Dear Readers

I’m not sure how it happened—my best guess is the daily touting of Bermuda Shorts on Twitter is slowly paying off—but according to my trusty SiteMeter, I’ve got readers from around the globe: Haifa, Israel; Orihuela, Spain; Okotoks, Alberta; West Islip, New York (go Bulldogs!). Best of all a handful of you are contributing handily with thoughtful critiques and comments. Just yesterday, in response to my post about having to vacate my home due to a visit from the exterminator Anonymous in California wrote, “Perhaps your entry tomorrow can detail the best way to sweep up six million ants that seemingly turn to dust upon death. My experience has shown that the pestiness of the common Bermuda ant continues as they become so small when they die, they defy the use of a broom and dustpan.” Thanks Anonymous! Maybe we can talk about it over a glass of Pinot Grigio at Mickey’s Beach Bar? Funny thing is, you’re not alone in your ant advice. Greg from Costa Rica had this gem for me: “I live in Costa Rica where the jungle meets the beach and here the ants also are never ending. Keep in mind that they were here first so we’re actually invading their turf. Rather than trying to kill them off with spray simply do what we do, compost your food and seal all uneaten food in containers. If there’s no reason for the ants to come in they’ll move on to somewhere else. Besides, composting is environmentally friendly, helping your plants and reducing your garbage loads. Simply put a large container next to your kitchen sink and keep it sealed until you have to throw out food. When the container is full, put it in your composting pile in your yard. You can dig a small hole and cover the food with dry leaves or saw dust to avoid odors. After a few months fill the hole in and dig a new one. Give it a try, what do you have to lose!” Thanks Greg. I’d love to dig a hole in my backyard—really, I would—but I have a feeling my landlord wouldn’t be terribly thrilled about a rotting mound of food on his property. Just call it a hunch. So to everyone else reading out there, wherever you may be around the globe, don’t be shy. Go ahead, leave me a comment and let's get talking world.