It will be one hundred degrees here today (38 C). so Huckleberry and I made the most of the cooler morning by walking in the alley and watering the garden.
Because I have been walking around in bare feet I have noticed all kinds of little things on the ground. I found this dead beetle who looks just like an "Alexander Beetle" from E H Shepard's drawings of A A Milne's poems.
I found a little beetle, so that beetle was his name,
And I called him Alexander and he answered just the same.
I put him in a matchbox, and I kept him all the day...
And Nanny let my beetle out...
And beetle ran away...
We went to all the places which a beetle might be near,
And we made the sort of noises which a beetle likes to hear,
And I saw a kind of something, and I gave a sort of shout:
"A beetle-house and Alexander Beetle coming out!"
I can't find a copy of the book here in the house so I made my own painting of Alexander Beetle.
hot, hot, hot.
ReplyDeleteHow are you coping? I'm trying to do nothing except drink watery drinks and read by the fan. I have just watered my garden and filled some basins for birds and bugs.
Do you remember turning beetles over when you were a child? Trying to right them? It didn't usually seen to work.
Keep cool, this, too, shall pass.
I love the image of small basins on water for the birds and little teeny tiny bowls for the bugs. I'm so glad you're giving them water.
ReplyDeleteI still turn beetles over. Can't stand to see them tipped onto their backs.
Hello Jean! I love your beetle. He is charming. You have rendered him so faithfully.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing...
ReplyDeleteThe eyeball cakes in your earlier post are amazing!
Did you sell that painting? I love it! My daughter has recently started collecting dead beetles just like the one you found. She has two now, together beneath an overturned clam shell on the front porch. I did wonder about the second one, it seemed to have one leg moving a bit, but she decided it was "nearly dead" and was probably right. Your kitty is so cute! Good to see you yesterday, thanks for the tip on the magnolia pod, my daughter loves it, pride of place in her botanical collection.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I miss bugs and beetles and herbs and...
ReplyDelete