...Harvestman in camo!

With full apologies to all who hate/fear spiders, I had to blip this today. As if it matters, the Harvestman (also called Daddy Long Legs in the US) is not a spider; it is an arachnid. And if you are like me and a bit wiggy about anything with 8 legs, that doesn't really make any difference.

I had hoped to be able to get some photos of this specimen after my conversation with Dave aka Vodkaman over the last few days about a shot I posted on Flickr of a Harvestman. And, although it is quite cold today, a couple of rather sluggish Daddies crept up the foundation of our house, soaking up sun. I relocated this one (very carefully and with only a couple of girlish screams) to a dried up Hosta leaf and was immediately struck with how well he/she blended in. Amazing. Had a hard time focusing with my camera, actually.

I looked up some info about this very common arachnid and found it quite interesting, if you'd care to have a read HERE. In summary, they are not poisonous, can't bite humans, are very helpful in the garden as they eat aphids and other pesty things, and when threatened, they can drop a leg and leave it quivering to distract a predator. Cool! Oh, and the male guards and tends the eggs!

And this will probably be the last 8-legged thing I blip for a long while - enjoy and/or forgive me!

Hubs is flying home from Dallas as I type this and I will be very happy to have him home. The house always feels a bit empty when he is away.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my flower yesterday, and for the words of support on the Memory Book I am working on for Virginia. I hope to have it done and at the printer by end of the week...

Happy HumpDay!

xxoo
Debbi