by Richard Seifried
Signal Hill Musings
March, 2009
Harold, the Fly (musca domestica).
Nearly a month ago, a fly appeared in our house. Now, that is not a rather unusual experience in itself. But Jean (I like to blame her for minor disasters) has lost the fly swatter, and the insect is still buzzing around.
He is very discrete and has never lit on my plate when I am eating. As far as I know, he hasn’t done the dirty deed to Jean either. Even when we a held a meeting here over the weekend, nine people all together, with all of those wonderful food aromas, Harold would just take a scouting buzz through the kitchen from time to time.
Jean and I mumble at times at his appearance, and our dog and cat simply do not like him, but none of us are so maligned that we take time out to really do him in.
Well, anyone who lives with us for that length of time must have a name so he/she can be a member of the family. I’m not really sure what its gender is because I know that it would not hold still long enough for me to use a magnifying glass and an insect book to determine its sex. So, it may be a she, a he, or, though I doubt it, an it.
Harold, it is. Harold Seifried.
I don’t know how long this situation will last, but at least with warmer weather we will try to coax it outside and shut the screen door.
It is time for Harold to leave home and go out on his own.
Signal Hill Musings
April, 2009
Alas! An adopted member of our Signal Hill family apparently went, as in kaput! Harold Seifried (see the March Signal Hill issue) has disappeared after unobtrusively sharing his life with ours for nearly three weeks. I imagine the few warm days of early March (that resulted with more flies in our enclosed back porch) caused Harold to flee the safety of our house and live the risqué life of the outside world, doing whatever flies do in the wilderness.
We thought Harold was a male fly because of his gentle, unassuming manner, you know, not getting on our plates or laying eggs all over the place.
If any of you are interested (which I doubt), male house flies live for about fifteen days. Females (if they can find milk, sugar, and water) can exist up to twenty-six days. Since Harold lived well beyond his allotted fifteen days, I calculate that he passed to the great beyond when he was about 150 fly years old.
Harold, old boy, you won’t be missed.
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