Vincent & beetle

I found a 2005 daily calendar illustrated with Van Gogh’s work while cleaning the bigger room. Not too many years ago, I learned that “van go” should be pronounced something like “Van Gawk” with a lot of phlegm.

“And then I go outside and paint the stars,” (I quote from memory, so I may be slightly off) wrote Vincent to his brother Theo.

It being daylight, and none of my sunflowers in bloom yet, I went outside and photographed this bug:

A May beetle/June bug. At least so I surmise from the tell-tale three-fingered club at the end of the antennae, evidently the mark of the 300-strong (U.S. & Canada) genus Phyllophaga.