Cat and Mouse

I watched this little Asian lady beetle stalk an Oleander Aphid (yellow).  Surprisingly, no aphid blood was shed so maybe the lady beetle wasn't hungry.  Or maybe it didn't want to eat an aphid that has been feeding on toxic milkweed.  Anyway, as it turns out, it takes very little to entertain me.  

It actually got into the 50's today so I saw a few more insects than I would have expected including a small hover fly.  I will have to read up on the species to find out if they overwinter as adults or eggs.  I thought the latter but now wondering ...  I also saw a Yellowjacket wasp that was too small to be a queen so I guess there are still some workers hanging around even this late in the season.

Before I go any further, thank you so very much for the love on yesterday's milestone blip!  I really cherish all of the friendships that I've formed here - thank you.

On the pain front, I am thrilled to say that I have ZERO pain in my lower back so I am thinking that the SI joint injections on Wednesday are doing their magic.  Hallelujah!  PT for my neck is going well and I have no reason not to think I'll get maximum benefit from it.  And, perhaps most exciting, the pain in my hands and feet from the rheumatoid arthritis is definitely getting MUCH better.  I've not taken any Tylenol and ibuprofen for 3 days a big accomplishment.  I am thrilled that the methotrexate is working to knock out the inflammation, and also happy that my body seems to be tolerating it very well now.  When I think about how much pain I was having for so many months, well - I'm just really, really grateful for doctors who were willing to listen and diagnose.  And I'm also very grateful to have access to excellent medical care because not everyone is so lucky.

I think I'll have plain dark today.

xo
Debbi