Thursday, April 23, 2009

Learn That Nature Is The Boss...

Mother Nature usually does things her way!

If you live in a rural area, you already know this little fact! If you are contemplating a move to the country, there are a few things that you need to think about, if you haven't already.

Any place rural, and a LOT of places in the city, are home to a wide variety of bugs. I mean, bugs in abundance! Some are big, some are small, but all exist in really large numbers, believe me!

Most people that camp out have experienced the fun such as ants in the food supply, crawling critters in the sleeping bags and down shirt collars, flying bugs such as June bugs that somehow end up in the frying pan along with the fish or potatoes, that sort of thing. Go ahead and eat them...won't hurt ya at all, especially fried.

One of the most effective fish baits you can find, are the bugs that live next to a stream or creek. The fish are already familiar with them as a food source, and like I said, they usually exist in abundance.

In the city, most folks deal with primarily two kinds of bugs. Spiders and roaches! Roaches, especially in moist areas, will seemingly live forever! On the coast, we have what we call "tree roaches " or "water bugs", but no matter what the name it still looks like a house hold roach on steroids! You could make a decent B Horror movie with these bugs, and I believe that some folks have already done that many times!

The other bug common to the city is the spider, which comes in every shade and size you could possibly imagine! Big ones, small ones, poisonous ones, non-poisonous ones, fast ones, slow ones...the city pretty much has them all. I could learn to get along with most of the out of sight spiders except for one thing. The WEBS...!

One thing that will break your concentration for sure is to be walking somewhere and run into a spider web across the face! I have seen grown men act as though they were under attack by mutant zombies, as they attempt to wipe away the webs across their mouth and nose! They slap at the air like swatting at a fly, knowing full well that the spider is tucked away in a corner somewhere, just waiting for you to finish destroying his carefully built web so that he can go back and rebuild it. And he will rebuild it, probably in the same spot where you ran into it the last time! And you will likely find yourself walking into it again! Trust me on this!

The biggest problem for me and spider webs, is that some of them are really, really small! Guess they are trying to catch really small insects, I don't know. They hang down from the ceiling, sometimes right in the middle of the room, and often you just flat can't see them to avoid them, no matter how hard you try!

Webs are very effective at what they do. They catch a lot of little flying critters that might have otherwise found their way into the frying pan with the fish and potatoes, or might have been found in your morning coffee cup, doing the back stroke. On the downside, they also attract and hold onto a lot of dust and cat hair...which makes it a slight problem for my situation.

I will give the spider one thing. Many of the spider webs I find outside are really pretty! Especially when the early morning dew glistens on them. They sparkle like a collection of small diamonds in the sunlight! Their designs and symmetry are a wonder to behold, and can be very beautiful to look at...considering how ugly their makers are!

Spiders are definitely ugly! I don't think I have ever seen a pretty spider...and I've seen a LOT of them! I'll even go so far as to say that my ex-mother in law was not as ugly...at least on the outside! However, that's stretching things a bit, I know!

The main point is that city or country, especially in the country...Mother Nature has scattered a lot of really fascinating creatures. Some are things of beauty and wonder, while others are just about as ugly as you would want to see. That being said, we must keep in mind that Mother Nature put them here and that they all have some purpose, even the ugly ones! Don't believe me...? Take a good look at some of the folks around you sometimes! Better yet, take a good look in the bathroom mirror under a fluorescent light. Kinda makes you rethink the whole ugly and beautiful thing, doesn't it?

Now, having said all that...what say we grab a fresh cup of coffee and sit at the patio table, my friend! We can sit and watch as Mother Nature does her thing!

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Morning HJ,
Webs are good for clotting cuts. But what I'd like to know is how are the little fellers able to run a long the sticky part of the web without getting stuck themselves?
YeOldFurt

Anonymous said...

Hi Jim;
9 times out of 10 I get that spider web in the face every morning going to my truck. You would think I'd learn.
Took your advice about looking in the mirror,now I have a broken mirror-thanks a lot.

Phelan said...

I was going to mention what YOF said, spider webs are good to have around, stop walking into them! :D As for why they don't get stuck, they have a walk line, that isn't sticky. I have been surprised by a wolf spider in my flour. You have to love country living.

We have tree roaches, I haven't seen them in the house, and the chickens do well to keep the population out there done. The one bug I have issues with are ticks.

Grandpa Eddie said...

Yeah we definitely have our share of bugs out here in the country.

One of the things we have a lot of here, once it warms up and stays warm, is earwigs. They survive on anything that is deteriorating, like tree stumps, or those old steps coming up to the back door.

JoJo said...

Good morning friend.
Interesting subject this morning. Spiders we have those here too those big hairy ones, but are good because they eat scorpians. Got stung by a scorpian in Feb for the first time, let me tell you that did not feel good. But I guess for living in this desert for over 30yrs that wasn't bad considering I never watch what I'm doing. But this was in the house. We get them all the time and spraying doesn't really get rid of the little ...... as good slam with a shoe or other heavey object is what it takes. Roaches YUCK lucky I don't have those. But they can be very large or very small.
Now lets have some coffee and talk about more pleasant Mother Nature
JoJo

HermitJim said...

Hey YOF...good to see you this morning! I think that spiders don't get stuck because of the same law that allows country boys to play football in a cow pasture without getting cow pies all over them. It's all in knowing where to step!

Thanks for coming by!


Hey Tony...funny how that happens, huh? I find the same web in the same spot on my patio every day, yet still follow the same proceedure of walking into it, wiping it off, then sitting at the same spot!

I try not l;ooking in the mirror with my glasses on...that helps!

Appreciate the visit this morning!


Hey Phelan...good of you to drop in today! Believe me, I wouldn't ber walking into them if i could help it!

How did a spider get into your flour? Man, that must have been a shocker!

I'm with ya on the ticks! Ticks and red bugs are the pits! I know!

Hey, I appreciate you dropping by today, Phelan.


Hey JoJo...I'm so glad to have a cup with my special Arizona friend today!

We used to catch trantulas and put them in a jar with scorpions just to watch them fight! We were pretty mean kids back then, I guess!

Sorry to hear that one got you on the foot! Bet that stung a bit, huh?

Years ago, my Uncle Bill taught me to shake out my boots or shoes first thing before putting them on...still do that today!

No roaches in the desert is a good thing! I could do without them!

Hey, I sure do appreciate you coming by for a cup this morning, my friend!

Lydia said...

Good morning Jim,

Nice post, made me laugh.

Very glad there aren't any roaches around here, they are city dwellers, those ugly nothing kills them critters.

We have GIANT ants in all colors to worry about here. And small very painful when they bite ones too. :( I think their season is coming up.

Also tons of wasps. Damn those things hurt when they sting.

Sounds like someone hates spiders though ;) Awww but they aren't so bad, haven't you seen Charlotte's Web? She was so pretty! ;)

Have a great day!
lydia

HermitJim said...

Hey Lydia...my smiling friend! Good to see you!

Ants are a real problem here to! Especially fire ants...

Had a bunch of rabbits attacked and killed by ants when I lived in Central Texas. Glad you don't have any roaches...being from New York, I'm sure you saw enough to last you!

Thanks for the visit!

TEAM HALL said...

Hiya Jim! That's right, Don't Mess With Mother Nature...or Bubba! lol
I swear the mosquitoes, in my neck of the woods, have mated with the crows over the past few years! They are unbelievable!
Hope you had a wonderful day!
Cath

HermitJim said...

Hey Cath...sounds like your skeeters are almost as big as here in Houston! I think that some of them could carry off a small cat or dog! Might have to just put a saddle on 'em!

Hey, thanks for the visit!

A World Quite Mad said...

I like spiders! They eat mosquitoes and since the mosquitoes tend to eat me alive, but I have yet to be bitten by a spider, I don't mind the spiders around at all.

And I know what you're talking about, the mosquitoes down here in south Texas will carry you away. I've never lived in a place before that had mosquitoes that could bite you through your clothes.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mad...I don't have anyhing against spiders, but I can't say I like them! We just try and stay out of each others way...

Now I could do without the mosquitos, but luckily they don't bother me much. My sisters and Mom gt bitten all the time, but I seldom do! Go figure!

Hey, thanks for coming by today!

Frugal Canadian Hermit said...

I find spiders to be quite fascinating, although I do like to keep my distance also. I don't know what it is like to see a tarantula, black widow or brown recluse up close, because we don't have them this far north. I know if I were down there, my gaurd would definatley be up at all times for awhile. It seems I have that same web in the face problem in my driveway also, of course a little later on in the summer though. Until now, I did'nt realize that it would be there everyday even though I kept plowing through it every morning.
Learn something new everyday. Dumb spider. lol.

HermitJim said...

Hey FCH...I guess that the reason that they always seem to build in t swame place is that must be good hunting grounds. Only things I can figure!

Thanks for the visit, my man!

Noki said...

Inquiry... To which ex-mother-in-law do you refer? I've only ever heard you mention the one. Just curious.

Hugs,
Ashley

HermitJim said...

Hey Ashley...take your pick of the 4. Any of them will do!

Thanks for the visit from far away Thailand!

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

That look in the mirror; it sure does make me wonder...
Wonder what the ugly are doing tonight? HARHARHAR!!!
!!!

HermitJim said...

Hey Cyg...we are just plunking around on the 'puter!

Stephanie in AR said...

Got to agree with you on the spiders. Around here we have a rule: outside leave them alone, inside smashed them flat! Unless it is a tarantula crawling on the next hilltop, when I can see it at night wearing my oldest glasses - well hubby was urged to run it over with the car - still got away. Hope I never see one that big again!

Jess (Ozark Momma) said...

You know HJ, I used to be petrified of spiders. Living in Germany cured me of that. The spiders there just dare ya to kill them. Come running straight at you then rear up on the back legs, wiggling the front ones in the air at you. Bastards!

I think after the 50th one or so that I killed I got over my fear and just plunked a glass over them, lol. Shoulda got a picture of the one we had outside here last spring though, was a big as my hand!! The screamers wanted to keep him as a pet (uh, no).

You'll have your fair share of the bug munchers here, along with some good sized mosquitos and even a few scorpions.

Pass on the coffee tonight HJ...sucking down some ginger tea in hopes of chasing off these darn sniffles.

HermitJim said...

Hey Stephanie...my cousin used to go out of the way to run them over...on the highway! Her driving was worse than the spiders...!

Good of you to drop in tonight!

HermitJim said...

Hey Momma...sorry to hear that you have the sniffles...maybe I could fix ya a hot toddy!

When one of those buggers runs at me...I'll sic the roomies on 'em! I knew that these cats would come in handy for something!

Now, if I could teach them to bark!

Thanks for dropping by, Momma!

Jess (Ozark Momma) said...

You probably could HJ...taught mine to use the toilet 'cause I hated cleaning the box, lol.

I just snuck some Jack in with the ginger...to ease the cough ya know! ;P

HermitJim said...

Momma...that kind of rolls off the tongue "Ginger and Jack"! Hell, that could be the title of a good ole song!

Ya know, the more I know ya, the more I like ya!

RG said...

You really know how to bring back them memories. I am an avid camper and can't tell you how many times I've done the "wiping the cobweb out of my mouth and eyes dance." Great post.

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