And now a message from our sponsors, the beetles:

I'm just writing to again apologize for not having read or contributed to the blog for a while. I've been working an average of ten hour days the last two weeks so I tend to come home, get dinner and fall asleep. I'm trying to accrue hours to make up for the fact that I wont be in for the next three weeks. The other thing that that means is that I might not be able to hear from you for a while because I am going to be essentially off-grid. While there is a computer lab where I am going they emphasize the policy of only using it as necessary. I'm getting vibes that they might order trained wolverines to attack me if I pursue such frivolities as blogging.

I'm sorry if what follows makes absolutely no sense. You kind of have to be an entomologist to get all of them

Top 10 signs you have been working with beetles too long

10. You refer to them by abbreviated latin names
9. You refer to killing bugs as a "dendroctonus suppresion study"
8. You think nothing of the fact that the chemical Verbonone looks exactly like the slices of American cheese you take in your lunch
7. You think nothing of the fact that the insecticide you use looks exactly like banana laffy taffy
6. You have customized your hard hat
5. You get excited over dendroctonus valens
4. You've stacked more petri dishes than you have poker chips
3. You release tagged beetles with the words "fly well!"
2. You refer to said tagged beetles as "the children"
1. YOU FIND BEETLE DUST IN YOUR VIOLIN CASE

Until I can write to you again

owf veedurzayne
yep, pretty sure thats not it Herbage

miss you all

-bern