Spies and Flies

Hi there, it's been a while since I blogged here ... problem was I had a terrible time writing ... or, I should say, my computer had a terrible time! It just kept freezing on me!! Most infuriating!! So, off it went to the computer doc, and $75 and 3 days later I found out it had a couple of 'spies' on it. No idea what they are, but they sure don't sound good! Now, the computer doc has installed some device that will keep my computer spy-free - yeah!! (Not to be confused with 'virus-free' apparently!)

Guess what? The Blackflies have arrived - yesterday!!! Oh joy! Those pesky little flies which are so tiny and crawl around the back of your neck and ears, into your hair, swarm around your face and suck your blood - charming, huh? The only good thing about them is that they only last a few weeks - even shorter if the weather gets really hot. For the last 3 weeks everyone around here has been madly gardening and working outside to get as much done as possible before the dreaded beasties arrive. The local talk was, "Have you seen any yet?" Quite funny really ... such is the life of a small northern town!

A small town just north of us called 'South River' really cashed in on the black flies and turned it into a tourist attraction. Can you imagine? They held "The Great Blackfly Hunt" for about 5 years, and gave out prizes for the most black flies collected, they even issued hunting licenses! Don't believe me? Check out http://www.blackflyhunt.ca/ ... the winner last year caught over 31,000 - not hard to do around here right now! I read in the local paper last week that this year they are no longer holding the hunt - no, the black fly is NOT on the endangered species list, it's just their hunt has outlived it's popularity and media coverage (which was HUGE - even CBC and the big Toronto papers covered it!)

Well, black flies don't bite at night - so, for the next few weeks I will be gardening with a little flashlight around midnight!

Bye until next time!