Bug Porn in November!

This may be a first for me - excellent bug porn in November!  Surprising since we've had 4 hard frosts in the last 5 days, but I guess love will always find a way.  These are flower flies (syrphidae) with no common name - scientific name is orthonevra nitida.  You'd think something with eyes this fancy would have a common name - maybe something like "fancy-eyed flies"...

Thanks to all the helpful and encouraging words about our pup's piddling propensity.  I grabbed some old towels and tossed them on the two beds he has marked.  Then went back and picked one of the beds up (he can have it later when he's a mature lad).  I left a towel on the rug in my office and things were going well with him laying on it ... when he suddenly got up and squirted a little pee on it.  So, into the laundry it goes - much easier to wash than the big beds.  I'm sure he will grow out of this eventually and in the meantime, we'll just be vigilant.

We took both cats to the vet last night - they were overdue for exams and rabies shots and Phoebe needed blood work.  This is a new vet and I really liked her.  We have an appointment for Jax next week.  While we were at the vet, we put Jax in his crate - he was howling and crying when we left, but quietly chewing on one of his toys when we got back almost 2 hours later.  So that worked.

I had to make a quick trip to my doctor today.  I found a thoroughly embedded tick on my leg a couple of days ago and dug it out.  And yesterday I got the classic bull's eye rash which is indicative of Lyme Disease.  So I'm on a 3-week cycle of antibiotics now.  And they are the photosensitive kind so I have to make sure I'm slathered in sunscreen and covered up - not much of a problem since the weather is on the cool side now.  Still sucky, but it's not my first dance with Lyme.  

I had to go back to the dark with burnt caramel - it's insanely good.

And thanks to Sheol for hosting Tiny Tuesday and giving me one more reason to blip this little characters.

xo
Debbi