Big Bug World

It Came for Supper...

If this isn't the strangest bug I've ever run across, then I hope to never recall what was...

I planned to post a lovely photo of my dragonwing begonia, early-day-away-from-autumn sun shining through its beautiful leaves...

But, G. G. A. pre-empted that photo...I'll let you figure out what "GGA" stand for...let's just say it is what flew out out of my mouth when I stepped out into the courtyard this afternoon finding this Thing having set up housekeeping right next to the walk...

{{{big ol' shudder}}}

Mr G prophesied that I will have nightmares about this bug...and I expect he's right...many a night I wake him up talking about snakes or worms or lizards on the ceiling...

And since, apparently, the countryside where we've set up housekeeping grows some of the biggest bugs I've seen in my 41 years on this planet, he gets woken up by that sort of foolishness quite a bit...

I kid you not, two days ago when our son came up to visit, the biggest reddest spider that probably ever sucked air came out of nowhere to dangle above his head as we relaxed on the back deck...very coolly, I suggested DON'T MOVE...THERE IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SPIDER ABOVE YOUR HEAD!!!! [okay...I can kinda giggle now because the look on his face was pretty funny...and because he doesn't read my blog]

And not 3 weeks ago, a skink so big I could see daylight under his shiny belly (that's how high he stood up) ran out from beneath my van...and then stopped, looked at me and just gave me a considering look I don't care to think too long and hard about...when I set Mr G after him with the shovel, he (the skink, not Mr G) ran up the big pine next to the drive...as he clawed his way up [stop for a second for deep breath and shuddering...vague feelings of nausea], pine bark fell off the tree...

Pine Bark Fell Off The Tree...

Do you understand how big this skink is? I could see his knees...his knees...

I suppose it goes without sayin' that both of the above instances automatically default into the GGA category accessorized by NSN (Nightmare Same Night), free of charge...of course, GGA followed by NSN only occurs after a loud piercing shriek to alert the neighbors that 1) someone next door is being slaughtered by a gang of roving crack-addict bowie knife-wielding demon-worshippers...or 2) that chubby lady saw a bug again...

Frankly, Mr G and I stay just about worn out from lack of sleep and adrenaline rushes brought on by exposure to the wildlife in this place...