Saturday 5 September 2009

jeepers creepers

We haven't been in the pool lately, so I had a lot of scooping to do before the kiddles could get in and splash around. Our pool is under the spreading branches of an old oak tree, you see, and it merrily drops acorns and bits of leafy debris.

My pool is also the place caterpillars and dragonflies go to die. It seem every time I use the net or vacuum I find a sodden little body - usually it's the striped furry crawlies that decide life in the trees isn't worth living and plunge to their watery graves below.

So there I was, raking the acorns out of the pool, keeping an eye out for any suspicious shadows on the bottom. I like to get them before happy little feet turn them into squishy spots that must be scrubbed off.

I worked my way around the pool, and had just reached the pump when I spotted a bright green fir cone whirling in the bucket of the intake of the pump. I almost reached in with my fingers - what in hell? We don't have any pines right here! - and drew back when I saw something that looked like

eyes?!?!?!
Legs?!!?
(Credit card offered for size comparison. As far as we know, it didn't off itself over its credit limit. BUT WHO COULD KNOW FOR SURE?)

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD.

It was the size of my thumb. It was the size of cat poop. It was...it was a Pixar character come to life. It was horrifying.

I didn't want to believe it. I wanted it to be a plastic toy.

But IT WASN'T.



Nova Scotia is a beautiful place, with no poisonous snakes and lots of gorgeous wildlife.

And apparently, bugs that will KNOCK YOU OUT if they fall on you.

**We're flummoxed by this - Bear has lived in Nova S his entire life, and has NEVER seen one this big. We also don't live near any power plants and our neighbors aren't mad scientist types.**

11 comments:

Woman in a Window said...

AHHHH! Looks familiar. Went on a bike ride with my daughter the other night and we stopped to climb rocks near a river. She was poking at a puddle and freaking out saying, MOOOOOMMMMmmm, you gotta see this! It's HUGE! I shouted down, it's just fern or moss or something. Nope. One of those. Yuck!

Cat said...

We just had one of those outside our front door. Our nanny says they burn if you touch them. Did you touch it?

Yo-yo Mama said...

I see that you have that on a plate. Is that what was served up as the family meal?

(*shudder!*)

Jen on the Edge said...

I think you're right; it IS Heimlich from "A Bug's Life."

Loth said...

Put it back in the pool. I reckon it will work as a flotation device.

(Heh. The word verification thingy is "gruum" - the noise you make when you find one of those in your salad, presumably)

Magpie said...

What IS that?

witchypoo said...

Well, we DID have that Shag Harbour incident a few decades ago.

crazymumma said...

ugh. shudder. truly holy mother of god.

Chantal said...

Yowza!!

My float said...

Honey I blew up the caterpillar.

Are you sure it wsn't an extra from some sci-fi movie??

kittenpie said...

What the heezie?! Did you look it up to find out what it is?

A couple of big blows

 Snow, that is. My province has been hit hard this year.  We're still digging out from the St. Valentine's day storm, and we might f...