Insects; Bugs By: Lori Loesch

I laid outside, under the stars, listening to the sounds the night time insects make.  They sing a beautiful song!  I adore the sound the Katie Didd makes.  The first time I saw one, I was afraid of it.  I screamed, my mother explained that this bug was the bug that we like to listen to at night.  From that point on, they were my friends.  

I remember having an experience with a Praying Mantis.  I can see clearly in my minds eye as if it were yesterday.  I was sitting on bleachers at the local dirt race track.  It was evening.  The bright, sky scraping lights shone down on the track.  I had on a shirt that was the color and design of a tropical rain forest.  The fabric was rayon.  ( What does that matter to a bug?)  The girl sitting behind me said “there’s a REALLY big bug on you.”  When I turned to see her eyes wide, I knew it was no ordinary bug.   It turned out to be a Praying Mantis.  I had never been so close to one.   I don’t remember how we got it off my shirt.  Perhaps some brave soul shooed it off.  But the part that really sticks in my mind is, after the Mantis was removed, he landed just in front of me on the bleacher.  I wanted him to be further away.  Everyone was joking about how he would be back, he liked my shirt.  I must have been sending him energy about being too close, because the Mantis turned his head, looking back, right at me!  I never saw a bug turn his head to look at what’s behind him.  

  There’s  a magnificent spider in our garden.  I’ve been told that it’s a Black and Yellow Orb Weaver.  She’s very large.  I can see the short black and yellow fur on her hind section.  Faith and I have been seeing quite a few large spiders.  Mostly grass spiders.  It must have been a good summer for them.  When I stooped down to look at the Orb Weaver, I couldn’t help but notice all the other bugs that were around.  It’s amazing what I notice when I stop and look.  That’s the wonder of nature.  When I stay still, I see more.  As I sat writing at the Patio table, two Yellow Finches landed on the pot of Sunflowers sitting near by.  I  never get to see Humming Birds, but I had a marvelous encounter, recently.  A small Humming Bird was visiting the hanging flower basket as I stood and watched.  I could hear the sound her wings made.  She flew close up to my shirt, as if it were a succulent flower.  The shirt was a brightly colored wolf, orange, pink, white.  

I’d like to get sleeping bags to make laying on the deck at night more comfortable.  I enjoy the quiet time with Faith and Dog.  He lays beside her on the blanket.  We listen to the Katie Didd’s and all the other sounds in the night.  I hope next time Faith lets her iPad in the house.    

Tags: bugs, insects, quiet time, sitting outside at night, spiders