Camo Bug

Main activities today included pounding a staggering amount metal t-posts into the ground to support the trellises for our many rows of newly planted tomatoes, more thinning of the carrots, and other smaller tasks here and there.

Today was a hotter day than it has been for some time. The last few weeks have been cloudy, windy, and sometimes rainy--in some ways it's been a sweet reprieve, because as I understand it, it only gets hotter from here on out. I was running the hot water out of a hose this afternoon before irrigating the onion beds, and I was struck by how nice the cold water felt running over my hand. So I turned the hose on my head. I stayed nice and cool after that with a mop of sopping wet hair under my sun hat.

Went for picture taking after work. Found another shield bug, this time lurking in the snap peas. (Many thanks to blipper RoyMcDine for teaching me the name of these little guys.) The shield bugs, also called chust bugs and stink bugs, are grouped together in a superfamily of insects that share the same type of sucking mouthparts. They are often shaped like the one above, and tend to emit a foul odor when mistreated or threatened. This and the one I posted last week (see here) are the only two species I've noticed so far...but I've got my eyes out for more.