Ceramic *clink* *clink* *clink*

Let me open my suitcase to show you some new models...

Hawaiian Kamikaze bugs? We had carpenter bees, teeth instead of stingers but they just tried to beat the crap out of you.

*LOL*

I was told that the females, during mating season, fly. *shivers* I recall sitting watching t.v. one evening. Suddenly this thing started flying towards me. I thought it was a dragonfly for some stupid reason. *L* I found out quickly enough it wasn't. Still gives me the crawlies just thinkin' about it!

Oh! And they are HUGE too! Close to two inches long, not including antennae!

Only two inches? My friend, you have the good fortune to have never encountered a Palo Verde Beetle. They could grow up to five or six inches. I used to whack them around with a large wooden spoon and they would still be able to get up and fly away. Not only that, they sit in trees and make chirping sounds all summer long. Those are what you call "huge".

I don't want to know....

*covers eyes*

Where are these behemouths...so I know where NOT to go. *L*

All over arizona...The bugs are much more acceptable than most of the animals that you meet (and thankfully much smaller).

Yeah, but them stick lizards are kinda cute, Individual.

I woudn't know one unless I saw a crazy lizard with a stick in its mouth.

I did ceramics for six years. I have ceramic stuff all over my house, and never heard the tiniest "clink"!

Have you either figured out what was causing it or has the sound stopped yet?

Faints at sight of Palo Verde beetle, 5 or 6 inches, faints second time.

Arizona?!?!? Really? Yikes! I'm droppin' that state from my top 10! *bites nails in fear*

humm..I never saw one when I was there...not that I stayed long or you know thought basking in 110 deg heat was fun for more than like 10 minutes so...that could be why.

I really like the little lizards doing pushups to keep cool though...
ah..nicer thoughts...whew...knew they were there somewhere.

I can deal with lizards more easily than those roach-like critters.

A desert tangent -

I remember a bunch of us going to Palm Springs in June, it was cheap! oh, gads, 119 degrees, or was it 126? We spent most of our time at the movies, which was hard, it had just one theater then, and went very bored through the one apparent department store and went out to dinner. Out to dinner meaning what, I can almost picture the place, had an italian theme I think. Knowing me, I probably read a mystery to keep myself sane after we got back to hotel what (19,99, maybe that was it, 19.99)

One of those trips to Palm Springs we went with a friend who worked with me after school in an internist's office. Her dad had a writing pad in PS (he wrote My Three Son's). We hit a drug store and bought up lots of movie magazines, a new item to me (I read Variety and Reporter but not Screen Parade/?), plus Glamour and whatever. The writing pad was a wee track house with an entirely empty tiny swimming pool, not that I am complaining, wouldn't mind living there now, or then either.

We were all pre twenty and virgins. I know none of you believe me. One was on the edge of getting over that, not me, sadly, had to wait another year or two. (I can visualize people cringing on our slowness... get over it, I made up for that.) Still, those few times with girl friends in Palm Springs were strange and wonderful. Still remember my friend from work's hand ceaselessly whapping on her Corvair steering wheel to I Want To Hold Your Hand....

I've loved the book by Mary McCarthy called The Group - there was a movie. Some of my friends from those years are still friends. We could write a thick set of intertwined (and not) stories. Bugs, I am trying to remember if there were bugs in that empty swimming pool.

Luckily, the beetles are only around for a few months...
I could tell you about the time my mother was chased by an owl with giant claws.
Or the time my brother's room swarmed with ants...

Ahhh, the memories!

Oh, tell us about the time your mother was chased by the owl with the giant claws, please, please....