I'm writing a children's book about a mexican free-tail bat who loses his cave (and family) during an earthquake. He travels the world looking for a new family, and stays with vampire bats in argentina, pipistrels in London, fruit bats in the Caribbean, Egyptian fruit bats in the Middle East, and the Flying Foxes in Australia.

So! What can you tell me about flying foxes and their habits and demeanors?

Mon cheval! Ne tirez pas--il a mon cheval!

But I would probably say "il a pris mon cheval" (he has taken my horse). It just "yells" better with the extra syllable.

Thanks, megan!

And thanks, Anne, for the horrible horse death. That will work perfectly.

And another translation request! (megan is so getting a huge shout-out in my acknowledgments if this book sells!)

"You! You ruin everything." (singular you)

"You've ruined everything that matters to me, so I only do my best to return the favor." (plural you)

Also, tobacco bud worms are my petunias, and I am RAGEY about it.

Rage is good for things like that, Allyson. Kill the fuckers.

I think I could have got the Trixie Dress in a medium. I was unsure, though, because of the bust. I'm still unsure if large was the right call, as it's not at all snug (it's not baggy, exactly, but I have no need for the stretch through the waist). Yet the bust seems to work. The whole DDD thing throws the equation right off.

tobacco bud worms are my petunias

I've always had good luck with mixing a little dishsoap in a spray bottle. For aphids, at least. But then, I have dead strawberries, marigolds, snaps and a dying myrtle, so maybe I'd best defer to someone else (those weren't bugs, though!)

I've been trying to write my dissertation. I've gotten to the point where I just really hate it. I wish I were teaching this summer instead of working on this.

there's an organic bacterial pesticide, but i worry about also killing bees. I've just been picking off the dead and chewed flowers and killing the worms whenever I see them. But in just a few days, they've managed to wipe out the beautiful pot of pink ones.

Allyson, BT only kills caterpillars and nothing else. The bees are safe.

Thanks Ginger!

My Trixie dress doesn't work on me. I'm too short-waisted. Anyone looking for a black Trixie dress, size L?