Gas & Ants

I learned two very interesting things so far today.  First -- ants -- there are a lot of them around this time of year.  I learned that they like to live up inside flower pots.  Russ noticed a bunch of ants in our sunroom, so we watched them march to find the source.  Hmm, they seem to be going under that big pot over there but not coming out the other side.  Lift -- ugh! -- ant colony in the house.  Is it possible to have a million ants in one place?  Pot is now outside.  In a timely twist, I also read a fascinating blurb about ants in the Wash Post this morning -- apparently farmer ants herd aphids like cows and "milk" them using their feet and antennae for a syrupy substance they produce called "honeydew."  They keep them anesthetized with a susbtance the ants secrete, and clip the aphids' wings to keep them from flying away.  Now that is dern interesting!  Curiosity Index:  10.

Ok, so my second lesson of the day was about gas.  We had a lovely propane leak today at the house as well, and I learned that you can isolate the leak by spraying a soapy solution on the pipes.  If there is a leak, you get bubbles.  We got bubbles.  So I am now home waiting for Amerigas.  Ah, the joys of living off the grid with a propane tank.  At least the leak was outside.  And a funny problem to have this week, because we are studying gas in classes this week at Curiosity Zone. . . .