I have a new-found appreciation for
bugs…not that I’ve come to like them, rather I appreciate them a whole lot more
than I used to, and have become fascinated with them – their looks, their
purpose, why they all seem to appear at Ridgeview…they truly are fascinating.
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| Spider on a broad-leafed weed...if anyone can tell me what it is, please do. |
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| Lappet Moth - July 12, 2013 |
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| Tent Catepillar Moth - July 15, 2013 |
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| Underside of Tent Catepillar Moth |
In the last week or so, I’ve been paying
attention to moths in particular. These
interesting creatures often fly around me when I’m on a walk in the field or
playing in the yard. They appear on my
door each morning, and stick around for hours, almost as if they’re trying to
discover and observe what’s on the other side of the door – fascinated with us,
just as much as I’m fascinated with them.
I have so many questions for them – Where do they come from? Why do they
look the way they do? Why are they here? What do they do? What do they eat?
What other interesting creatures are coming to commune in my yard? – but
haven’t yet taken the time to ask.
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| Blood-thirsty mosquito - July 14, 2013 |
My recent experience with mosquitoes and
flies also fascinates me. On the
weekend, I was lounging and reading on my outdoor bench, near the cedar rail
fence where mosquitoes frequently take over.
A small dear fly had been circling around me, landing on my arm a few
times then flying off when I told it that I’m not food. Not once did it bite me, and not once did I
swat at it. I sat there for an hour
before my oldest son came out to see me.
The mosquitoes immediately swarmed him and started biting him as he
swatted them away. I wondered, why are
they swarming him, having sat here only a minute, and not me when I’ve been
here for an hour? I concluded that it
was because I didn’t care to be afraid of them and swat at them, so they left
me alone for the most part (that, or they had heard that my blood wasn’t so
sweet :-) which is hard to believe given the amount of chocolate I like to
eat :-)). I did notice that after my
son left me, a few decided they would try to feast on me. I kindly communicated that I was not here to
be their food – some left, others were politely flipped away or squashed as
they sunk their daggers into my skin.
A few years ago, if I had seen a bug, I would
have run the other way, or grabbed something to swat it dead. Now, I find myself observing them, communing
with them and taking their pictures to share with others. This new awakening to such things in nature
has me wondering – Why did I take my fear of these things so seriously for all
these years? Why do I take ANY fears so
seriously? Really, what IS there truly to
fear? ... The answer is fascinating and a true awakening for me ... NOTHING!!! How fascinating it is to fear NOTHING ... how FREEING it is, wouldn't you agree?!?!
