Taking Care of the Creepy Crawlies...

Fair warning if you hate spiders, in particular large hairy ones stay away from today's post. I repeat don't look at the following videos.

We have a fair number of tarantulas around here in the summer. I caught a video with my camera phone the other day while the kids were riding bikes. Just in case you are freaking out about my kids riding near tarantulas, they really aren't dangerous and don't want anything to do with you. Even at fairly close range (I had to get close with my phone) it took no notice of us.

As you may recall last fall I posted a picture or two of my lovely friends the tarantula hawks who are in abundance again this year.




In fact I thought that poor tarantula is doomed hanging out here the open because just that morning I had tried to photograph an actual tarantula hawk dragging off a tarantula in my garden. I was so excited since I knew what they did but had not got to actually witness any of the process. Alas my pictures did not come out so I was very excited when my husband called me out back to see another one last night.

In both cases it was apparent the tarantula was paralyzed and one almost feels bad knowing it's fate as a live feeding chamber for the tarantula hawks young. You can read all the gory details on DesertUSA if you want. As I finished filming this my dog came over and decided to stick her nose in the hawks business and she got upset and charged us. I hear the sting is painful, although not poisonous, so we backed up quickly.

I love insects they are so interesting!

We are going on a bug hunt...

I have been very excited about starting a new job today. I am going to work Mondays an Tuesdays as a crop consultant. Which is looking for bugs, disease and weeds on farms and then making recommendations to farmers about what to use and when to do it. For those of you who are newer or may not recall, this is what my degree is in. While I have a ton of experience doing this work in ornamental plants, I have not spent as much time on farms, although I have some.

So while my new employer joked about going back to work so soon, they take off the months of December and January, I replied I was quite happy to be digging around alfalfa fields on my hands and knees looking for cutworms. It was a gorgeous day, it got up to the mid 70's and it was above freezing when we went to work. So while jackets were necessary for the wind, it wasn't too bad at all. However it was dry, holy cow is it dry right now. We have had no rain this winter and lots of wind.

My boys cannot wait to go to work with me. When you think about it, it really it is a dream job for a six year old and three year old boy.

I am going to be taking my license exam next week to be a pest consultant and will pick up certifications in both agronomic and ornamental plants so I can work with folks in town which is my next step. This job is really an answer to a prayer, it will be steady income and set days which will help me work on my own business on the side, and one or the other will grow into more.

Magnetic Monday -- Tarantula Hawk

Tarantula Hawk: a wasp that gets it's name from using the tarantula spider as a food source for it's young. While large and scary looking, they don't bother much with humans, although the sting is reputed to be quite painful. I had never tried to grab one, but have had been in close proximity often and never felt threatened. Keeping with my New Mexico Hall of Fame theme, I should note that they are our state insect.

Trying on a new dress.

I have been inspired lately, some of you have really spiffied up your blogs. I have spent the better part of the last few hours trying to do that to mine. It didn't take me so long because it was hard but because I was trying to find a background to go with my header. I may have to change it or learn digital scrapbooking and make my own background. You may notice that I added a blogroll over there in the corner. I thought that was cool feature how it shows the last post. I didn't realize I had never put one on here, sorry if you have linked me and then felt left out.

So on to other news or lack there of. Zach and mom survived first week of school just fine. You should be proud to know I sent insects for his first show and tell. Ladybugs because last week they were learning the letter L. Do you think I can come up with a bug for every letter? That might be a tough call, but I may try. His teacher may hate me by the end of the year. She told me she may call me in for when the study insects in the spring. Oh and just a side note for you teachers out there... as an entomologist I have a wee suggestion. Consider having your insect teaching section to the fall. There is a larger variety of insects out now in most parts of the country than in March or even April.

Monkey Toe Momma from Donna Reed in Blue Jeans tagged me to a meme with 10 weird things about myself. I have done that before, right here, so go check it out if you are interested, but it was only six, so here are four more.

1. My mother counts this as one of my weird traits, I have a degree in entomology, plant pathology and weed science. She always snickers at weed science. No, I don't know how to grow cannabis, so quit bugging me, I know how to control pests ya know.
2. I cannot eat pasta, cook pasta or wash dishes where pasta may have end up floating around in the water.
   
3. While pasta gives me the heebie jeebies, I have raised insect colonies no problem. Didn't even make me get the creepie crawlies.
4. I was born in Roswell, New Mexico. My husband claims this is proof I am an alien. Further proof? When we watched Lilo and Stitch the other day, the Man in Black at the end claimed to be in Roswell in 1973, the year I was born. He thinks that completely clinches it, as though that movie is based on some sort of fact.

Hey Look at Me I am a Big KId Too!

Did you know I have two boys? I kid, sometimes I feel bad, Z does get the lions share of the attention lately. He's in school and sports, sometimes little brother feels a bit left out. For the last few weeks he has been desperately wanting to be big and go to kindergarten with brother.

In fact he informed that he was five now and old enough to go. When I asked, You are? He told me that he had a few extra birthdays I didn't know about. After relating that story to a womens group at church I found out a few senior saints have apparently been trying to give their extra birthdays away to the toddlers. Sneaky, aren't they? I knew those white hairs couldn't be trusted.

In reality he will probably be attending Headstart this fall, so he will get to go to school. I don't have his letter yet, but a recent speech difficulty diagnosis most likely will ensure him a spot. I didn't take the diagnosis too hard though because he is as smart as a whip. He was very communicative with the diagnostician, and knew every question she asked, I guess it was the way he said his words, I am just used to deciphering for him.

Right now I am enjoying my extra time with him, it has been fun the last few days. The little chatter box keeps the day lively with his running commentary. Today we looked at butterflies, tarantula hawks and caterpillars. One man, whom we saw in a parking lot after Max had captured a long green larvae dared called it a worm, under his breath Max said, it's not a worm, it's a caterpillar. I think the duh was implied. (That is my little entomologist in training!)

While he had said infamous things like telling my mom what is under my pants, he can be quite profound at times for a three year old. Take Sunday at lunch, as we cracked fortune cookies, I asked him to read mine. Although he cannot actually read, his acting was dead on when he looked at the paper and* stated this, If you do the right things and then do it, you will be happy.

Sounds to me like he has it down, I don't even think the little genius needs school.


*I changed my original wording here, because I unintentionally made it sound like he can read, which he cannot. He is smart but not that smart, he is only three.