The Japanese beetle orgy.....

Last night, while I was looking at my rose bush, I noticed a lot of green beetles on the rosebush, feasting on the leaves. Some were in the mating position. The bugs weren't moving very much or very fast. Today, after someone on my flist posted about rose bushes and pests, I did some digging. These were Japanese beetles. Their pattern of destruction was just how I described -- nibble on the leaf, and leave the veins. Another website recommended I kill them by letting them drop into a bucket of soapy water. So that's what I did tonight. I must have eliminated about 2 dozen of them.

I hate having to kill things, but some things have to die in order for other things to live. And the rose bush was here first.

Meanwhile, the glue didn't hold. I tried the latch on the propane lantern case, and it broke again. So it looks like I'll be calling Coleman after all to see if I can get a replacement part.

And Merlin is OK. I was able to brush the dried glue -- and the hair -- out of him.