Nasty Giant Tomato Hornworm Caterpillar!

So, what do y'all think? Is AK gov Sarah Palin being thoughtful regarding her great state or political? Or maybe a bit of both? At any rate, it is unusual for her to just step down so quickly...

I went out to fertilize and check on my little pretties (container garden) today and saw there was this giant worm, 4-5 inches long, green, fat, horned - exactly the color of my tomato plant. I've included a video of my li'l garden. About a week ago I started noticing my cherry tomatoes were looking a bit shabby and some of the stems eaten off. Then I saw a bird (didn't ID it) atop my tomato plants. I thought the birds were the problem. After googling "giant green worm tomatoes", the answer became plain. This is a Tomato Hornworm Caterpillar that turns into a giant moth eventually. There is a great Yahoo answers thread on the subject, FYI. You can leave it be and let the birds take care of it, pick it off (blick!), or use pesticides, natural BT or natural lime to dust, among a few other things. I think I'll leave it be. I enjoy seeing the birds up close and personal, doing their thing, more than I like cherry tomatoes. :)

Oh, it also said you can plant sweet basil IN with your tomatoes, which I will try next year. I forgot to grow marigolds this year to take care of the aphids....

Holy Week

Well, Holy Week is upon us.

My Saturday cleaning job at Navarre Beach kicks my butt so much that I wasn't able to make it to St Sylvester's at 11 am as I usually do. Happily, I've found a 5:30 pm mass at the cathedral in Pensacola that I can make it to. Also, as I said previously on my blog, I've been remiss in my practice of lent and hope to salvage what time I have left. The following link I found helpful to see what's happening in the Western FL panhandle as far as Lent requirements and Holy Week are concerned - hope others find this of use as well: http://www.pnj.com/article/20090404/LIFE/904040304/1004.


Also, I want to post a bit from that link re. the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola, especially because of my own need for sort of an 11th hour confession service:

"- Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1212 E. Moreno St. Holy Week: Mass with palms, 4 p.m. today (Saturday, April 4) ; 8, 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Formal blessing of the palms by The Rev. John H. Ricard, 11 a.m. Sunday. Communal Penance, 3 and 7 p.m. Monday. Chrism Mass, blessing of the oils to be used in Baptism, Confirmation and Anointing of the Sick with lunch to follow, 10 a.m. Tuesday. Parish and RCIA Seder supper, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Mass of the Lord's Supper with The Rev. Ricard, 7 p.m.; 8 to 11 p.m. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Thursday. Good Friday, reading of the Passion and Eucharistic, 3 p.m.; Stations of the Cross and Veneration, 7 p.m. Friday. 438-3131."

It seems that God always provides, even in my disorganized ways. I just came into the church last year, and sometimes I don't get everything done. I'm not making an excuse here, just stating reality. The changes in my life, even in my sloth and disorganization, are undeniable, and a testament to God's amazing provision and Love through his son, Jesus Christ.

Our Father...

Photo by Phyzome from Wikimedia Commons of a Red Bellied Woodpecker.

Note about bird photos: I will often post photos of birds common to NW FL because of my love of birds and because of one of my favorite passages from Matthew 6: 25-34. Basically, God's provision is illustrated in this passage (Matt 6:26) from the NAB:

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?

BTW, I gave up worrying for Lent :).