In the short time that we've been at the new house, I've seen more and more "critters" than I ever did at the old house. No including spiders - there were tons of "dinasour spiders" as my son calls them - I think they were just some weird form of daddy long leg that liked cool damp areas.
Out here, it's drier and more arid and I have seen a larger variety of bugs and, well, things.
There are these huge crickets (grasshoppers?) with large stingers coming out of their backsides. They are both brown and bright green - depending on the side of the house they live on. The brown ones live where there is more sun and less grass, and the green ones live where there is more grass and less sun - either that or they change colors. Looking online, I think they are Mormon Crickets?
I've also seen a couple of garter snakes or it could be the same one. Just sunn itself in my garden or a sunny hot spot. Snakes freak me out, so if I see one, naturally I scream.
Yesterday hubby and I were cleaning up our wood area and I saw this brown slithering thing come darting out from a log. I jumped back and screamed. Hubby says "Oh look, it's a lizard."
I said, "That's a snake!" Still jumping back towards him. The critter stopped and I looked again. It was indeed a lizard. A rather large lizard with a very long tail that, as it moved, looked like a snake slithering away. I'm not completely certain of what it is, but I think it might be a Western Whip-tail, like this one.
I had not seen lizards in a long time - it's been since...well, ever since I lived in Texas, a long time ago. I had no idea that there would be lizards in North Idaho.
Crickets, snakes, and lizards, Oh my!
Ohh, and the family of deer continue to stop by. One of these days I will have my camera ready to take their family portrait!
