago we had to have a tree in our yard cut down and we had an extreme amount of them...*Not my picture...
Oh my! I didn't know what they were called but, about 15 years ago, we had those bugs in our white pine tree. It was a huge tree and we could actually hear the bugs gnawing the wood. My dad cut the tree down. I'm glad to know what they are called. We have other pine trees, but I've never seen bugs on them...that is until this year with the cicadas. They don't seem to be damaging the trees, though.👍
Pamela wrote: "Oh my! I didn't know what they were called but, about 15 years ago, we had those bugs in our white pine tree. It was a huge tree and we could actually hear the bugs gnawing the wood. My dad cut the..."We didn't know what they were either, at first. Did some research and found out. I didn't think we had bugs like that up here until we saw the first one on the window. Horrifying! 😳
Dorothy wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Oh my! I didn't know what they were called but, about 15 years ago, we had those bugs in our white pine tree. It was a huge tree and we could actually hear the bugs gnawing the wood...."They are horrible looking! Like something out of a horror movie! I imagine there is a purpose for every creature, but I've yet to figure out the purpose for most bugs! Perhaps it's simply to frighten humans?🤪 😲 I used to love ladybugs until we had an infestation of them between our inner door and the storm door several years ago! There were thousands of them, and they smelled awful! They were in our side door, which we never use! 🐞🧟♂️
Jt wrote: "i think all of us should experience Nature's beauty more in our air conditioned homes. he he. yeah cicadas are a rare insect of sorts. twenty one years later, they will return. maybe there should b..."There actually have been poems written about cicadas! Apparently, they were considered sacred at one time. I know I will bless the day they leave! I think I hear the buzzing sound in my sleep!🤣😂
"The Shrill Cicada"
But when the sun’s bright beams fierce thirst in spire,
And shrill cicada all the woodlands tire,
Then, to deep wells and spreading waters guide,
Or oaken troughs by living rills supplied
–Virgil’s Georgic III 29 BCE
Pamela wrote: "They are horrible looking! Like something out of a horror movie! I imagine there is a purpose for every creature, but I've yet to figure out the purpose for most bugs! Perhaps it's simply to frighten humans?🤪 😲 I used to love ladybugs until we had an infestation of them between our inner door and the storm door several years ago! There were thousands of them, and they smelled awful! They were in our side door, which we never use! 🐞🧟♂️"I feel that way about mosquitoes...what is their purpose?! 🤦♀️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 We have quite a few moths this year...I don't recall having so many in the past.
Mosquitoes are terrible. The diseases they transmit have killed more people throughout time than ALL of the wars in history! It's wise to hate them...and to take precuations against being bitten by them! I don't like to use toxic repellents on my skin, for my sake or my cats', as they are always kissing me. I have discovered that the original, amber colored Listerine works! Fill a spray bottle with it, undiluted, and spray yourself when you are outdoors. I reapply several times if I'm outside for longer periods of time and I haven't been bitten once since I do that! I figure, if it's safe to use as a mouthwash, it won't hurt to put it on my skin!
I loved Frasier and still watch reruns! I remember Niles' fear of bugs. He had many phobias! It was so funny when he got so upset that he hyperventilated! Marty and Eddie were the best!
Pamela wrote: "Mosquitoes are terrible. The diseases they transmit have killed more people throughout time than ALL of the wars in history! It's wise to hate them...and to take precuations against being bitten by..."That's interesting! I'll have to try that, they're terrible! My mom found this information about mosquitoes...we find that mosquitoes prefer us over my sister...we joked that mosquitoes must prefer our blood type...turns out that's true. I have O+ blood and my mom has O-. My sister has A+. When they have a choice between my sister and me they always choose me. It's not always nice to be wanted. 🥺
http://www.healthline.com/health/alle...
Loretta wrote: "Oh my goodness! Look at that bug! Interesting color though! 😁 what destruction from such a small bug."They're actually quite large...for Maine, anyway!
Loretta wrote: "I don’t remember mosquitoes being out during the day but around my neck of the woods they’re out all time it seems. They always find me too and when I get bit I swell up so badly that I have to take Benadryl and slather on anti-itch cream. Not a pretty sight! That’s why when summer comes I literally become a cloistered nun (no offense to cloistered nuns!). 🤪"That's really bad! I can get them pretty badly, but not that bad. I have psoriasis and I have a concoction I put together of the topicals I use. I had a couple of rather itchy mosquito bites two days ago...I put some of my concoction on them and lo and behold, they're gone! They hardly itched at all once I did that.
We're overrun with cicadas here! You can't take a step without seeing one. The noise is deafening! I enjoy sitting on my porch, but this year the cicadas constantly land on me when I'm out there! It detracts from my usual enjoyment of the outdoors. Their shells are everywhere, too. Check out these cicada cupcakes...http://www.sugarswings.com/2013/09/ci...
Loretta wrote: "Jt wrote: "i'm like an indoor domestic feline.i'd rather not be infected by mosquitos. my folks are sometimes targeted by the invasive bugs on their legs mostly. i just walk inside. has anybody h..."
I don't mind the summer, but I can't handle the high humidity and extreme heat we've been dealing with recently. It's expected that we'll have a break for the holiday weekend, but right back into the soup next week. Yuk!😝 I would be most comfortable with temps of about 70 degrees and no humidity. We had a pool when I was young and I usually spent the entire summer cooling off in that. I miss it!🏊♀️👍
I like the springtime best, when nature is coming back to life. I especially enjoy watching the baby bunnies and the birds. We have lots of deer around here, too. They are beautiful and are my favorite wild animals!
Pamela wrote: "We're overrun with cicadas here! You can't take a step without seeing one. The noise is deafening! I enjoy sitting on my porch, but this year the cicadas constantly land on me when I'm out there! I..."I don't think I could bring myself to eat one of those, cupcake or no. 🤢🤣
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Dorothy, I have to say I'm with you (and Loretta) on that! (Some of my grandkids would probably be quite delighted with them, though....) :-)
Werner wrote: "Dorothy, I have to say I'm with you (and Loretta) on that! (Some of my grandkids would probably be quite delighted with them, though....) :-)"I can't imagine trying to eat that! Same with this cake...
https://ameessavorydish.com/kitty-lit...
Loretta wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Loretta wrote: "Jt wrote: "i'm like an indoor domestic feline.i'd rather not be infected by mosquitos. my folks are sometimes targeted by the invasive bugs on their legs mostly. i ..."
I agree! We only seem to have 2 seasons in PA, winter and summer. It's never a nice, comfortable temperature for very long.😥
Dorothy wrote: "Werner wrote: "Dorothy, I have to say I'm with you (and Loretta) on that! (Some of my grandkids would probably be quite delighted with them, though....) :-)"I can't imagine trying to eat that! Sa..."
😋🤣😂😁😝
My neighbor made one of those kitty litter cakes! I couldn't even look at it in an appetizing way, let alone eat it!
When I was teaching, the kids and I always made "Dirt Pudding" in the Spring. It went along with our Gardening theme and was actually quite tasty!
https://www.inthekitchenwithmatt.com/...
**I feel bad for anyone who has just joined our group and finds this thread as their first impression!!! Bugs and worms and cat litter...as a treat to eat???!!! They will run like the wind! 😉😀😁😂🤣😃😄😆😛🤭🤢😱🏃♂️🏃♀️💨
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Pamela wrote: "😋🤣😂😁😝My neighbor made one of those kitty litter cakes! I couldn't even look at it in an appetizing way, let alone eat it!
When I was teaching, the kids and I always made "Dirt Pudding" in the Spring. It went along with our Gardening theme and was actually quite tasty!
https://www.inthekitchenwithmatt.com/...
**I feel bad for anyone who has just joined our group and finds this thread as their first impression!!! Bugs and worms and cat litter...as a treat to eat???!!! They will run like the wind! 😉😀😁😂🤣😃😄😆😛🤭🤢😱🏃♂️🏃♀️💨."
Hmmm, dirt pudding...I'm not sure I could bring myself to eat that, either! LOL!
Oh, I know! And I wouldn't blame them! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Loretta wrote: "Not as much of a delicacy like let’s say crickets! 🤢"We know a young man who is of Puerto Rican/Cuban descent. He has mentioned eating crickets...says they're good when they are crunchy, but if they get stale they go mushy and kind of disgusting...says they taste kind of like potato chips when they're crisp. 🤢
Well, the meteorologists said we "may have a stray shower today."Really? A "stray shower" apparently means we will have high wind, downpours, and horrific lightning! I was next door with my mom a little while ago and it started pouring, the wind blew my porch chairs off the porch, and when I went out to retrieve them, a huge bolt of lightning hit the ground in the park across the street! I could see it and smell it (the ozone odor) and the sound was deafening! Very unnerving!
I'm reverting to my longtime plan to forecast my own weather using the landscape rock at my back door:
If the rock is:
Dry=Fair weather🌞
Wet=Raining☔
White=Snowing☃️
Gone=Very windy🌬
How about that?😁😂😊
Wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July!🙋♀️🦅🌭🍔🍦⚾️🎆🎇✨🗽🌞🔔🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Loretta wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Well, the meteorologists said we "may have a stray shower today."Really? A "stray shower" apparently means we will have high wind, downpours, and horrific lightning! I was next doo..."
Today has been much nicer! There is a big Community Day celebration here today. They set up yesterday, but had to move everything to a different part of the park because of the flooding yesterday. We're having fireworks tonight at 9:30, which will not please my cat, Clara, as she is terrified of loud noises. Instead of enjoying the fireworks, I'll be inside with windows closed and a radio turned up loud, holding Clara to comfort her. I do the same thing during thunderstorms, except for the radio. I don't use any electronics during storms. My cats are my babies, so I try to keep them happy!😊💞🐱🐈
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Werner wrote: "The local fireworks display at the park took place last night, and of course (as they are every year) our middle daughter's three dogs were basket cases. :-( But various community people were also ..."Oh my! 11 cats! That's sweet! I think it's great when people rescue pets. All of my pets were rescues, except for a cocker spaniel we bought from a kennel. He had an aggressive personality. All of our rescues were sweet! I think they were grateful for a home. My neighbor had 9 cats at one time. Her sister bought her this:
https://www.amazon.com/Accoutrements-...
I think it's funny, but the little doll lady is a bit scary looking! 😳
Well, life in Pennsylvania continues to get stranger...All residents are now being told by the PA Game Commission that all bird baths and bird feeders must be removed from our properties and not be used until further notice. It seems that there is an illness causing birds to become sick and die. They don't know why. I have removed everything from my property and so have the neighbors. It makes me sad, as I really enjoy watching birds.😥 As if Covid wasn't bad enough, now birds are getting sick. I keep hearing the song "What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been" running through my head. Sadly, I don't think the "trip" is over.😪 Much like the late Gilda Radner, I find myself saying "It's Always Something!"...over and over, all day long, every day! I've been in a constant state of prayer for sooo long! Thank the Lord I have that!🙏🙏🙏🙏
Another strange thing...my cat, Clara, who has always been terrified of fireworks, wasn't upset at all last night! My other cat, Sarah, who has never been bothered by loud noises at all, was the one who was terrified. She got all fluffed up and ran around the house looking for a place to hide! Unbelievable!😳🤔🤪
FYI...I've been having trouble with Goodreads today. No notifications and some of my comments aren't showing up. I'll try again tomorrow. Have a good night!
Pamela wrote: "FYI...I've been having trouble with Goodreads today. No notifications and some of my comments aren't showing up. I'll try again tomorrow. Have a good night!"Hmm, that's not good. I don't seem to be having any troubles at the moment, so hopefully just a minor glitch. Good night, Pammy! 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
All problems seem to have been corrected today.🤞I hope it remains okay. Goodreads is the only "social media" site I use, and I feel lost without my connection to all of you! You all make my day so enjoyable!🤗💞🎶🤗
Pamela wrote: "All problems seem to have been corrected today.🤞I hope it remains okay. Goodreads is the only "social media" site I use, and I feel lost without my connection to all of you! You all make my day so..."
You're definitely one of the bright spots in my day! 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Dorothy wrote: "Pamela wrote: "All problems seem to have been corrected today.🤞I hope it remains okay. Goodreads is the only "social media" site I use, and I feel lost without my connection to all of you! You all..."
That pleases me, Dorothy!
Better to be a Bright Spot than a Dim Wit!!! LOL!!!😁😂🤣😃😆
Pamela wrote: "That pleases me, Dorothy!Better to be a Bright Spot than a Dim Wit!!! LOL!!!😁😂🤣😃😆"
You are not a dim wit, I can tell you that! 🤗
Loretta wrote: "Pamela wrote: "All problems seem to have been corrected today.🤞I hope it remains okay. Goodreads is the only "social media" site I use, and I feel lost without my connection to all of you! You all..."
My feelings exactly, Loretta!🤗
Mod
I see that as a group we haven’t read anything since February. Is that correct or am I missing something? Will we be r..."
Loretta, good question! (You can also pose it on this thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... , and there's some discussion of this subject there in messages 83-84 and 87-92, but here is fine too.) Back when Meg (a.k.a. Joanna) started our group last year, we did a group read every month, though I didn't often take part myself. Because interest in these seemed to be flagging, she put them on hold after the one this past February; and that's the point where we still are at the moment. (The idea of doing an annual group read is broached on the other thread.)
Good morning! I'm on my "anti-meteorologist" soapbox again, so please just humor me!😉 All week, the Philly weather forecasters have been saying that "Elsa" would be far enough offshore that the suburbs would not be affected. Suddenly, this morning, the meteorologists are reporting that we will get heavy rain and wind after all, as the storm moves north. Good job with the predictions!👍So, I'm reverting to my "rock forecast." At the moment it's slightly damp from humidity. I expect it to be too hot to touch later today, and very wet by tomorrow night. The rock may actually be under water by then. So, that's my "rock" prediction! If you have any rocks on your property, forward their conditions to me and I will tell you the forecast where you live! LOL!!!😆😃🤣😂😁🤪🤗
Pamela wrote: "So, I'm reverting to my "rock forecast." At the moment it's slightly damp from humidity. I expect it to be too hot to touch later today, and very wet by tomorrow night. The rock may actually be under water by then. So, that's my "rock" prediction! If you have any rocks on your property, forward their conditions to me and I will tell you the forecast where you live! LOL!!!😆😃🤣😂😁🤪🤗"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 You are too funny, Pammy! I will check our rocks...which one?
Loretta wrote: "Thought I’d post this link and update to all the members who were discussing our little cicada friends:https://dcist.com/story/21/07/06/broo..."
Oh boy! I can't wait for those tiny nymphs to start dropping on my head! 😝🤢 I haven't heard the cicadas all week, so now I know they are gone. I wondered about it. Thanks for the link, Loretta! I'm now educated about what to expect next!🙈🙉🙊🙀🛌 I think I shall faint! LOL!!!
Jt wrote: "there has to be a market for "The Cicada Song"."I would like to compose a tune such as "Bye, Bye Buzzers" or "See You Later Cicada!" I am glad their buzzing has stopped, but I think it has become so ingrained in my mind that I still hear the buzzing in my head! I wondered, what exactly is the purpose of the cicada? I looked it up online and found this on the National Wildlife Federation website"....
"Cicadas are mostly beneficial. They prune mature trees, aerate the soil, and once they die, their bodies serve as an important source of nitrogen for growing trees."
*They failed to mention that they are annoying and they enjoy buzzing people and landing in their hair. Also, I discovered that if they hit your windshield while you are driving, they create a huge mess!😛
Pamela wrote: "Jt wrote: "there has to be a market for "The Cicada Song"."I would like to compose a tune such as "Bye, Bye Buzzers" or "See You Later Cicada!" I am glad their buzzing has stopped, but I think it..."
Well, maybe they'll help drive away some unwanted neighbors...😏🤣
Dorothy wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Jt wrote: "there has to be a market for "The Cicada Song"."I would like to compose a tune such as "Bye, Bye Buzzers" or "See You Later Cicada!" I am glad their buzzing has stopped,..."
🏃♂️🏃♀️💨🐛🐜🦗🕷🦂😱👍🙋♀️😁😉🤫
...and that's all I have to say about that!😆😊
Pamela wrote: "🏃♂️🏃♀️💨🐛🐜🦗🕷🦂😱👍🙋♀️😁😉🤫...and that's all I have to say about that!😆😊"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
An update about the strange bird illness striking songbirds here in PA...Poultry farmers are now being warned to keep a close watch on chickens in PA and Ohio. Farmers are being told they should not allow public visitors to their farms. The farmers are also being told to cover their shoes with plastic and to wear plastic gloves when working with their chickens, and wear masks, too. There are fears that the songbird disease is being transferred to domestic chickens. I'm not sure what that means regarding the safety of eating chicken or eggs. Rather worrisome. I do not know if actual cases of the illness have been found in chickens, or if it is just a precautionary effort at this time.
Another health alert just came through via my email..."New reports show at least six states are detecting mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus — and humans have contracted the disease in four of these places.
Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts and New York have found mosquitoes that carry the potentially paralyzing illness, according to a report."
They say there is a higher case count of infected mosqitoes this year because of the extreme heat. Be careful of pets being bitten by mosquitoes, too. Strange times we live in lately.😥
Early American Literature
Books mentioned in this topic
North and South (other topics)Little Women (other topics)
Little Women (other topics)
The Deerslayer (other topics)
The Pathfinder (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Elizabeth Gaskell (other topics)Mark Twain (other topics)
Jonathan Edwards (other topics)
Jonathan Edwards (other topics)
James Fenimore Cooper (other topics)
More...
It's not the heat—it's the humidity.
It's hotter'n blue blazes.
Is it hot enough for ya?
It's so hot that I ..."
😳 That's hot! It's currently 65 and rainy here. Still quite humid, though. My father passed through PA yesterday...he mentioned it was 100 degrees. 🥵