One thing I really enjoy about having young animals around is sharing in their insatiable curiosity about everything that moves, unless it is something dangerous like a rattlesnake, of course. Brou came to us as a puppy and I followed him on his new life discoveries with great amusement. This post is really for Goddess who loves dogs and had also asked if we had strange bugs out here . This is a tale about both.
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Say hello to Mr. Stink Bug. He is a common sight around the Rat and pretty benign ... if you don't annoy him. He's a comical soul, bumbling along on whatever mission he has chosen for the day. This stance is his defensive posture which he is willing to assume at the slightest disturbance. He stands on his head and positions the tip of his abdomen upwards, ready to emit a stream of obnoxious scent. Once the threat has passed, he continues on his merry way, usually without any dire measures taken. Add a curious young pup and you have quite another story..
Here he is from a side view. You can now see how he tripods himself into firing position with his rear legs and head. .
Now add the curious Brou. He was fascinated by the bug's awkward waddling movement and took a flying coyote pounce at him, knocking him over in mid stride. The stink bug uprighted himself immediately and let loose a flatulent burst most vile to a young dog's nose. .
If I have ever seen Brou truly offended, it was at that moment and he learned the consequences of his rough puppy socializing with such bugs forever. But not to be dissuaded, he leaped back to a safe distance to avoid another olfactory blast and to rethink the next attack..
The stink bug repositioned himself for another round and Brou obliged, still outraged by the initial blast and heading in for revenge, teeth bared..
He administered another flying coyote stomp which fully buried the stink bug for the moment. "There! How dare you try THAT again, infidel!!!" The bug finally dug himself out of the sand and continued on his way long after the young Brou had lost interest in pursuit of the next new thrill. .
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43 comments:
Does the stink stay on Brou like a skunk or is it just blown away?
Curiously enough, Moose, I was never been able to discern something foul from the bug or on Brou but Brou sure noticed and remembered it. I guess quantity is everything because I sure know what a skunked dog smells like. Boy, do I know.
EEEEWWWWWW That is one ugly bug. Your dog is pretty cute, tho'.
Babzy, I just KNEW you'd love that bug! Just wait 'til you see the other ones - EWWWWWW is definitely in order! They may not fart in your general direction but they sure get your attention.
Looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow, also the pups and kitties. I think Brou is kind if like me, easy to amuse. love, Red
During the summer, I get a blast outta these tumblebugs we have around here. They'll find a fresh pile of manure---human or otherwise!---and proceed to roll a ball bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until it gets TOO big for them, and they just hang on, and "go along for the ride" downhill!
Somewhere in there, is a lesson for life in todays' world, ain't there, Lin???
Red, that's good! I'll have Brou round up a six pack of stink bugs for you!
Bruno, that sure sounds like life for a lot of folks I know, self included.
Wonder if that's why the Egyptians considered them sacred - because they already had life figured out from the get go?
The first and last time I saw those beetles was in AZ 30 years ago. I haven't found them here yet though.
Sounds like an epic battle. We have stink bugs here but they have a orangey pattern across there back.
PopeT. Ohhh! ... yours sound MUCH prettier! We have some black beetles that waltz around here with big fuzzy red behinds but I haven't a clue what they are and Brou doesn't seem to care.
Awww, poor Brou was just trying to make a new buddy.
That was really cute, Lin, thanks. I love it when dogs pounce and they have their butt up in the air, just dying to play:)
Wonderful narrative about the stink bug and Breau with incredible pictures to boot. Very much enjoyed. Curious as to what kind of camara you are using. I realize it is digital, but still takes amazing detailed pictures.
Reminds me of my uncle. The part about the flatulent burst.
I loved the picture of the bared teeth. I make the same face in elevators when someone... well, you know.
Great pics to support the story, Lin! Do you carry your camera with you everywhere you go, or was this a "run and get it" kinda moment?
Goddess, I felt sorry for Brou, too - same thing used to happen to me in that place we were exiled in for too many years.
I am such a sap when it comes to that dog play stance, too! I just melt.
Craver, I can't say much about those bursts since Mark and I are at THAT AGE. There is a reason they say 'old fart'!
Nyah-nyah-nyah ... NO elevators out here, let alone ones full of farting or perfumey people! You'd love it.
Buck, I lucked out on those photos. Yes, it's usually 'ran and grab', then it takes the camera forever to set itself up and, about 40% of the time, it shuts itself off due to fairly freshly charged batteries that it doesn't like. Then it may shut itself off to conserve energy if you have it on too long. You should see the photos that got away! You should see how many times I have come close to punting that camera over the goal post, or sage brush, in this case.
JAC, I just KNEW you two dog-lovers would enjoy it as well.
Mark had bought me a Nikon CoolPix900 several years ago to deal with eBay and my lighting restorations. It does do a great job when its not being finicky (some sporadic electronic connections add to the hit or miss aspect when it is plugged into AC 110 volts). The pixel setting is the mid-range default and seems adequate most the times without creating humongous file sizes. I crop out the extraneous parts of the photo to further decrease the file size and it usually still has plenty of definition. If the photo I upload is STILL too large a file or overfills the screen, I will reduce again to 65-75% of the original (in sympathy for those with slow download facilities.
A very big thank-you to you, because those of us with slow download facilities REALLY appreciate the smaller files. I still have dial-up at home. :-(
Any man that doesn't love a dog has something wrong inside...now a cat on the other hand!
Love it Lin...thanks.
Craver, we're sort of in the same boat with download times dropping down to nearly nothing at times so we definitely sympathize. I STILL remember the eternal downloads on regular dial-up.
Mushy, I sure have to agree with you about loving dogs. I know, not everyone can warm up to cats but they can be pretty neat critters.
hahahahahah!!! my dog chases bees! HATES them and chomps on them.....
Well there alright, but well they stink, well I think they do I havent seen one in years. We also used to call them sex bugs... they were always 'attached' to each other.
Oh shit Mushy, you ever watch a cat hunt a bug in the yard, or another cat? Anyway, yea, that's hilarious. Pets really make life worth living.
Been lurking here for a while and have trawled through all of your archives and I just had to drop by and say that you folks really embody the pioneer spirit.
I can see from your pics and stories why you choose to live there - you must get a great view of the Milky Way on clear nights - and you are the first person I have ever encountered who takes their cats for a walk.
If your internet connection is working smoothly then you can pick up some cool radio shows here, pick your genre and then select a show.
I'll be back shortly ... we have our first OFFICIAL guests here ... YES!!!
Hiking with cats, good eating and ballistic amusements from the front porch. I will be back in the groove in a day or two with updates. Hope the photos turn out.
Simon, our dogs feel compelled to snap at bees, too - luckily, they haven't connected. I dealt with the swollen muzzle thing before!
FHB, do you think we'll EVER sell Mushy on cats? Worth a try!
PopeT, makes you wonder how they get past first base if they really are stinky bugs.
dba, GLAD you came out of lurking finally. I've been following your beer tales for a while. I think beer is the perfect pioneer spirit.
The MilkyWay looked like a Hollywood beacon across the sky last night. The star show is just incredible! Sally got a BIG kick out of hiking with our cats yesterday. They really are great hiking companions, much better than the dogs who take off for parts unknown frequently.
And THANK YOU for the BBC radio URL!!! I used to listen at night by way of NPR and missed it greatly.
No, hell, he's a lost cause, but if anyone ever forced one on him I think he'd melt like the sensative guy he is. I think he's alergic to them, and he's got too much masculinity wrapped up in that image of the man and his dog. My dad was like that. Used to tell us about drowning cats on the farm because they were killing chickens. Then my sis brought one back from Corpus and the next thing you know he's gooin' and gushin' like a fool. Hell, I love dogs too. I'd have one if I had time to walk it and take care of it. Cat's take care of themselves.
FHB, I think you're right about Mushy - if we could sneak a little fuzzball in when no one else is around, he'd get all mushy like Red with his cats.
I am a firm believer that many, many allergies have a psychological factor which affects the immune system response and can be rewired. AMHIK!
You know, I think Brou looks like a cousin to Holly's dog Boo. He's a handsome fellow. It's fun to watch a dog make discoveries like the evil stinkbug revelation, isn't it?
In far WEST TEXAS out by Terlingua the locals and wets call them Pinacate, from the Aztec word which means stink bug, loosely. The smell will get on you and is 'cloying'. Something like creosote. Great pics, fun stories.
Phlegmmy, I'll have to go look for a photo of Boo at Holly's. If Boo is anything at all like Brou, she has one smart treasure of a dog.
Binder6 ... just where have you been? I kept looking for your blog updates and finally put your URL in the 'Seldom' file last night. You must have felt it.
Thanks for the Aztec 'Pinacate' name for them, too ... I need to memorize that one to sound more homey out here. Besides, it has a nice ring to it like a drink with an umbrella in it. That'll help me remember it, too.
My big German Shephard puppy is the same way around those stink bugs. Actually, the toddler gets a kick out of them as well. But my dog will bark all day and night at bugs and turantulas, but will lick any unknown visitor to death. Not that great a guard dog, is he?
Jenny, they just don't forget that first affront, do they? Must be their sensitive noses which register the grudge FOREVER. I can see where the toddler would get a kick out of them - I still do, too!
If they weren't different breeds, I'd suspect that our dogs came from the same litter - big mushy lovers at heart, well, except for those vile stink bugs.
Okay, I couldn't resist trying this out for myself - boy did that hurt! The bug hit me right in the eye with, what I found our later was a stream of formic acid. Fortunately it must not be pure formic acid because I can still see.
Oh Anon ... you didn't REALLY have to try it for yourself ... did you?! That's hilarious. And I won't dare you on electric fences and nature calls then either!
After dealing with dog friends and skunks, I tend to avoid the business end of anything willing to spray noxious materials in self-defense. Notice that I never took a photo from directly behind the bug? Unh-uh, not me! But I sure am glad to meet someone who just had to find out for themselves the hard way - good on ya! And thank you for the detail on formic acid as its base - I will remember to do a wash with baking soda if they ever score an eye-ball hit on the pups. Fortunately, that one encounter has Brou avoiding them like the plague now and, hopefully, it will work out as well with the rest of the surly critters around here.
I just got sprayed by one of these nasties today...I was trying to take it out of the weight room and it left its mark on my hand. To think I was trying to save it! Now I can't get it off! It is HORRIBLE. I gag when my hand is anywhere close to my face. Your poor dog!
OH, my sympathies. Yep, I've noticed that wild things don't always appreciate your best intentions. Boy, have I noticed. And Brou will NEVER EVER repeat that particular social mistake twice, guaranteed!
Since you have now been 'blessed', how about trying a little paste of baking soda, rubbing it into the 'hit zone', letting it dry for a while and slough off and then let me know how it worked? We might as well start looking for a remedy to being stink-bugged.
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