What A Slimy Creature

With all the rain my area has over the summer. It has brought out an abundance of wildlife. I walked out my front door one time to find this slimy creature. A “Great Grey Slug”. Also known as a “Leopard slug”.

My oldest boy said I should pour salt on them when I see them. You can find them by following their slime trails. So, I started to do a little research about them.

The good thing about slugs, many creatures like to eat them. Besides bigger slugs eating the smaller ones. Snakes, birds, chickens, ducks, owls, hedgehogs, and toads love to dine on the slimy creatures.

This is what I have learned :

1. These type of slugs are not native to North America. They are native to Europe and parts of Africa.
2. The slug was introduced to the United States of America back in 1867 when they were found in cellars. This slug was an original stow away on ships to immigrate to America.
3. The slugs can grow anywhere from 4 – 8 inches in length.
4. They come in a variety of colors.
5. Slugs can be found wherever humans dwell in. Such as : gardens, flower beds, compost piles or other damp areas.
6. They prefer to feed at night. As they are nocturnal.
7. Food – dead plants, fungi, and other slugs. They also eat crops faster than they can move.
8. Slugs lay eggs in a cluster. Size of an egg is 6×4.5mm. That’s tiny.
9. Eggs hatch within a month. It takes 2 years to reach maturity.
10. Slugs are considerate hermaphrodites. They will court for several hours. By circling and licking each other. Both will lay hundreds of eggs later.

Have you ever been slimmed by a slug?

Crockpot Broccoli And Mushroom Soup

I love making homemade broccoli and mushroom soup in my crock pot. I had a late start making today. As I had to go to the school and discuss with the resource teacher, class teachers, and counselors about my daughter's failing grades and what we can do about it.

I really don't think the meeting was a success. As we discussed my daughter is already grounded from everything in the home except her chrome book that is provided by the school. I was asked how long that will last. I said that depends on her. If she doesn't want to do her chores or keeps yelling at me. It will be permanent. As I am not going to be talked to or treated like that. 

We did discuss that my daughter is capable of doing the work, that she is smart. We discussed her controlling her anger and taking it out on the wrong people. We discussed ways she can deal with the bullies. Same stuff that happens every year. Nothing gets accomplished, just confirms the same stuff is happening at home as it is at the school. Until my daughter decides to do it, nothing will happen.

After I got home from the school, we went to McDonald’s. I know it seems like a reward, but I had not eaten all day. I needed to get something small and quick. As I don't keep anything like that at home. It was almost 4 pm. Being a diabetic type two. I control my diet by what I eat. I needed something to eat quick. 

It doesn't help that child support was only $12 and some odd cents. Which gets paid every two weeks. That hurts but I understand with the hurricane that happened in Florida, everything was shut down. That puts us in a bind up here in Ohio, as I have no way to make that extra cash up. No biggie I need to make it to the local food banks when I do not have some type of appointments. I hate relying on food banks and making meals from cans or boxes. Compared to homemade and fresh. But it is what it is. At this point in life, food is food.

Back to making the soup, I made it a bit different this time. As I was out of chicken stock. Plus, I no longer add onions to any of the meals I make. Due to health reasons, I ended up picking up two small boxes of “Swanson cream starter” over the weekend for $1.00 a piece. As they were marked down for quick sale. Something I have not tried yet.

I started slicing up a package of white mushrooms and a package of broccoli. I took the broccoli stalk and shredded it up with my metal grater. Some people will throw the broccoli stalk out. Not me, I use every bit of the broccoli stalk. I shredded the Irish white cheddar cheese. I added the Swanson cream starter milk and spices. Then started making the rue (recipe below) to make the soup a little thicker. Once I made the rue, I added it to the mixture.

Swanson cream starter is already made in the box and does not need anything added to it. It is great to make gravies and creamy soups.

Crockpot Broccoli And Mushroom Soup 

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1 package shredded broccoli

1 package sliced mushrooms

2 small boxes of Swanson cream starter

2 cups shredded Irish white cheddar cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

milk

I placed all vegetables and cheese in crockpot. I poured both boxes of the Swanson cream starter over the ingredients in the crockpot. I filled the rest of the crockpot with milk. I mixed everything together. Turned on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Rue is a thickener for soups and gravies. To make my rue I add flour to a skillet till it is light brown. I add two tablespoons of butter. I let the butter melt. Mix together with a whisk. It should be the thickness of a gravy. If not I add more butter too I get it. If it is too thin I add more flour. I added rue because when I added the milk. The soup did not have a creamy thickness anymore.

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Photo of soup taken by and copyright belongs to me, Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty. The photo of the broccoli came from Pixabay, a free use photo sharing website. 

6 Things That I Fear

I thought this month would be the perfect time to write about what I fear. Since October seems to bring out the fear when many of the traditions are celebrated.

I fear death. I think it is because I know I am a sinner. I believe in heaven and hell. I don’t know which place I will go when I die. I know I have sinned a lot. I have asked for forgiveness when I know I have committed a sin. Some sins I seem to have a habit and haven't been able to break them. I do try my best. As I fear what will happen to my children once I am gone. Especially my daughter who has issues.

I am afraid of heights. Once I look down. I freeze while fear grips me. My heart starts beating a mile a minute. I feel like I am going to faint. I get dizzy.

I fear the dark. As I can’t see what is in front of me. I blame that on watching too many horror movies as a child. My siblings always like jumping out and scaring me. Now d my teenage son like to jump out of nowhere and scare me. I am partially blind. I fear one day it will be complete. Where my world will be colorless.

I detest spiders. I was bitten on the back of the hand while living in Florida.  (I wrote about it in the blog titles Spiders are taking over my house.)The spider bite was very painful. It made me feel like I was on fire from my fingertips to my shoulder. It took three days before the medicine the antibiotics kicked in. I had a reaction to a nonpoisonous spider. 

Snakes are another animal that scares me. I am not sure why. I do enjoy looking at them from afar. I don’t want any to come up close enough to touch me.

I fear of being alone. I am alone many hours during the day. Many times I enjoy the quiet time. I fear the time when the day turns dark. I hate being alone in the dark. I have also been very unlucky in love to the point where I fear being with anyone. That I fear I will wind alone.

Challenge:  Write about your fears.

Spiders Are Taking Over My House

I can tell when Fall is here and the cooler weather. As the spiders start coming in the house. Not just any kind of spider, but all kinds of spiders that live in my area.

There are 39 spiders typically found in Ohio. Thankfully out of 39, only two pose the most danger. Which as the recluse and Black widow spiders. If you find more than one in your home. I suggest calling an exterminator to get rid of them.

This big nasty is a wolf spider. If I see one I call out for my son or nephew. As one looks big enough it could carry away my shoe. I commonly see these run across the yard in the grass. A few have got me to jump backward and fall on my bum from attending my flower garden.

I am not sure where this spider came from. Since it looks it has a cross on its back. I will do my best to avoid it. Anyone have a clue what this spider is or where it is normally found at?

This bad boy is a marbled orb weaver spider. This spider is normally found in trees, bushes, and plants. either way, it is one too many spiders for my liking. I don't kill spiders. My son's will. My son sometimes will carry them outside depending on what kind of spider it is. I tend to leave them alone.

If you see this nasty little fellow, I suggest staying away from it. I was bitten by a baby while living in Florida on the top of my left hand. I ended up in the ER because from my fingertips to my shoulder felt like they were on fire with unbearable pain. I had to get a shot. Which took three days to kick in. It is called a spiny orb weaver. These spiders are not supposed to be poisonous, except I did have a reaction to them. Just be careful you don't encounter one and have a reaction as well. I can tell you it is not pretty at all.

Photos belong to Pixabay.com a free use photo sharing website.

Polar Bears Do Not Hibernate

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I would like to tell you about animal that thrives in the cold and snow – Polar Bears.

A male bear is called a boar weighing in around 770 lbs to 1,545 lbs. Whereas the female version is called a sow weighs about about half the size of a boar.

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Polar bears are born on land but send most of their at sea. As they hunt seals as their main food source. From the edge of sea ice. When that is not available. They will live off their fat reserves. They have been seen climbing the edge of cliffs to get bird eggs and chicks to eat. They will get a narwhals or beluga whale if they come up for air at one of their breathing holes. Polar bears can smell so well that they can detect a seal a mile away under 3 feet of snow. Now that is a powerful sniff. Polar bear are one of two of the largest terrestrial carnivore bears alive today. When their main food source is not around. They will adapt to what they can they can savage.

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Sometimes a Polar Bear with mate with a brown bear creating a hybrid. When the brown bear move further north looking for food and Polar bears move in land because of lack of food and ice to hunt seals. Thus the two meet. Neither bear is adapted to survive in each other’s environment.

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Polar bears are insulated to protect them from the cold. they have at least 4 inches of blubber, their fur and hide. They do not shed their coat to get darker in warmer months when they move in land for lack of ice and food.

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Polar bears are active all year around. With the exception of a pregnant female. They do not hibernate like other bears. Such as the brown or black bear.

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Mating and court takes place on sea ice while they are hunting seals for food during April or May. A male can track a female for 60 miles. Sometimes fight break among the males to determine who will mate with a female. When the winner is established. The pair will mate in a course over a week’s time. Cubs are born between November and February blind weighing less than 2 lbs. Most litters consists of two cubs.

Photos from Pixabay.com 

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