Sunday, January 25, 2009

Hiatus Questions

Okay, here is three more questions to work on while I am Hiatusing.
Questions provided by commenters:

1- Oregon: "Does a house fly do a roll or a loop when it lands on the ceiling"?

2- Robin: “Will Ernie regret hanging a tarantula from his bedroom light switch?”

3- Robin on a more serious note: "What shall we have for dinner tonight"? I really could use some help with that one!



The "fly on the Ceiling" thing turned out to be far more interesting than I thought!
The fly flies along in it's zig-zaggy searching pattern, then directs itself up to the ceiling in a looping pattern, crashes into the ceiling with it's front legs over it's head. It's front feet clasp or stick to the ceiling, depending upon the texture of the ceiling. Once it's front feet are clasped to the ceiling, momentum swings it's body up, and it's other legs stick.

The slicker the ceiling the better it sticks. The little hair covered flaps on it's feet stick to smooth surfaces so well that it has to use it's claspers to un-stick it's feet. Yep, the fly has more trouble unsticking itself fron the ceiling than sticking. The diagram picture depicts all of the ways that it gets it's feet unstuck. the other picture is a photo of a fly foot.

11 comments:

Kym said...

That last question causes more anxiety than "what is the meaning of life?"

I'm currently examining the possibilities with despair.

Robin Shelley said...

So nice to know I'm not the only one! Thanks, Kym! Oh! Let me know what you come up with... (:

spyrock said...

sometimes we do the right thing when we might be doing the wrong thing. they always told me there were black widows in grandma simmerlys little bed which was way in the back of the house at stinson beach. they said that a black widow bit her in that bed so they told me to look under the covers before i got in there. plus, she had died a few years earlier but they never said that it might have not been because of that black widow bite. so hanging a tarantula decoy from the light switch might scare all the black widows that come into the room elsewhere. i had a huge white crane visit my fish pond just before my new blue heron decoy came by fedex. they say that herons and cranes establish their own territories that other birds respect. that blue heron is so real looking that my fish are still hiding out. the same logic probably works with monsters. hang up some pictures of the munsters and you will finally get a full nights sleep. ernie was obviously just protecting his sister from the bad spiders which is what any big brother would do.

Robin Shelley said...

It's actually Ben who was "protecting" his sister, Spy... Ernie, I believe, is thinking of deliberately scaring his wife half to death! LOL!
Nice theory!

Anonymous said...

Weavers and spiders have special affinity as they are both craftspeople.
Ernie can threaten to do all sorts of things to his wife cause he knows she doesnt follow the blog closely.
I have shared my bed with scorpions, potato bugs, and a tarantula was a few inches from my pillow once. (note:I am not talking about the sohum dating scene)
Spyrock--i think sleeping in a bed where you were told your granny died of a BW bite is way worse than any bed unders!

Anonymous said...

1. My one weak out of season house fly does nothing but buzz pathetically around in the bowl of my standing lamp. I guess I won't know that answer until Summer.
2. I think Ernie knows which side his bread is buttered on, & will wisely pass on angering a woman then falling asleep in her vicinity.
3. Chicken pot pie. With potatos, carrots, peas, mushrooms and extra garlic. The crust alas will have to be store bought, as flour hates me.

Anonymous said...

sorry!off subject.but spyrock,i need to know more about your blue heron decoy??we have a small pond about 100 yds.from the house.the cranes have eaten all the fish,that i planted a couple of years ago!

spyrock said...

i got it on ebay from the rc store, the carry-lite blue heron. there's a cheaper one for around $20. either it will scare them away or attract them. the cranes have been staying away from my fake owl with the rotating head. so i'm checking out their claim about birds respecting fishing territory.
i had a kingfisher coming for about 4 years but he finally disappeared so this crane was the first predator i've seen for a couple of years. i wouldn't spend too much money buying fish if your pond is less than one foot deep. 3-4 feet is better.
bird block netting and maybe a bridge to hide under.

Anonymous said...

thank you sir!much food for thought!!!

Ernie Branscomb said...

For dinner I was going to suggest asparagus beef stir fry over rice. But then that would require that I give you a good recipe, and I can’t do that, I on a hiatus from responsibility!

But you could Goggle a good recipe. I like to throw few hot peppers in with mine, just to give it color.

Indie said...

Stuffed salmon, buttered rice and collard greens cooked steamed in chicken broth. Collard greens fresh from the Mack Town community garden. Best dinner we've had in a couple of weeks.

Kym, I am laughing at your comment that that question causes more anxiety than What is the meaning of life? lol! You are right!