Friday, July 24, 2009

That Explains A Lot

This is an update to my previous post.

First, those of you who commented are absolutely right about the fact that I should not rush this pregnancy. I don't want to rush it either, for all of the reasons Cindyhoo and others pointed out. I think I was just sitting at the crappy luncheon staring at that pregnant woman and my mind wandered.

Second, the tomato hornworm is no ghost. Last night my DH and I grilled steaks and corn on the cob on the BBQ. While I tended to the food, I asked him to please check my plants. I have a potted red bell pepper plant (although growing, the peppers are still all green) and I suddenly noticed that the plant had virtually no leaves! It wasn't like that in the morning. My DH reached down, pushed away some of the dry pine needles I use as mulch, and picked up a giant hornworm! "Here's your culprit" he said.

"See the horn on it's head, that's why they call it a horn worm," (he's inordinately into bugs and insects because his dad was an entomologist when my DH was a kid). I said, "Uh, yeah, great. Now get rid of the thing." He ended up dropping the worm in our green waste container. Let it feed in there for a while.

So the worm mystery is solved. It never occurred to me to look down in the dirt. My eyes are now open for these critters.

But the poor pepper plant! It has so few leaves left! I don't know if it will make it and my DH said we should just pick those peppers now (but they're not red!)


As for my neighbor's truck getting broken into, when I told my DH he said, "Well, the neighbor leaves his truck unlocked and the windows down all the time." What? Who would leave valuables in an open vehicle with the windows lowered? Okay, we live in a residential, suburban neighborhood, but still, anyone driving by with the least bit of an opportunistic theft urge would surely be drawn to a rolled down window on a utility truck. Not that I think it's right, or that our neighbor "asked" to be robbed, but it's not like the thieves smashed the windows and pried the door open. I think people need to take ordinary precautions to protect their belongings, like locking doors. Duh.

Anyway, I woke up this morning and the world makes more sense. Which is always a good thing.
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13 comments:

cindyhoo2 said...

You were very kind about it but I think I may have sounded preachy in my last comment. I really meant to be reasurring and a little funny. Oops, sorry.

I am so glad you feel better today and that your worm
mystery is solved. But I doubt the peppers will be any good if you pick them now. Sorry.

just me, dawn said...

eeewwww. that worm is yuck! glad you found him, hope your peppers continue to grow.
And I have to admit, I don't want to rush this pregnancy, but i think like you, when I see a very preggo woman, I can't help but imagine and long for when i look like that :)

Anonymous said...

OMG I CANT BELIEVE HE'S TOUCHING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eb said...

Are you kidding me - that is a real worm. A WORM. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww

embieadoptmom said...

That worm is nasty! Can't wait to join you on the PREGO TRAIN!

Anonymous said...

owoowowow what a WORM!! I didn't even know they exixted that big!! you must have a great weather for them over that side of the Pond!
so your neighbour is effectively a little naif! in any case you make sure your door is locked! Lots of love,Fran

ps: give the peppers a day or two and see how it goes!

Anonymous said...

Holy cow! That is quite the worm! I did not expect it to be quite so big...I was picturing tiny little guys, but I guess with poops that big, it'd have to be a pretty hefty thing. Glad you found the culprit and I hope there are no more to be found!

Alex P said...

Thats gross. just gross. Its like the squirrels in toronto. Big nasty black furry creatures the size of fat housecats. My theory: they eat homeless people. Thats why toronto looks so clean, and why the squirrels are so big, and why the city looks the other way... You tell your neighbor to check under his plants for scary worms like that, Id wager thats really who took all his tools....

Alex P said...

ohhh. and by the by, I finally got to blogging, although it has nothing to do with the world of procreation...
http://amdpfiddlestix.blogspot.com/

Keep on writing. You rock!

BabyMakingJourney said...

Found your blog through Just me..Dawn's blog. As a child we had a lot of tomato plants..and horn worms gross me out. BUT, if you are into organic gardening- if you plant marigolds around your plants it will keep the horn worms away. My mother used to do organic gardening waaaaaaay back in the day (60s/70s/80s to now) before it became en vogue! It really does work...and looks pretty too!

I agree with you about the open truck. You wouldn't leave your house door open and then go buy grocies would you? Some people might, but it isn't the same AS LOCKING THEM!!!!

Riley said...

Ok - that worm is disgusting. Thankfully I haven't had one of those on my plants yet. About the peppers, I'm growing red peppers as well and mine are still all green, but I read that you can pick them while they are green and eat them. That basically, green peppers are red or yellow ones that just haven't fully ripened yet. And I also read that if you pick a few while they are green it will encourage the plant to produce more. We had a bad storm that broke off a few of the limbs on my plant that contained some peppers so I ended up eating those early and they tasted pretty good green.

K said...

Holy cow. That is one nasty worm. So Mr. W looked at your tomato and worms pics and says yes on the marigolds and spray the tomatoes with liquid copper. (It's organic.) Also plant dill nearby. Nice looking peppers!

tireegal68 said...

wow - I missed a lot while I was off doing other things! that worm is quite fat and looking very pleased with himself!
SOunds like you got good advice about what to do to keep him away.
And as for rushing pregnancy - I have this big fantasy about getting to the stage where I am big but not uncomfortable and having a big ole tummy!