This year is shaping up to be the year of mosquitos. Yup, definately mosquitos. In previous times, there has been the year of cotton. The fallout of the surrounding cottonwood trees accumulated on the property, slumped against the buildings like snow drifts. Kind of surreal. After that it was the year of cicadas, those ugly, noisome but harmless insects producing a late summer season of brain-piercing clamor that at times made your ears ring. The odd thing is we got used to it after two or three months. Then came the javelinas. Whoa, the javelinas. Marching menacingly, strangely stiff-legged but deceptively dangerous, through the neighborhood. They breached fences, overturned trash cans, terrorized dogs and gnawed on the deck. We learned to beware and loathe the evil-smelling, fanged and fearsome boar-like beasts. Thankfully, they aren't nearly as visible this year. And now. Now it's the year of mosquitos. They're eating us alive! The little "no-seeums" as people call them. Persistent, stealthy, ninja-like, opportunist, maddingly carnivorous flies. But fall is coming! And we can't wait!