Canada Geese and Black Aphids

Today, two events of interest were observed as I was toiling in the soil. The egg shakers from the Fish and Wild Life clearly missed two nests of Canada Geese and, as a result of this oversight, two sets of parents have finally ventured out into the harbour at Lotus Island with four adolescents each. The adolescents are about half size and are all brown with a slight white backside. They stick closely together with one another and their parents because the Eagles are actively feeding their fledglings. About another fifty adult geese, bereft of goslings, are hunkering along, trailing after the families. The trailers are victims of the egg shakers no doubt. I guess we need to control the Canada Goose population but the forlorn trailers seem sad. Don't ask me how I know, I just do! For some reason the geese never come up to the lawn these days but stick to the harbour and the sea weed food source, particularly Eel grass. That saves a lot of shoe fouling goose poop. They are enormously sedate and hardly honk unless they fly! The other event to report is the heat has really struck here on Lotus Island and that means, with rapid dahlia growth and the humidity, the black aphids have appeared on the early flower bud stems. There are a few Ladybugs around to eat them, but despite that help they are growing rapidly.Black aphids are remarkably easy to deal with mechanically by daily inspection, wiping them clean of the stem with finger and thumb and then top spray with water. The pianist thinks I should try Avon Bubble Bath so I am going to give it a go. A little soap never hurt plant or beast. The aphids seem endemic rather than epidemic so a daily round and a little early attention is all that's required for the few dahlia that are afflicted . No poisons are necessary! No other crisis is looming large on Lotus Island today! Good news is not banal! Amor de Cosmos would have fitted in here perfectly.