Amazon exiles discussion
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A butterfly house is a nice place to wander through, and lovely for kids if they alight on them (helps to try avoiding phobias). Strange that moths are not treated in the same way.We've also wandered through a bat area at a zoo where the bats are zooming around free and just soar over your head in continual swoops. Now, I can manage that and love watching them fly around at dusk, but my daughter was petrified to walk through the bat zone in case they landed on her.
The way I look at it, I'd rather have spiders in the house and have bats flying baround as they get rid of countless insects, flies and gnats. It's amazing watching dragonflies and damselflies chasing after flies.
Spiders can rapidly take over places like sheds and garages, though. I have had to get rid of my car while I am driving wifie's. Not using the garage much at moment, but when I do venture in, it is like a stereotypical Hammer House of Horrors with festoons of dust covered webs draped wall to wall and hanging from the roof.
A short tale: when straight out of college, I had a temp job in a banana distribution warehouse. Initially (and it was still geared up for) bananas arrived on large hanks in refrigerated containers and were hung on hooks attached to a slow moving chain conveyor above head height. At that time the workers were armed with machetes and wore gloves because it was known for exotic snakes and spiders to lie entwined in the bananas, but be woozy from the low temps of the containers. Often they would put their hand on a snake rather than the bananas so had to despatch them rather than let a non native species loose. By the time I worked there, the bananas were being cut at source into bunches and tightly packed in boxes, so the chain conveyor was redundant. Occasional spiders still found their way through though so the warehouse supervisor was called. On his desk he had a wonderful collection of exotic spiders he had caught and turned into resin block paperweights!
For some reason it’s the (usually) triangular shape of moths which I hate. I find the butterfly shape aesthetically pleasing. I’m not really keen on them landing on me though. There’s no obvious logic to any of this at all!
Meanwhile... back in the land of snailies...Nice mild, sunny weather today. Ideal for canvassing. Hope no more Hallowe'en ghoulies open their doors to me today - not good for the ticker!
Nor is having a Phobia of Spiders and then coming on this Thread and having to see those pictures!!! ... I'm off!!! ;oO
I'm not keen on creepy-crawlies but it does worry me to see how few insects there are about. When my Dad took us out in the car on a sunny day, he used to have to clean the windscreen at frequent intervals but now years later there doesn't seem the same need. Is it insecticides or paved-over gardens or several things together?
Isabella wrote: "I'm not keen on creepy-crawlies but it does worry me to see how few insects there are about. When my Dad took us out in the car on a sunny day, he used to have to clean the windscreen at frequent i..."Both of those things plus the use of glyphosate weed-killer which is also responsible for the major decline in the bee population.
I remember a product called Fly Squash Remover for windscreens!
Isabella wrote: "I'm not keen on creepy-crawlies but it does worry me to see how few insects there are about. When my Dad took us out in the car on a sunny day, he used to have to clean the windscreen at frequent i..."Have you noticed if spiders and birds seem to be getting fatter?
Perhaps spiders and birds are getting smarter/faster, or insects are getting dumber/slower?
In the humid/shady areas of our garden, come twilight (or silflay as per Watership Down (iirc) , I haven't noticed any lessening of the no of gnat-type flies.
I must admit to wiping out my fair share of flying and buzzy things large and small but, in my defence, my truck is a large target for them and swerving is difficult - I can't miss 'em all :)
Cleaning was not a problem either during the summer months - upon return to the depot in the morning several Pied Wagtails would swarm over each truck when they parked and pull off the remains of flies,moths and the like; easy meal for them.
Cleaning was not a problem either during the summer months - upon return to the depot in the morning several Pied Wagtails would swarm over each truck when they parked and pull off the remains of flies,moths and the like; easy meal for them.
Lovely little birds. I always wondered why they like car-parks!
I love Bats, always have ;o>At my Primary School one day, when I was about 5 years old, the whole School was called into Assembly to see a small collection of Animals that a local Man had brought in especially to show us. Amongst them was an enormous Snake that very few of the other Kids wanted to touch but I finally got brave and gave it a go, and to my great surprise, it felt nothing at all like I had thought that it would.
There was also a very large Owl who immediately flew high up to the School Bell, sat on top of it - and it did a poo that landed on our Headmaster's Jacket and made us all giggle, including him too.
Best of all though, there was a Bat ;o>
And almost all of the Kids completely freaked out at just hearing that there was a Bat and wouldn't even come and look at it - but it was just so small and quivery and vulnerable-looking that I instinctively put my Hand out and stroked it and, as I did, it crawled into my Hand and then snuggled there in the cup of my palm.
The man just smiled at me and then walked off to see how the Snake was being handled and left me sat there, all on my own, ever so gently still holding this exquisitely beautiful trusting little fur ball with such incredibly delicate Wings that was peeking at me with it's tiny bright black eyes and I just fell completely in love with it.
I don't know how long I sat there holding it before we had to hand the Animals back and return to our Classrooms again but all too soon we were ushered out of the Hall and I suddenly starting to shake and to cry with the sheer awe and the wonder of it all. Our Headmaster picked me up in his arms and carried me outside and then sat on the Playground Wall talking with me while we watched the man carefully load up his Van and leave.
He said to me "if we are very lucky, Sarah, then we will all have some moments in our lives that will never ever be forgotten and are simply too beautiful for words" ... and he was right ;o>
Nice story, Sarah Sunshine 7!!! And you obviously never have forgotten.Now, at my primary school, with a nun as head, I would most likely have been given the cane for 'snivelling'!
;0)
P wrote: "Nice story, Sarah Sunshine 7!!! And you obviously never have forgotten.Now, at my primary school, with a nun as head, I would most likely have been given the cane for 'snivelling'!
;0)"
Awww? I hated Secondary School with a passion and it was a very well deserved reaction to it as well - but I adored my Primary School and our Headmaster was just the kindest man. He really knew how to talk to Kids on their level and to make every single Kid in the School feel so special and so cared about.
I often wonder what happened to him and sincerely hope that it was only ever beautiful and good things. I've tried Googling but can't find any trace of him despite him having a rather an unusual name. He would be almost 100 now if he is still alive ;o>
With all the nonsense talked about bats it's lovely to hear from someone who loves them as much as I do. They're the warmest and most delicate of creatures and their speed and agility is a wonder to behold...
Isabella wrote: "With all the nonsense talked about bats it's lovely to hear from someone who loves them as much as I do. They're the warmest and most delicate of creatures and their speed and agility is a wonder t..."I've often wondered if it is also because a lot of people are as phobic about Mice as I always have been about Spiders? I adore Mice as well so maybe that enables me to love Bats too? A lot of Bat species do look very much just like Mice except with Wings, don't they? ;o>
I saw an absolutely gorgeous picture of a Fruit Bat a couple of months ago that reminded me of a tiny Fox - I'll go Google and see if I can find it again ...
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Isabella wrote: "With all the nonsense talked about bats it's lovely to hear from someone who loves them as much as I do. They're the warmest and most delicate of creatures and their speed and agil..."Thanks for the picture, suzy, there's almost a smile on that little face! It brought one to mine, anyway...
Isabella wrote: "Thanks for the picture, suzy, there's almost a smile on that little face!"There is, isn't there? ;o>
The slightly bigger picture of this shows a few water droplets falling away from the Bat suggesting it had just skimmed some Water or settled somewhere very wet to get a drink. I think that's why it's lovely little pink Tongue is out as it flies off because it is still licking it's Face dry ;o>
now i'm sure that suzy's waiting for a story of mine which involves biting off a bat's head! :) but, no. i did however have a bat crawling up my trouser leg (the outside!) when i worked in this 'dark satanic mill' sort of institution many years ago. all the nurses had s**t it and disappeared, and i had to wait till the custodian arrived to take it back to the loft area where it lived with a host of bats. the rule of house was 'do not kill the bats', t.b.h., the only thing the place was missing was lurch to answer the door! :)
I would instantly 'unfriend' you for that!!! ;oOAwww, the Bat must have really liked and trusted you, tech ;o>
I love bats too but have never had the chance to get close to one. There are usually several around in the back garden in the summer and I love just standing out there at dusk and watching them whizz round.
Lez wrote: "I love bats too but have never had the chance to get close to one. There are usually several around in the back garden in the summer and I love just standing out there at dusk and watching them whi..."We were staying in a highlands hotel many years ago when a bat fell down the chimney and woke us as it struggled to escape the screwed up paper in the grate. I picked it up to put it out of the window and was amazed at the warmth and lightness of this little bundle which barely filled my cupped hands - as suzy said, never to be forgotten.
Lez wrote: "I love bats too but have never had the chance to get close to one. There are usually several around in the back garden in the summer and I love just standing out there at dusk and watching them whizz round."Same here, Lez. During the summer there are loads of bats flitting around my house at dusk. I don't know whether it's a seasonal thing or that dusk is just longer and slightly brighter in summer. Of course, they move too fast for me ever to get a good look at them but it's nice just to have the movement going on in the sky.
There are also lots to be seen around the trees on Victoria Avenue (the riverside path in the Quarry park), where there are millions of small, flying insects to be consumed.
They fly much lower here, only just above head height but too fast for me to see their little faces.They make a twittering noise too which is nice. There are great columns of midges here so rich pickings.
I adore bats. They look so soft. I'm not allowed a bat house in our city but I wish I could have a nice colony swooping about keeping well fed on the mosquitos here. North America has the dreaded White Nose bat plague. Bat numbers are dropping. :-( No spiders! Snakes are very soft and smooth and eat vermin. We have big pine snakes that eat mice and rats and gophers. Gopher holes can break cows' legs.
Happy H🦉lloween Snailios!
Someone in Sheffield Libraries had the barmpot idea (one of many) of having a ‘bring your pets to the library’ day. We were expecting rabbits, guinea pigs, mice etc. but one young lad brought his 5ft long python. No-one had foreseen this or the fact that some of these creatures might not mix too well. I volunteered to take the snake to the cloakroom and sat with it wrapped round me till the boy’s dad could come and fetch it. It (she) was beautiful, very smooth and warm.
"We were expecting rabbits, guinea pigs, mice etc. - and got a 5ft long python.""Oh, nisssssse - lunch..." sssaid hissssing Ssssyd.
Zowie. Pythons are smooth and nonvenomous. Bats are fuzzy. My cat is angry.
Granny wrote: "Zowie. Pythons are smooth and nonvenomous. Bats are fuzzy. My cat is angry."Angry Cats on the warpath rampaging around the house can be quite terrifying!!! ;oO
Awww, this is just SO cute! ...Do you think that his Nan knitted his Jumper for him? ;o> ...
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Awww, this is just SO cute! ...Do you think that his Nan knitted his Jumper for him? ;o> ...
"
Now that WOULD be a loff seeing that sliding across your patio. Wonder what the song thrushes would make of it?
Thrushes singing 🎶"Where did you get that hat? Where did you get that hat......"🎶
♫ ... "Hold On To Your Hat" ... ♫♫ ... "Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails" ... ♫
♫ ... "Wherever I Lay My Hat That's My Home" ... ♫
♫ ... "You Can Leave Your Hat on" ... ♫
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Awww, this is just SO cute! ...Do you think that his Nan knitted his Jumper for him? ;o> ...
"
AWWWWWWWW CUTE! 🐌🐌🐌
suzysunshine7 wrote: "♫ ... "Hold On To Your Hat" ... ♫♫ ... "Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails" ... ♫
♫ ... "Wherever I Lay My Hat That's My Home" ... ♫
♫ ... "You Can Leave Your Hat on" ... ♫"
Well, it's more like a tea cosy, so...
"Oh, the factories may be roaring
With a boom-a-lacka, zoom-a-lacka, wee
But there isn't any roar when the clock strikes four
Everything stops for tea
Oh, a lawyer in the courtroom
In the middle of an alimony plea
Has to stop and help 'em pour when the clock strikes four
Everything stops for tea
You remember Cleopatra
Had a date to meet Mark Anthony at three
When he came an hour late she said "You'll have to wait"
For everything stops for tea
Oh, they may be playing football
And the crowd is yelling "Kill the referee!"
But no matter what the score, when the clock strikes four
Everything stops for tea."
Or, as per the Radio 2 'jingle'
"If you're sitting all at home and relaxing
Or you're working in the latest factory
Just set yourself free when the clock strikes three
'Cos everything stops for tea!"
- including cosy-ed up snails.
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, does not try it on."Billy Connolly
The Big Yin is full of anecdotes. He would talk about 'upchucking' or 'Calling Hughie on the great white phone'. "What's with diced carrots in it? I've never eaten diced carrots in ma life! I'm sure that whenever you're kneeling on the floor with yer heed in the bowl that there's someone stood behind you with a handful of diced carrots ready to chuck them in the bowl and saying "have some o' them"."That's one of the more 'safe' ones to mention!
P wrote: "The Big Yin is full of anecdotes. He would talk about 'upchucking' or 'Calling Hughie on the great white phone'. "What's with diced carrots in it? I've never eaten diced carrots in ma life! I'm sur..."Billy Connolly is truly a comic genius. He and the late Robin Williams can/could chatter on and make one howl with tears streaming and ribs aching and cheeks cramping from laughter. Big belly laughs too, no polite titters behind a hand.
Canvassing finished midweek, so relaxation this weekend. :0)
Well, Mitzi is dosed up to the Eyeballs with NutraCalm and the dark backdrop of the early evening here is filled with the dazzling sight and the Fizz-BANG!-whooshes sounds of hundreds of Fireworks going off in all directions - so it's clearly going to be a very long weekend for every owner of scared pets ;oOAnd I'd really love to be able to just stand and admire them but all of the Curtains are drawn tight shut, the TV is on full blast, and I've got a dithery little hairy woofer trying her best to crawl right inside of my Lap instead of just on it. At least our Tia is stretched out and blissfully sleeping through it all as per usual! - LOL! ;o>
yup, house sealed, lux quite relaxed after dosage with 'adaptil express' tablets - wisnae relaxed about taking it tho', eventually got it down concealed in chicken (a whole one!) too much fun!
Craig wrote: "yup, house sealed, lux quite relaxed after dosage with 'adaptil express' tablets - wisnae relaxed about taking it tho', eventually got it down concealed in chicken (a whole one!) too much fun!"I don't think NutraCalm tastes of anything much? You just sprinkle it over Food and our two eat everything like it's not even there? I usually give Tia one when I give Mitzi two - because if Mitzi really flips out then sometimes Tia gets all cross and very defensive of her terrified Sister and starts barking loudly at any Bangs to see them off! - LOL! ;o>
lux canny be guaranteed to eat her dinner (as befits a princess!), so it's either got to be disguised in a treat (which she's often wise to), or fired down her throat with a syringe grabber device.
Our two are pretty good with Medicine unlike our last two - I think they were bottle-fed at some point because they are very easy-going with Syringes and so long as things don't taste too 'orrible they will occasionally just take a Tablet out of our Hand and swallow it. Mitzi is the easier of the two though?! If Tia decides that her answer is 'no' then her Teeth clench tight shut and that's it!!! ;o>
Craig wrote: "it's either got to be disguised in a treat (which she's often wise to), or fired down her throat with a syringe grabber device."Does she like Peanut Butter? Tia would walk through fire for a Peanut Butter Butty and I find the thick clagginess of Sunpat Crunchy Peanut Butter is such a great texture to be able to hide small whole or large broken up Tablets in ;o>
Just make very sure that the Ingredients of any Peanut Butter doesn't contain Xylitol (which is becoming a common place replacement for Sugar these days) - as it is so highly toxic to Pets even in just minute amounts and tragically there is also no Antidote that can be given for it either ;o<
she turns her nose up at peanut butter anyway (more for me! yay!), just spent half an hour looking for and fitting her 'thundershirt', which also usually works well!
Awww, and she also has her 'Daddy' to protect her too! They are just like little kids (except with Claws!) when they get scared.We used to use an Adaptil Plug-In in the Front Room from mid-October and through-out November but found that unfortunately it also used to set my Mum's Asthma off as well !
Amazon exiles
Books mentioned in this topic
Ten Poems about Snow (other topics)And So This is Christmas: 51 Seasonally Adjusted Poems (other topics)
The Tiger Who Came to Tea (other topics)
The Quangle Wangle's Hat (other topics)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Christina Rossetti (other topics)John Keats (other topics)
Joan Aiken (other topics)
Well, I'm also extremely lucky enough to live in a country where we really don't have too many excessively large (or venomous creatures either) so I can just about manage to shoo them outside or tolerate picking them up under a Glass and rehoming them in the Garage without help most of the time ;o>
If I lived in the US or Australia then I very much doubt that I'd ever be capable of dealing with Spiders in the same way. I also am not all that keen on Moths either - anything that suddenly makes an irritating noise close to me late at night while I'm trying to sleep or enjoys dive-bombing me from every angle MUST leave my Room immediately or else I have to! ;oO
Lots of people love to visit Butterfly Houses over here and walk through enclosed areas where hundreds of Butterflies can fly around and land on you? I find Butterflies (and even a lot of Moths too) to be so incredibly beautiful from a respectable distance (and respectable to them as well as to me) but simply could never ever bear to walk or to be pushed in my Wheelchair through one of those places ... (*shudder*)