Get prepared for the cold

I was sitting here trying to come up with a column idea when I saw the biggest beetle I’ve ever seen. I yelped because it startled me. Hubby stunned it then finished it off with a forceful blow from a fly swatter. If it isn’t dead then it has certainly been mortally wounded. There will be no funeral services.

I am not usually afraid of bugs as long as they are outside. It is when they come into the house that they bother me. Some of them get taken outside to live another day, while others get stomped, crushed or otherwise meet their demise.

This particular bug had a black iridescent shell almost as big as a dime or maybe a penny. I have no idea what kind of bug it was. I think it was some kind of beetle. Now that the weather is cooling off small critters are looking for a warm and safe place to spend the upcoming winter. They all belong outside, not inside.

I saw a praying mantis a few weeks ago. It was on the side of the house. For some reason when it came to the window it decided to walk upside down under the window. As far as I could tell it is still somewhere outside. One year a praying mantis hitched a ride on one of the houseplants. By the time we found it the poor thing couldn’t wait to get out of the house.

Our grandson, Jacob, was playing with a water snake the other day. He and his little brother, Nicholas, were holding the snake. The slithery thing didn’t seem at all perturbed at being handled. They returned it to the creek when they were done playing with it.

We live across the street from a river so I assume that we also have snakes that live nearby. So far, they have stayed out of sight. They should stay hidden.

When my brothers were little we often went down to the creek to play. My brother, Michael, found a pop can and shoved it close to my face. Just then a tiny snake stuck its head out of the pop can. Michael laughed at me because I screamed. Thankfully, he never took any of the snakes inside. The little snake was allowed to keep the pop can as its home.

There are all kinds of  wildlife that think our house and lawn are a perfect place to live or at least visit. I have seen deer, groundhogs, squirrels, cats, mice, and the occasional Rocky raccoon, just to name a few of the more frequent visitors. Many of them are searching for a place to settle in once winter comes. They truly don’t mean any harm. Even so, I do not want them in the house.

It will be awhile before I stop looking around to see if the giant bug had any of his friends with him. I am hoping he was a lone scout and that his buggy pals don’t send out a search party. Its visit is a reminder that we need to button up the house in preparation for colder weather. Winter will be here before we know it.