Meet Jeff

Jeff is my trained attack spider.
The other day as I was working on my computer, this little spider climbed down the cupboard above me and crawled onto the computer screen.  After a bit I noticed the little guy was following the cursor around.  Of course a cool spider like that had to have a name.  And I had to grab my camera.  And I had to begin his training regimen.
It has really worked in our favor, too, to have Jeff around.  (Since he was so good at sticking with his training it wasn't like I could just squish him when we were done.)  The morning after Jeff's training, Joe was in the kitchen and reached for a napkin--where Jeff was hiding out just under the edge.  Jeff took a mighty leap at Joe and scared him to death.  Good to know all that energy and money we poured into Jeff's training has paid off.
Good little Jeff.  Go, be free!

Meet Heimlich

Since we moved to Missouri I have had hopes of finding a luna moth caterpillar.

We have seen luna moths from time to time.

We have lots of walnut trees all around us.

But for all these years I have yet to find a luna moth caterpillar.

Until now.

I was out by the barn one day, looking for pieces of old wood.  I walked past a young walnut tree that is growing by the barn.  I happened to glance toward the ground at the base of the tree and noticed movement.  I looked a little closer and there was Heimlich crusing along in the grass.

Heimlich crawled onto a stick for me and I brought him into the house 

to live in a nice jar (just what every caterpillar dreams of).

Within an hour, Heimlich had crawled to the top of his stick and wrapped some leaves around himself.  As we watched over the next few hours he made a silk-thread-like cocoon inside the leaves and that was it.

Now we're waiting (will probably have to wait until next Spring) for him to become a "beautiful butterfly".

Cedar Bug

Anybody home?

Sure are a lot of nosy buggers out here!