Motley Monday - October 20, 2025

 I was given a butternut squash, which I turned into a "pumpkin" pie.  Did you know canned pumpkin isn't really pumpkin?   The USDA allows canned pumpkin to include any strain of squash from the Cucurbita genus that resembles pumpkin in flavor, color, and texture.  "Pumpkin" is actually just a cultural and culinary label, not botanical. 

 Mickey is the only dog I've had that didn't like pumpkin, others would eat raw pieces.  He also dislikes carrots. 

It's not pretty, but pies don't need to be!  Yes, it's a homemade crust.  If it's one thing I've learned over the many years of crust making it's this, always use Crisco, never a store brand.

The last Salad Bush cucumber became snail or slug food. They come and eat a little more each night. 

Honeybees enjoy the prostrate rosemary...

while a Common Checkered skipper prefers the black-eyed Susans.

Borage is having another generation before the frost, which comes in October.  Not yet, it's still too warm at night.  Days will be in the 70s for the next week. 

Trees are turning at the park. 

A Bold Jumping Spider was on they ceiling in my room.  Knowing how well they do jump, I held a large painting on stretcher bars (to be seen in an upcoming Tuesday Treasures post) backwards, and threw socks at it until it jumped in the "box" of the painting back!  Then, outside we went for some photos before I released it. 

So fuzzy!

If any spider can be cute, it's a Bold Jumper!  Jumping spiders are curious, and unless bothered, gentle (some people keep them as pets).  They have the sharpest vision of any animal their size, and are the most intelligent spider. They can see things from afar, and make decisions before approaching them. They survey routes and then choose the safest path. 

So, don't just mash any and every spider you find in your house!  Another common spider is the cellar spider, the ones misidentified as "daddy-long legs," a different animal entirely.  You know, the ones that hang around on ceilings, in the corners.  They're harmless to humans.  Just put them outside. 

I won another Goodreads give-away!  This is, I think, my fifth.  I'm not sure what I think of it yet.  The mystery is basically solved, I think, so it's changing tactics and I'm not sure I like where it's going now.  

Are you ready for trick-or-treaters?  I haven't got any candy yet (we eat it and then have to buy more), but have some cute erasers and themed pencils.