It's A Country Bug's Life

One of the biggest differences between my life in Connecticut and my life here in Oregon is the amount of bugs. They are everywhere... seriously everywhere.... in the country. 
I have decided that Pixar should do a sequel to A Bug's Life and cover the variety of bugs I encounter in the country.

There would be "Dusty" the Squash Bug who is in a gang called the Greasers. I think he would be the main character.
Growing up, I called this little brown, flying insect a dust bug. It makes a mildly gross smell when you smash them and they sort of "pop" when you do. I have recently heard it referred to as a grease bug however when I looked it up on google it looks like it may be known as a squash bug.
These bugs are freaking everywhere! On the toilet paper, on the toilet, in the toilet. Okay, maybe they like bathrooms. I remember when I was young they hung out on windowsills, maybe that the old generation.

Next would be "Herbie" the stinkbug. I see him being Dusty's unlikely best friend. They are technically called a darkling beetle but because they emit a nasty smell as a defense mechanism they are known locally as stinkbugs.  I was fascinated by these bugs when I was young because if they feel threatened, they lower their head, stuck their butt up in the air and let out their smell. I still find it interesting, but there have been so many of them that they are just irritating. They like to get into the garage. Then when I go to get into my car and I'm not looking down, I hear the familiar "crunch" followed by the smell, as I step on one. Gross. Before I pull my car into the garage, I open the door to see them waiting for me. I get out, grab the broom and play stinkbug hockey!

The supporting cast would include a fly, a spider and an ant. The comedic scene stealer would be Will "Evil Knievel" the weevil. He would be a little geeky and love finding his way into non-perishable foods. In Eastern Oregon, finding weevils in your stored dry foods like flour, corn bread mix, and cereal is par for the coarse.

And finally there would be the bad guy, Earl the earwig. These insects are the only one that get to me when I think about them. As a young kid I was told they like to crawl into the ear and pinch. Talk about a traumatic idea! If you've ever seen one, you know how creepy they are. They can do this impressive yoga move where they curl their pincher up over their head. The slither along quickly on their tiny little legs and are little buggers to catch.

So there you go Pixar. I will leave the plot line up to you!

The Nose Knows

The smell of chili simmering in the crock-pot is filling the house today. As I lay on the couch watching old episodes of Gilmore Girls and smelling the chili, I was back in Connecticut. Funny how a single smell can trick your mind into thinking you are somewhere else. I close my eyes and I am back in my little condo, the crisp New England air on my skin and the sound of neighborhood kids playing outside filtering through the screen door.

There's a line in a Trisha Yearwood song that goes "and even if the whole world has forgotten, the song remembers when."Well I say the song may remember when but it's the smell that takes me back.

My aunt is visiting this weekend, my dad's sister; I always enjoy when she visits. I like to get her and my dad talking about their youth and what life was like for them on the farm back in the 40s and 50s. Yesterday my aunt was talking about the smells of her childhood. She was remembering a trip to visit her grandparents in Portland; how everything there smelled damp and moldy, so much different from the dry, sweet smell of our farm.

I know whenever something has a musty, earthy smell it reminds me of the farm and our barn. In turn the smell brings back the memories of 4H and horseback riding. The leather saddle, the hay and oats all come back to me. So many smells.

What smells take you to another place?