Hey Small Dog Owners: It's Grasshopper Season in Connecticut

The lazy, hazy days of Summer 2023 are here, and lately every walk that I take my 5 pound Chihuahua RayRay out for has been an adventure. We stumbled across the remnants of a poor bird that had been ripped apart, and on every walk yesterday, my poor little guy was getting the poop scared out of him by grasshoppers the size of his head.

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It's grasshopper season Connecticut, the warm weather we've been having has really made our population explode over the last week. I tried to take a pic of one of them, but wow they're scared of iPhones. I got a couple of blurry pics, and using insectidentification.org's database of the 30 different grasshoppers that are found in Connecticut, I'd guess they were Differential Grasshoppers, or Carolina Locusts that are all over the South end of Torrington.

Some of them appeared to be about 2-3 inches long, and wow, they not only startled my dog, that sudden burst of noise and flash of yellow and black wings made me pull back on his leash instinctively, trying to keep him out of harm's way. I know that grasshoppers are harmless, no venoms, no barbed stingers ready to jab in your finger. What you should be worried about with grasshoppers is your vegetation.

Grasshoppers are expert defoliators, can cause direct crop loss by feeding on ripening grain, and destroy your garden. How can you keep them away from your small dogs even more? According to scientists at New Haven's Yale University, invite more spiders into your life, because grasshoppers fear them. Maybe I'll get RayRay that hoodie with the Tatantula on it.

Top 6 Reasons For an Argument on CT's Candlewood Lake

Candlewood Lake is a glorious place to be on a Saturday or Sunday during the summer. You get to look at the rolling hills, soak in the sun and relax. If relaxing is not your jam you can do some water sports or just bug-out (my favorite). Candlewood Lake is popular for a reason it's a lot of fun. However, just like any place the vibe can be ruined by certain behaviors. Some might say, what is there to argue about? Here are 6 things I've seen people argue over on Candlewood Lake.

New Milford Photographer Captures Awe Inspiring Photos in All Seasons

Recently, I was cruising through my Facebook feed in the New Milford group when I came across a picture so beautiful I felt compelled to contact the photographer and ask some questions. His name is Tom Allen and he was happy to share more information and photos with me.

Remembering the Age of Arcades in Connecticut - the 1980's

I grew up in the heyday of coin-operated video games, the 1970's & 80's, where there was a coin-operated video game in every convenience store, restaurant, and the pinnacle of them all - the Arcade. A recent ttrip to New hampshire started me thinking about the old arcades that were across Connecticut