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Tuesday, October 13, 2009



While hiking in the desert this past weekend, a small hitch hiker  attached itself to my friend's backpack and wasn't discovered until we were in the car and on our way back to town. He was quite friendly, and would swivel his head from side to side, to look at each of us with great curiosity. I was struck by the realization that there was indeed a kind of intelligence in those eyes. After snapping a few images like this one for posterity, we gave our hitch hiker a lift back into a desert area, and placed him in a palo verde tree where he would blend in perfectly with the color of the tree...and bade him Godspeed.    

16 comments:

  1. Nice reading, Tim...and nice photo..."I was struck by the realization that there was indeed a kind of intelligence in those eyes" --this is exactly why i like them too :)

    wishes,
    devika

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  2. While he looks very sweet I don't think I would have held him. I get a bit creeped out my insects. I don't like the way they tickle your skin when they walk on you. Hope you enjoyed the hike.

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  3. Aren't they just the most incredible insect! We had one in our garage a few weeks back, bigger than this one, and we were all gathered around watching it with fascination. I haven't looked lately to see if he/she moved or was hunkering down, will go check right now!

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  4. Really neat, Tim! I love when harmless creatures attach themselves to us for a ride :) I'm happy you got to have a fun time hiking too!

    Still on vacation but your picture enticed me over...lol

    See you later :)

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  5. Oh, PS: The person holding the bug has lovely hands :)

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  6. Tim, that was the sweetest story!!

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  7. DEVIKA,
    Yes, they are fascinating creatures, and a bit "E.T." like too!

    GYPSY,
    'Twas a great hike, and may post a photo or two of the scenery.

    LINDA,
    Say hi to your little friend for me :)

    KELLY,
    Hey, it's nice to see you surface again!

    CINDY,
    Thanks...almost wanted to keep him, but thought he'd be better off in his own environment.

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  8. Ahhh yes!
    ___As you looked deeper, you sensed that hidden intellect that scanned its memory in search for an answer... to the question its eyes were asking, then back to its home; lovit! _m

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  9. Grasshoppers are great! As long as they stay away from my vegetables.

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  10. KOBICO,
    Don't know if this makes any difference, but it's a praying mantis, and they eat other insects, not rutabagas...LOL

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  11. I love what you did, that's wonderful and the photo is super!

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  12. ewwww insects >_<

    LMAO, it was NOT dog biscuits hahhahahah
    i got them in the'human' confectionery section haha. they're still awful though

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  13. The larger species of praying mantis eat small mammals, so I guess my new criteria would be that they're okay as long as they are not large enough to eat me!

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  14. LORRAINE,
    Thanks...I lucked out with the lighting for the photo...gives it kind of an otherworldly feel...just right for halloween :)

    MANJU,
    Come to think of it, I'll bet your DOG wouldn't even eat them!

    KOBICO,
    Some of them do eat small mammals--but YOU would be one of the larger mammals...though from what I can tell, a very nice size!

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  15. I always try to re-house the little adventurers who come to visit me. A few weeks back I had a cricket in my car. He sat on the dash on my journey to my friend's house, so I left the window open while I was visiting. Lo and behold, he was still there when I got back in the car. Back home, he just wouldn't hop out of the car, so I left the window open all night. Luckily, in the morning he was gone. I think he was smart too - didn't want to get out in unfamiliar territory!

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  16. SELMA,
    I have safe and creative ways of catching these types of guys so that they can be re-located...just write for the instructions!

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