Soggy Fourth -

So - it's raining here in Jacksonville, IL. Supposed to be a light rain, but rain nonetheless. Not fishing, not golfing, probly going to do chores and homework all day long.

Happy 4th.

On a lighter note, we BBQ'd yesterday with family - Tim, Lynn and the kids & Carl, Kim, Mom and the kids - also Beth's folks. We had a good time - and some great food.

I'll post again later - but for now, I'll leave you with this haunting childhoood memory.


I was about eleven or twelvish. While playing in the back yard, I spotted a really cool praying mantis. I watched it for a while, then decided I'd put it in a jar and keep it in my room. So, I found a flower pot and turned it upside down over the praying mantis to keep it safe until I could find a jar to keep it in. Somehow I got distracted and forgot about it.
...............several days later............ I stumbled across the upside down pot in the back yard and remembered what I had captured. I took the covering off - the praying mantis was still there - and still alive - but moving slowly. Perhaps the sudden burst of light had it confused. I coaxed it a bit to get it to move. Finally it started moving and walking away. I felt sooooo guilty for having captured it for no good reason, and forgetting about it for so long. I had taken several precious hours out of its already short life. I felt really bad. So, as the praying mantis slowly moved back into the grass, I apologized to it for having captured it.

Then, our cat pounced on it and ate it.