Monday, November 9, 2009

Walks #311, 312 and 313: Marooned...


I found this bug yesterday. A quick internet search identifies it as a Dark Jerusalem cricket. This is a frightening bug: Two inches long and ugly as sin (in a beautiful sort of way); menacing...you can hear the thing walk across a wood floor!

As for walks? Yes, they are happening. I am marooned here in Concow with the girls. Joni is still in San Diego, helping out with her Mom.

Yesterday, a large coyote crossed my path on the walk. Unlike the bug above, the coyote had a graceful beauty to him. He crossed the road about thirty yards in front of me. The trickster stopped and briefly our eyes locked. He then bounded on...

I'd rather be eye to eye with a coyote than a Dark Jerusalem cricket (somehow this name seems both rascist and anti-Semitic in one foul swipe).

5 comments:

wild bri said...

Good to see the walking continues. My kids love Jerusalem crickets, pretty bizzare critter.

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Come on, Allan! Don't be a species-ist. That cricket is quite beautiful, with its rusty red head and handsome striped abdomen. But then, most people like mammals better than bugs.

Ian Woofenden said...

I haven't been nearly as bad at getting exercise as I have at reporting it. Catch-up:

Sunday: soccer and hockey with Alex
Monday: 5-mile hike in snow on Mt. Baker with Alex
Tuesday: running about airports in two states
Wednesday: Early morning walk in Redstone, CO
Thursday: 8-10 miles biking with Soozie in Carbondale
Friday: 4-5 miles biking in Longmont
Saturday: 5+ mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park
Sunday: 6-mile ride from Longmont to Niwot
Monday: walking through airports

Anonymous said...

We've had an unusual insect around the past couple weeks which no one here has seen before--looks like some fancy mixture of cricket roach beetle features. Yeah, I'd rather see a mammal, of which I'm missing the big duluth varieties. Did get to spend some time a couple days ago observing a great blue heron though.
--greentangle

Allan Stellar said...

Greetings to all...and Ian continues to amaze me with his vigor.

No bugs were harmed in the taking of that photo. Kylie released the thing into our garden (I don't think that was a good idea).

:)