Strange Bug

Do you know what kind of insect this is?

I've been trying to find out with no success yet.

Yesterday while trimming brush, I spotted this little fella crawling along at a pretty good clip. I've not seen a bug like this, so puffy looking and that irridescent greenish/bluish color was striking.

I chased him along (no way I could slow him down), trying to get a good photo. After about 10 shots, I let him continue on his way. I don't know where he was headed, but he was certainly making good time!

El Otoño

There is a different feel to the weather now, a cooler crispness in the air. Can summer be over so soon?

The cats are frisky and the desert critters are preparing for colder weather, looking for safe havens. Last night during the first presidential debate, Hoodie caught a mouse. In our house. In the kitchen, to be more specific.

Obama and McCain and the nation's dire economic crisis had to wait while we praised our Great Hunter. He was possessive of his kill, growling at the other cats as he tossed the tiny dead rodent about (showing off, I'm sure).

Paco kept trying to butt in and get a closer look, so Hoodie took his prize into the bathroom, where he tossed and played with it in tighter quarters. Hoodie loves to throw his toys in the air and catch them, over and over. He's done this since he was small, and entertains us with his aerial acrobatics.

He flung the mouse up and it landed in the sink, where it immediately rolled into the drain. Luckily I was there and grabbed it by the tail just as it was slipping away. A lucky save on my part.

Hoodie didn't notice that I dropped the dead critter (uck!) on the floor. He jumped up to the sink and peered down the drain, looking for his lost prize. In the meantime, Paco quickly made off with the dead mouse, running down the hall, through the living room, and onto the porch. "It's all mine!" He was jubilant. Finally Mr. Wizard got it from him and unceremoniously deposited the tiny carcass in the trash can.

Hoodie strutted like the conquering hero he felt himself to be and plopped in the middle of the floor to magnanimously receive our adoration and praise. He loves being the king.

This morning he is still in 'royal mode.' Paco follows him around with bated breath, hoping for another kill.

Life is never dull in the desert, and it is good to be mouse-less once again as the cooler weather approaches.

Paul Newman

January 26, 1925 - September 26, 2008

Remembering the life and legacy of Paul Newman, Newman's Own Foundation has issued a statement. The statement, from Vice-Chairman Robert Forrester, follows:

"Paul Newman's craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all.

"Paul had an abiding belief in the role that luck plays in one's life, and its randomness. He was quick to acknowledge the good fortune he had in his own life, beginning with being born in America, and was acutely aware of how unlucky so many others were. True to his character, he quietly devoted himself to helping offset this imbalance.

"An exceptional example is the legacy of Newman's Own. What started as something of a joke in the basement of his home, turned into a highly-respected, multi-million dollar a year food company. And true to form, he shared this good fortune by donating all the profits and royalties he earned to thousands of charities around the world, a total which now exceeds $250 million.

"While his philanthropic interests and donations were wide-ranging, he was especially committed to the thousands of children with life-threatening conditions served by the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he helped start over 20 years ago. He saw the Camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain and isolation of their conditions, kick back, and raise a little hell. Today, there are 11 Camps around the world, with additional programs in Africa and Vietnam. Through the Camps, well over 135,000 children have had the chance to experience what childhood was meant to be.

"In Paul's words: "I wanted to acknowledge luck; the chance and benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, who might not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it."

"Paul took advantage of what life offered him, and while personally reluctant to acknowledge that he was doing anything special, he forever changed the lives of many with his generosity, humor, and humanness. His legacy lives on in the charities he supported and the Hole in the Wall Camps, for which he cared so much.

"We will miss our friend Paul Newman, but are lucky ourselves to have known such a remarkable person."