Beasties

Todays boring post concerns Bluebottles.  Yes those nasty large flys that usually come in one window, 

flutter around and depart by the way they entered.  This week life has been different.  All week such beasties have entered by the back window, moved to the main window, and remained there.

Now this happens often with worker Bees, and as far as I can make out a hive has found a home in our attic, thus Bees are coming in regularly.  These beasts need help escaping, bluebottles usually just wish to run away.  This is not happening now.  Every time I look up there are three or four wandering across the glass, none appear capable of returning or seeking to return by the way they entered.  This I keep having to rise, open the window, let in the draught, it is chilly today, and force them out.

I wonder why they are doing this, instead of escaping?

Is it the weather?  Do they think it is Spring?  Are they Donald Trump supporters?  I am bemused, this has not occurred before.  What is more bemusing is the removal of anything they could eat.  All rubbish has been dumped, what is bringing them in?  

It is all very confusing for a Saturday.

Through in the west wing I found this wee boy hanging about the window.  I am actually happy to see him, whatever kind or size of spider he may be, as this is a better way to curtain the other less welcome beasties that can be found at this time of year.  

I cleared away some old webs the other day, clearly there are areas that see few unwelcome guests, and am happy to allow such as he where he can settle in for a while.  One or two webs have been found in the same spot for years, clearing the enemy from the house and keeping a 'Boris the Spider' quite happy.  My only other worry about these creatures is finding a quite large spider, then not knowing where it went!  

St Petersburg

Soup, Spiders and Australian Railways

 

Because a bug attached itself to me I have managed to lose almost half a stone by not eating.

Today however, I began to eat.  I put some chopped Chick Pea things, I forget the name, in the pan last night and covered them with water.  This morning I boiled them, flattened them, sort off, and added the ingredients.  These are easy to find, I just put in what is lying around.  Salt, brown and red sauce, cayenne pepper, vinegar, turmeric, coriander oops, too much, chicken Oxo and tin of chicken soup.  Add onions, green lentils the only tin available, and some frozen leeks, heat, simmer, and wait.

I now have a coriander soup.

This is not one the local cafe's will be asking about any time soon.

I did my best, ate two bowls of this, er, stuff, and cooled the rest for the week.     

My prayer, "Lord, I'll get it down, if you keep it down."

I have been hosting quite a few of these guys recently.  One has been above me in the corner for several years now, though whether he, or she, is the same one I cannot tell.  Above the window a long legged creature has been moving about for some time, first here, then there, sometimes just 'hanging about to my left.'  This smaller fellow is living on the wall just outside my door.  He has been there several days now.  No web, no friends, possibly no idea where he is heading, but he is still there, though he has managed to move several inches during today.  

None of these are the Australian type, small, non dangerous, and mostly wanting to keep in the dark places rather than a hallway with occasional lights.  My aunt, who moved to Australia in 1926 I think, was not impressed with my sisters response to what she referred to as a 'small spider.'  My sister was not impressed by what she considered a 'dirty big brute.'  I think Aunt Lizzies tales of the spiders she met while living in one of the big houses (as caretaker) on one of Sydney's many bays put my sister of her dinner for several days.

They can stay in Aussieland.    

When I am rich, I will take the train, the Indian Pacific, from Perth to Sydney one day.  There is only one way to meet Australia, to see the lie of the land and to understand how the people develop, but by train travel.  Railways open countries, first of all in the days of long ago, and now in the days of tourism.  Commuter travel is still a busy rail service, though clearly it is quicker to cross such land masses by air.  To see the land however, you must take the train.

Hmmm...I canny even get to the train here.  I must jump on one soon, before all the strikes restart. 

Spider

 

Yet another Bank Holiday, yet another boring day.  

Yet another day to watch lots of mediocre low level English teams, Salford, Newport, Port Vale, Manchester United, struggle vainly in a bid to reach a higher level.

Nothing much else to do bar watch the spider up in the corner.  Esmarelda, lets call her, has been there for  some time now.  I am not sure how long they live for but she has been there years.  Occasionally I sweep away the excess web and it's dead occupants, but mostly I leave her alone.  In the warmer weather she earns her keep by removing lots of flies and creepy crawlies that otherwise would be a pest.  I am grateful for her hard work in this regard.

There are lots of such used webs around this house, as I discovered doing the Spring Clean, well, at least the bits of the Spring Clean I finished.  Some down the back of things which rarely move, others just hanging about here there and everywhere.  There is even one in my wallet.  One or two had occupants of various types, no duplicates to be found.  This is surprising as when they give birth, and eat their mate, the lass spews forth around a hundred young.  

Where do they go?  

I am now checking under the bed.

After that, I am off to check for a ''Dominator Tractor.'  Apparently they are all the rage these days...