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i am a creative person. mother to a daughter who is an active young woman and a constant blessing in my life. i hope that you enjoy your visit here and that you will return often.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Bugs and an Adventure Story from Honduras

the garden is currently plentiful of more than just flowers, fruits and vegetables. when i was out with my camera it seemed like there were beautiful bugs everywhere that i looked~!~ this butterfly was about the size of my thumbnail and the inside of the wings were an electric blue similar to the brightest blue areas on the outside of it's wings. the wind was blowing pretty hard but it was very patient with me and i did manage to get a couple of decent shots although none with the wings opened up. i'm not sure what kind of a butterfly it is. i do know that i used to see many more of them a few years ago than i see now.

not only are the (yukon gold) potatoes in abundance but so are the garden worms~!~ which is supposed to be a very good sign of soil health. are you able to find the worms sticking out from the dirt in this shot?


this mantid was basking in the last of the evening sunshine. i'm pretty sure it was a female judging by her super extended abdomen . . . and i think she's giving the camera the stink eye~!~

this little grasshopper thought it was all about camouflage and so didn't hop away when i was taking it's photograph.
i loved looking at all of the amazing details in this shot (both of the grasshopper and the tree bark it was sitting on)~!~

there are quite a few of these spiders in our garden. i know them to be an orb spider and generally beneficial. i managed to get a photo of both her (i think this one is female) topside (above) and her underside (below). she was accidentally disturbed when weeds were pulled from beneath one of the pine trees and so she is perched here on a tiny pine bough. she was roughly an inch and a half long (including leg span). usually they like to sit smack in the middle of their web and almost always have a zig zag bit of creativity woven into it. i will try to get some shots of one of the better looking webs before the summer is completely over.

apparently the bugs are plentiful in Honduras too, as last evening brought a call from my daughter with tales of a very large (5 to 6 inch) tarantula that came visiting one evening right before bedtime. the one thing that this courageous girl of mine seems to be truly afraid of is spiders. i don't have to tell you that in a tropical environment they thrive (meaning they grow quite large) in many variations and this has been a difficult thing for her to deal with. for the most part she manages to keep herself calm and does her best to ignore them, but apparently this particular specimen was just "too much" and she was forced to run for help. she describes a lot of arm waving and heart palpitations at this part in her story. the family that she is staying with was quick to jump into action with "dad" bearing a broomstick and "mom" at the ready to squash it. in the end, the reportedly large mess of the squashed spider (and all of it's remaining parts) was swept up and deposited outdoors. so other than a restless night of sleep and her host family's gentle teasing, all was once again well. poor kid.

12 comments:

  1. You take such lovely photos! Look at the hair on that spider's legs. Clearly they don't bother with shaving. :^) :^)

    How does your daughter feel about snakes? I've heard of this theory that "snake people" abhor spiders and vice-versa. I am not keen on snakes but don't mind spiders (unless they are super large, like tarantulas, or appear unexpectedly, or land on me!)

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  2. LibbyQ! All those bugs are giving ME the stink eye! Are you trying to give me bad dreams?
    GREAT photos! xopp

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  3. hi Tricia~!~ nope, no shaving in the spider world, the guy spiders actually prefer those long legs hairy~!~ lol
    my daughter has no problem with snakes and had a ball python as a pet for many years. it did so well that we ended up donating it to her school's reptile collection.
    i have no problem with snakes but am cautious around spiders. like you, i don't necessarily want them on me or to surprise me. i actually prefer large spiders over small ones . . . maybe because they're easier to see and keep an eye on.

    Pom Pom, you have succeeded in making me laugh out loud already this a.m.~!!~ i hope your dreams were sweet ones though~!~


    :)
    libbyQ

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  4. Käre vän, har du "speciella" ögon. Du måste vara mycket Lucy! Så mycket trevligt och så många vänner du har i din trädgård !!!!!!

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  5. One very crowded garden Libby! I don't mind spiders but can really sympathise with your poor daughter - being in close proximity to a 5 inch tarantula, no thanks! Best wishes. Lesley

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  6. One or two of them look like they should be in a Disney film

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  7. Så mycket fina bilder. De är perfekta!

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  8. thanks so much to everyone who visits and leaves a comment~!~ i love to know what all of your thoughts are~!!~

    ewa-christine: i have no doubt that your comments are interesting and kind but am not sure of the specifics . . . thank you anyway~!~

    :)
    libbyQ

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  9. hey there libbyq!

    first, i want to thank you for your recent visit to my blog and leaving such a kind, warm greeting. it is so nice to meet you!

    even though i'm a texas gal through and through, i am not a lover of bugs, spiders OR snakes. ewwww! i especially suffer from arachnophobia, so i empathize with your daughter!

    having said all that, i am in AWE of your photography! love your pics ... the details and colors are gorgeous. what an amazing photog you are!

    i hope you'll visit me again. i plan to bookmark your blog and check back often!

    hugs,
    terry lee

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  10. So many beautiful pictures from your garden !!!!

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  11. I understand that my comments is in Sweden, sorry, it is the translatprogram who works on her own way.

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  12. thank you all for your visits and the nice comments. even those comments left in swedish are very appreciated.
    :-)

    Gunnel; your own photography is coming along fabulously and i'm wishing i had a new camera each time i visit you and see your new shots~!!!!~

    ewa-christine; i love your comments whether they are in swedish or english~!!~ i can't understand the swedish but i know that you always have something nice to say~!!!~ loved the "candy" bowl on your blog~!!~ sprinkle a few wrapped chocolates in there and voila: any needlewoman's dream come true~!!~


    good morning Terry and so glad that you visited~!~ your kind comments make you a very welcome guest here anytime~!!~
    ;-)
    it's saturday morning and i'm betting that you are off and hunting up treasures for future blog posts . . . can't wait to see what you find~!~ i have happily added you to my list of favorite blogs and will be pestering you frequently.

    :)
    libbyQ

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i love knowing what your thoughts are and knowing that you've paid a visit if you have the time to drop a line or two.

i attempt to answer all comments and/or questions. if this is important to you make sure you are not set on no reply which leaves me no way to get back to you.

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