Baboon Blog Redux

Baboon Redux – Nature Gets Louder Than Trump

88 Comments

Billions of noisy cicadas are set to rise from the ground in the northeastern part of the United States.   It’s about time something outshouted you-know-who.

The Weather Channel included them in the spring bug forecast, and a TV station in Ohio now claims the relentless critters are crawling out of the dirt even as we speak.

I have written about cicadas before – to be precise in June of 2011.

I was in central Illinois, visiting my father for the better part of a week. We worked around the house doing some routine maintenance – cutting grass, plugging woodpecker holes, fussing with the water softener, replacing broken windows, slathering roofing tar on a leaky overhang, etc.
We did all this in the midst of a prodigious hatch of cicadas, which is a humbling event for humans who are accustomed to feeling dominant, or even merely significant.

The bugs called the tune that spring – a tune that literally filled the air, resembling the constant ring of a busted wheel bearing early in the day, and by mid afternoon becoming a steady rattle, like the nonstop shaking of a huge tambourine. It’s the males who make the loudest noise, relentlessly advertising their sexual availability.

Why can’t they just quietly post some images of their parts on Twitter?

Working outside, we were subjected to a random sideways rain of buzzing, bulgy-eyed revelers who covered the trunks of trees and erupted in clouds from the shrubbery whenever branches were disturbed. At a nearby grocery store, the girl who tended the cart corral did her work with one hand wielding a flyswatter to keep insect invaders from getting tangled in her hair. This small gesture gave her necessary courage to face the onslaught, though she was bailing the ocean with a teacup.

The cicadas will do their work. They have an assignment to hatch, mate, and die, planting the next generation in the process. Six weeks of glory and see you in 2024! There’s no confusion about purpose or wondering ‘what I want to do when I grow up’ in the cicada world. I envy their focus and devotion to the task at hand.

I guess that’s really the task “at leg.”  Thank God they don’t have hands!

Choose an animal to do a six week infestation of your life.  

 

88 thoughts on “Baboon Redux – Nature Gets Louder Than Trump”

  1. Pingback: Baboon Redux – Nature Gets Louder Than Trump — Trail Baboon | yalighana67

  2. Although the logistics of the encounter might be problematic, blue whales. My feeling is that if you’re going to have an infestation it might as well be a yuuuge one.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  4. Kittens.

    As far as I can tell, I am the third comment, and yet at the beginning of the comments it already reads “3 Comments on…” Either Wes, or Renee, your counts as two somehow.

    See you Monday, Baboons, have a great weekend!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  5. Cats. Sure they’d be annoying as they hinder me from one task, chore, or activity to another, but at least the furry little buggers would feel good and be comforting to pet as I tried to write on my computer; or watch TV with one in my lap, two on my chest, and a fourth on my head for good measure as I recline in my La-Z-Boy.

    And their purring would be much more pleasant than a horde of cicadas.

    Chris in Owatonna

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. My two even follow me into the bathroom, jump on my lap, then bat at the toilet paper as I’m pulling some off the roll. They stick to me like velcro day and night, 24/7. And here I’ve complained about dogs being so needy!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. Besides the words “choose” and “infestation” striking me as counter-intuitive, I’m going to join the herd and go with kitties, especially if I knew for sure in six weeks they would all (except the two resident delinquents, of course) be going to good and loving homes.

    We have yet to take a foster this spring, maybe after Memorial Day when things quiet down to a dull roar.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  7. Chickadees. I always enjoy seeing chickadees flitting about in their cheerful manner. I could even put up with the loud scolding they give out when people get too close to them. I would hope that they would stop the scolding once they became accustomed to being near me.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. That’s a promising project, Jim. Many people assume birds are stupid. But researchers in Washington learned that birds can identify individuals and remember what they look like for long periods of time. If you offered food to your chickadees I’ll bet in time they would learn to trust you.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. We have sentinel chickadees who watch husband fill the feeders and then sound the alert when the feeders are full and he has returned to the house.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  9. I’d like a cloud of butterflies, but they’d be in danger if they came in the house. They’d have cats leaping at them.

    I’ve been in the butterfly tent at the State Fair, but found it a bit depressing. If you are there very long you can observe the employees sweeping up dead butterflies off the floor.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. The life span of most butterflies is short, about a month. Many smaller butterflies live only a week. Monarchs and other larger butterflies have a lifespan of about nine months.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. We recently dealt with an “infestation” of one bed bug. But even one is way too many. It traveled with my sister from San Francisco. It cost $1300.00 for the pest control people to come plus about $50.00 from my change jar to haul all the bedding and clothes from all the drawers down to a laundry for high heat dryer treatment. What a pain!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I’m very curious: how on earth do you find ONE bedbug? And, if it’s only ONE, why pay 1300 to get rid of it? Also, how did you figure out that its original residence was San Francisco??

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Here’s how it works. Sister was the only one who stayed out of town in the last month. She was the one bitten. Bedbugs have a signature bite track. The potential for egg laying is huuuuge. A complete decontamination is necessary.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

    1. I’ve never been able to figure out Gravatars. Tried to upload a picture of myself to my gravatar at my blog, but couldn’t do it, so I gave up. Just as well. I’m not a fan of looking at pictures of myself. 😉

      Chris

      Like

      Reply

        1. LOL; I wasn’t even aware I’d managed to put my photo into my Gravatar. Thought it was somehow transposed from my blog site in some magical way.

          Am I more computer savvy than I think??

          Chris

          Liked by 1 person

  13. I’m gonna resist the impulse to say “dogs,” although that is the sensible choice. Humans have molded dogs to be agreeable companions. A friend once said the best companion she ever had was a duck, so we could go that way. This same woman discovered that giraffes are amazing companions. She knew one giraffe with a kinky sense of humor. So that will be my choice today (although an “infestation” of giraffes sounds intimidating . . . how many giraffes would that be?).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. The old Star Trek episode of “The Trouble With Tribbles” comes to mind. If you have to choose an infestation, let it be cute, furry, small and sweet — and pray you don’t have Klingon blood or it will turn ugly quickly!

    Oh, and be sure to have lots of food on hand for how much they eat.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  16. Hi-

    Did I tell you baboons I ordered 20 ducks this spring and got 40?
    I kinda feel infested with ducks.
    And they’re messy but they sure are fun now that they’re older and out on their own and when I call them at night they all come running and quacking.
    Oh, you would not want them in your house, but in your life? Yeah, that’s OK.

    Thanks for the blog Dale!

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

    1. Just stopped at the St Kate’s pond with my lunch and saw several families of ducklings. I think I could handle a passle of them and their attendent mamas for maybe 6 weeks. By that time they would be ready to go and I would sutely be ready for them to leave.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  17. Seeing Dale’s cicada image reminded me of a childhood horror: watching these large bugs fighting to the death with another beetle-sized bug. Ugh. I’ve never seen beetles that large since then.

    Like

    Reply

  18. OT-at the Fix-it clinic at Highland Library. Actually had not planned this but am hanging out in case I need to be consulted about next year’s U schedule and remembered I have a desireable click-radio CD-player that worked briefly when it was first passed in to me (and previous owner knew of no quirks), then suddenly did nothing but have its LED screen glow in the car to go for recycling, so figured, why not?

    It is not going particularly well…..

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. And alas, that ended in a trip to Best Buy for recycling.

      I think I will finish fixing the beloved toaster on my own, as I know what it needs and can do it in the time I would spend waiting.

      If I can just cordon off that time.

      Like

      Reply

    2. I went to the same clinic, but had more success. I took several of my aunt’s skirts to be repaired and/or altered. She’s in a nursing home and can’t fix her own clothes the way she once did.

      The volunteer with the sewing machine very kindly remade one of the skirts by taking off a damaged zipper and waistband, and recreating it as an elastic waist garment. The sort of thing I should be able to do on my own, but lack the patience and functional sewing machine for.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  19. If I could figure out a way to be temporarily infested with penguins and not have the place stink like dead fish that would be fun. If I had to put up with fish smell, maybe less so. Second choice would be baby pandas or sloths (kittens or puppies are good, too – but may as well ask for something entirely not possible if I can…).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. Update for anyone left out there: Sandy’s surgery went very well: much less extensive than anticipated, much less repair needed to be done, fabroids and a cyst all benign. Tonight she is getting past the bad pain, at least for now.
    My daughter’s surgery went very fast, textbook the dr. says. She is bouncing back very fast. very little pain tonight.

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

  21. Hello! We are in Cambridge, which is infested with university students studying for finals. We heard a fully choral festal Evensong service at King’s College Chapel with the King’s College Choir. It is Holy Trinity Sunday. We sat in the stalls about 2 feet from the choir. Some of the choristers were so short they could barely see over the railing.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  22. My niece shared a video on Facebook with the comment “I really like my job, but I wish it presented more opportunities for me to bathe tiny baby monkeys.”
    Not sure the link will embed but here goes:

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Your nieces comment has me wondering whether her current job presents any opportunity to bathe baby monkeys?

      Like

      Reply

  23. The Donald is…
    Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
    Yes, the very sound of him is really quite atrocious.
    Being loud is symptomatic of severe neurosis
    Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
    Um, tella’ little little lie
    Um, justa little little lie.
    Donald was afraid to speak
    when he was just a lad.
    So he developed this technique
    It’s really rather sad.
    Use a fake publicist to get out the word
    “I’m rich! I’m great! For, heaven’s sake”
    “Haven’t you people heard?!”
    Oh! Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
    Donald is quite the master of voter mass hypnosis.
    He spiels his stuff in huuge quantities not in little doses.
    Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

      2. I did omit the verse about Trump saying the word to his daughter and now his daughter is his wife. “And what a lovely thing she is.”

        Like

        Reply

    2. a friend wrote a donald poem that got some attention

      STUMP POEM ASSEMBLED FROM DONALD TRUMP’S TWENTY MOST FREQUENTLY USED WORDS
      by Mara Adamitz Scrupe

      if they can’t win stupid (they’re the)

      weak loser(s) (they’re the) politically

      correct moron(s they’re not) smart

      (enough) tough (enough)

      dangerous (enough to be) bad (as me)

      lightweight(s!) (I’m) amazing (and I’m)

      huge (I’m) tremendous (and I’m) terrific

      (not a big) zero (not like them) out (of)

      control (I’ll make this country

      truly) classy (again!)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  24. Sandy and daughter both improve. Daughter is doing a big funeral today, so she is much better.
    I have developed burning and tingling sensation on the backs of both hands. Wish I could guest blog, but . . .

    Like

    Reply

    1. Glad for the improvements with Sandy and your daughter, and sorry for the new development with your hands, Clyde. Just wondering, have you ever tried acupuncture?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  26. Puppies. Nobody said puppies and I love them. I would never tire of them but cleaning up after them could get old.

    Hello, Baboons. I have finally moved into my new home in Northfield. It’s taken me almost three months. I had a 2200-square foot home in Waterville and I knew I’d have to part with a lot of stuff. I did manage to get rid of lots of stuff but I will have to part with quite a bit more. I can’t fit it all into this 1000-square foot condo. I have too many musical instruments, too many books and too much yarn. It would help if some of the projects were completed. There are so many unfinished projects. It’s an infestation of incompletes.

    I don’t have a yard anymore. I don’t have a garden. I do have a deck though, and lots of clay pots. I need to invest in some potting soil and a few plants. I already miss my garden, especially the asparagus and rhubarb. The lilies will bloom in June and I’ll miss those too.

    I’ve missed the Baboons and the blog. I need to get back in the habit of checking in with all of you. Thank you to those of you who generously offered to help. It was really hard to coordinate volunteers, especially since the closing date fell through and they couldn’t give me a firm date. We finally closed on Friday, May 6. My friend Gary and my brother Kurt helped with the heavy furniture. My friend Pam gave me shelter for a week. My brother Eric was here last Saturday and we finished moving my stuff out of storage. It’s now all under one roof but I can’t walk around in here due to the clutter. Anybody need any canning jars? I have an infestation of stuff.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. wow i liked the topic when dale reduauxed it but i oulednt get to it.

    otters was my first asnwere but i think 6 weeks would take my love of their magis away.
    my dog vinnie is the 6 week infestation i could handle. he is special. nala is his isdekick but you have a special relationship every now and again and vinnie is it. nala knows it but she knows i love her too.
    other possible considerations

    dragons i really like dragons,(good choice of books vs)

    hummingbirds (first one today!!!!!!)

    unicorns (gotta love unicorns)

    ,

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.