spotted a most unusual insect today in the community garden when i went to water my vegetables. at first i thought it was a large dark wasp, but the closer i got, i started to see more moth-like features like long feathery antennae, a body covered with fur and a long feeding tongue. but the thing that impressed me the most were the transparent wings - normally butterflies and moths don't have clear wings. later i found out it was a squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae), a daytime moth whose larvae feed on the stems of squashes, pumpkins, and cucumbers. i'm going to send an e-mail alert to the other gardeners warning them of possible infestations.

i also picked another container's worth of golden raspberries. i've been reluctant to take them because once they're removed from the plants they're quick to rot, usually lasting no more than a day if you're lucky. but there's just been too many raspberries and they've been falling to the ground, so i had no choice. while doing some research about possible storage ideas, i read about freezing the berries. of course! so i put them all on a large plate, making sure none of them touched, and then into the freezer they went. now i can have raspberries whenever i want!

the only time i left the house today was to visit the garden. i ran into ed along the way and had a long chat. i really just wanted to show him my stitches. he recoiled when he saw it. "what happened?!" one thing led to another and by conversation's end we were talking about killer turtles. i knew i'd be sweaty when i returned home and planned my day so that after i took a shower i wouldn't have to go out anymore. outside, where the weather was hot (in the 80's) and humid. i ended up taking several more showers throughout the day, just to stay cool. another great way to stay cool? stripping down to my underwear. i briefly toyed with the idea of finally installing the air conditioner, but i usually don't do that until our first official heat wave (which may never come this summer, considering how late we are to warm up).

my week of house painter audition finally came to an end when the third and last of my contractor candidates showed up this morning to do an estimate. the company was called scotland painting and the guy who showed up was indeed scottish judging by his accent. force of habit, i went to shake his hand, and we both pulled back, him from seeing my frankenstein's monster thumb, me from realizing i'm not supposed to use my injured appendage. probably the most experienced and professional of the three candidates, scotty knew the area well (for real, his name was scotty), having worked in cambridge for 20+ years. unlike the others, he took extensive notes while we talked. i got the feeling he gets a lot of work so not getting the contract wouldn't be a big deal for him and his crew. i also got the feeling scotland painting might be the most expensive option, but i won't know until i get all the estimates.

nothing new to report regarding the thumb. it's not inflamed nor does it hurt, two very good signs. since i've removed the bandages, sometimes i forget that the thumb is injured and i'll involuntarily grab something with my right hand, dinging the thumb, which will produce a little bit of pain. i think that's normal. my whole right hand feels very stiff from underuse, and i flex my 4 remaining fingers every once in a while to prevent atrophy.