September 2008: Vermin.

You might have to click on these pictures to enlarge them and see what I'm talking about, but about once a month, an errant bird will think it can fly full speed from the backyard right into the somewhat climate-controlled shade of our living room, only to find out there's a sheet of glass regulating its otherwise inalienable right to mobility. A really loud bang resonates from our living room to all parts of the house, but we've never seen it in person. And despite the high impact, it's never been a blow debilitating enough to leave them paralyzed on the ground beneath the window. The only evidence is the residue from their dusty feathers that leaves a definite impression of their up-close encounter with our architecture. I prefer to think it's a calling card for a superhero.

We especially had this problem with our old windows (pictured below), but we even see it (hear it) occasionally with our new windows, which aren't quite as transparent as the originals.

Also, a train of red bugs on a tomato plant. From a distance, they look like ants, but they're not. They actually look much more sinister.