Nature is a master teacher in the ways and means of vitality. Get out into it. – Gregg Levoy, Speaker and author of “Callings” living passionately.
“The Call of the Wild” is great for young people to read, like its lessons regarding adaptability, inner strength, respect for authority and respect for nature. – Book Note Reviews
It was another morning on the porch. The fisherman had gone fishing leaving the coffeepot ready for my waking. Wilhelmina joined me outside. For a few hours temperatures would be reasonable. There was a slight breeze, in the distance a bird chirped “cheepie cheepie” while a hummingbird visited the feeder. A few feet away a small gray squirrel eased its way around the house. Wilhelmina noticed the squirrel and took a few steps in that direction. “Careful Wilhelmina” I said. She tipped quietly back. Surely the squirrel had visited our pear tree. Pears lay on the ground. Out of 17 of those only two were not blemished. I gathered the pears and distributed them in the woods near the birdfeeder. We’ll see if that keeps the little critter out of the tree.
Wilhelmina and I returned to our sitting area and my coffee. The bluebird with something in his beak flew to the bluebird box. The tree frogs were in their tree frog hotel. I had seen them the night before under the light clinging to the glass window. Tree frogs are nocturnal, they find their meals from insects attracted to the light. They are not the only ones to do so. Also, the Granddaddy Longlegs appreciate insects.
Granddaddy Longlegs are Arachnids and not spiders. They don’t spin webs, they have only two eyes not eight. They are also not venomous, toxic, or harmful, their jaws are so small they are unlikely to bite humans. The Granddaddy Longlegs will congregate on the tree frog hotel at night also hoping for insects. There are some safe repellents for Granddaddy Longlegs. Some pest control folks suggest adding a little oil to a spray bottle and spray it around the areas where they gather. If you use essential oils, peppermint, lavender, and tea tree oil naturally repel insects. However, here in the Prairie the Granddaddy Longlegs don’t disturb us. First, they are more afraid of us than we are of them. If you find them somewhere you rather them leave gently grasp one of the eight legs and toss it outside (the arachnid not the leg).
We also discovered another Prairie critter. Around the porch sitting area are several potted plants and flowers. The amaryllis has finished her flowering while maintaining her beautiful long green leaves. There on the smooth leaf was a grasshopper, though an unusual one. It was slender and as green as an amaryllis leaf. In seconds Google had identified our grasshopper as a katydid, which is more like crickets than grasshoppers. Katydids are known for their songs and their ability to blend with green foliage. They are also nocturnal. How wonderful nature is to provide us with critters and naturally rid us of insects.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
