praying mantises

Praying Mantises – Day 1035

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Praying Mantis’s Face – Photo: L. Weikel

Praying Mantises

It’s that time of year again: the magical days of September when the sky can’t possibly become bluer and the sweet scent of fall flirts with our senses. It’s also the time when Praying Mantises migrate across our local country roads from field to forest. I don’t know why they choose not to fly. I don’t know why they seem to luxuriate in the warmth of the black macadam of the roadway. But this annual trek from one side of the road to another doesn’t seem to be evolutionarily a wise trajectory.

I’ve written about Praying Mantises each and every September since beginning this 1111 Devotion in November of 2018. They were Sheila’s favorite autumn snack. While I miss her terribly, it’s amusing to think back on how much she relished these creatures. This time of year, which was also her birth month, yielded perfect temperatures and crunchy green snacks.

It’s curious how Spartacus (her son) had no taste for them for years. Or perhaps he didn’t want to get between his mother and her snacks. That’s a possibility… This year, though, he’s been eating them with gusto, channeling his inner Sheila.

Photo: L. Weikel

Don’t Mess With the Live Ones

He has learned through direct experience that the only tasty Praying Mantis is a dead Praying Mantis. He mistakenly approached a live one the other day and clearly encountered an unequivocal, “Hell no!” He must’ve jumped a foot off the ground in surprise and there may even have been a surprised, “Yip!” in the mix. Since then, he has approached all potential green roadkill with a more circumspect attitude.

The photos I’m including tonight are of one that seemed extremely aware of our presence but was not inclined to move off the road. It watched me take its photo, which was a tad eerie.

“You talking to me?” Photo: L. Weikel

Stillness

Today these insects were crossing the road in droves. The lore surrounding them often focuses on their deliberative movements and opportunistic hunting qualities. (They’ve been known to wait patiently on feeders to kill hummingbirds.) They’re renowned for their patience and stillness.

I think I’m going to practice more of that tomorrow. Stillness feels like the message I need to hear.

Praying Mantis encounter – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-76)

Grief Shared – Day 685

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Sheila’s Fire – Photo: L. Weikel

Grief Shared

You know, there’s a lot of ugly, divisive, mean-spirited stuff playing out every day. It’s enough to make any of us despair over the state of humanity. And while I know in my heart that innumerable examples of kindness and love are happening all over the world as well, it’s a rare gift to experience it directly. What I experienced at the hands of all of you is proof of the proverb, “Grief shared is halved; while joy shared is doubled.”

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the many comments on FB I received about yesterday’s post on my family’s loss of our precious Boston Terrier, Sheila.

I could tell almost all of you have loved a pet fiercely and know the searing pain that rips through us when we lose them. Is the pain really halved? Perhaps not. But it is, without question, soothed. The love of others and receiving their understanding and compassion is literally a balm to the soul.

So thank you.

And while the simple statement of thanks feels inadequate, really, to express appreciation for that balm, we will soon have an opportunity to test out the truth of the corollary to the adage. Perhaps we’ll be in a better position to assess the accuracy by then.

Amazing Stories

Of course, what would a significant event in my life be like if I didn’t also experience a bit of magic that would generate some amazing stories? I will probably share them in the coming days because part of my purpose here is – in fact – to share the magic that is our lives, to help us remember

But I have to admit to you: I am emotionally exhausted. I’m also physically ready for bed in the worst way because I’ve been awake since around 4:00 a.m., which is when Sheila decided she was going to give me a bit of a talking-to.

Luckily, I wrote it down, even though at the time I felt confident I would remember it all easily. Thank goodness I listened to my own advice. Like a dream, it could easily have slipped away had I not honored it. And then…the rest of the magic that unfolded in the day wouldn’t have made nearly as much sense.

Sheila’s Burial and Sacred Fire

Early this evening we buried Sheila. Karl did a yeoman’s job of digging a hole some 4’ by 1’ by 2’ deep, where we could place her facing toward our home so she can keep a guardian’s eye out over us. Our daughter-in-law Tiffany attended (diligently maintaining safe and appropriate distance), as did Sage and Sarah from Boston (via FaceTime). Spartacus was also in attendance.

We sent off our sweet Sheila with some snacks for the journey, including three dried praying mantises which I’d scraped off the road just a few days ago on a walk. I’d forgotten to give them to her when I got home that evening, so I buried them with her. We also gave her a couple of her favorite dog treats and wrapped her in one of her wolf blankets. We also included a lot of sage, which of course was significant on many levels.

Afterward, we had a sacred fire to honor and give thanks for her life and her irreplaceable contribution to the love and light of our family.

A photo of the flames is at the top of this post. Tell me you think this is any ordinary fire.

Spartacus Snuggling All Day – Photo: L. Weikel

Thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart. Your love for me (and all of my family) and your willingness to share our grief and sorrow is extraordinary.

(T-426)

Big Guy On the Road – Day 664

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LImax Maximus – Photo: L. Weikel

Big Guy On the Road

Oh my goodness – the weather today. It was simply one of those singularly stupendous examples of summer-on-the-cusp-of-autumn perfection. And as we embarked upon our usual round, Karl and I encountered this big guy on the road, a creature not commonly found making its way unscathed across the macadam of our country road. At least, not commonly found by us anyway!

Spartacus was the first to spot it. He seems to recognize that it’s praying mantis babies getting squished by cars season, so for the past few days he’s been frantically darting from one inert splat on the road to the next. Praying mantis roadkill was always Sheila’s most favored delicacy. She was uncannily adept at prying them off the road at the perfect angle to keep them fully intact, rewarding her with an entire mouthful of green goodness.

I’ll be honest: Over the past few days I’ve pried a few dead mantises off the road and brought them back to Sheila. She may be too frail to walk very far anymore, but she still gobbles these seasonal treats with astonishing gusto.

Leopard Snail

Which leads me back to our discovery of this magnificent specimen today. Spartacus approached it enthusiastically but immediately eschewed its plump moist body as definitely not the hoped-for praying mantis carcass. It caught my attention, though. What was that odd…thing?

As can be seen, I dutifully documented our discovery for all our benefit, at first just giving it its due. But its rather gargantuan heft could not be appropriately appreciated without context, so I provided my toe for perspective. It should be noted, I am not one of dainty feet. This snail is a monster.

As I extolled the snail’s unique beauty, documented same, and debated with Karl the merits of messing with its destiny by moving it across the road in the direction it appeared to be heading, I also managed to locate a small plastic bag in my pocket that enabled me to pick it up and help it cross the road. (I’ll admit, it’s inability to deftly dodge cars nudged me in the direction of potentially interfering with its karma.) I carry this snack size zippered bag in my pocket precisely so I have a place to store the praying mantis detritus that I bring home for Sheila to remind her of better days.

See? Everything is related.

Look at that Face

At this point, it feels important to state that in eastern Pennsylvania I do believe it is a common colloquialism to refer to people in general as ‘guys.’ In ‘these parts,’ as they say, when we use the term ‘guys,’ we are not making a specific reference to friends (usually) of either male or female persuasion, but rather ‘whomever’ – in other words, everyone in the general vicinity to which we’re referring.

So you might have bristled somewhat at my reference to this being a ‘big guy’ – but in fact, as an in-depth reading of this link on Leopard Snails reveals, they are in fact hermaphrodites. So, even more appropriate that I referred to this specimen with the colloquial expression ‘guy.’

And wow – they’ve got quite the acrobatic means of reproducing, too.

Finally, I ask you: how could you not love that face? And its name: Limax Maximus.

See, you just never know what you’re going to read about from one day to the next with me. It’s all part of the magic, you guys.

 

(T-447)