Yard Guard

Large insects seem to be attracted to me lately. I was sitting at the fire pit on Saturday night when a common walking stick climbed up my leg and onto the front of my sweater. As you can imagine, I was a bit startled. It was dark, with only the flickering lights of the fire for me to figure out what type of creature was walking around on my arm.

Thankfully, I’m quite fond of walking sticks, and I didn’t mind the unexpected invasion. I carried it over to a nearby tree where I hope it found a more suitable perch.

Off Guard

We’ve also had more than a few praying mantis hanging around the house and yard over the summer. This one decided the hot tub was a great hunting ground and stayed for a few days. Although it watched me intently as I started to photograph it, after a few moments it decided I wasn’t a threat and started to clean its back leg. I guess even behind the lens insects think I’m OK.