The Praying Mantis's of Catasauqua

In my front yard

My first encounter with the magical Praying Mantis was a bug collection for school that one of my cousins was doing.   They had just stuck a pin through it and were watching it pray as it was dying; and my heart went out to this poor little insect that was so close to God it would pray.  Now that I am older, I still marvel at the praying mantis especially since I moved to my house on Howertown Road in Catasauqua.

Each spring a bevy of the creatures hatch from cocoons that they laid in the bushes and always 1 or 2 hang around all summer and fall and I can continue to watch them grow.  They are an odd insect.  Last weekend I went up to one on the bushes out front and said hi, and then watched it turned its head and those two big bug eyes look at me.  It was like a bug horror movie, I backed away.  But since then I found our some interest facts about the praying mantis.

1)  The belief that it is illegal to kill a praying mantis (a crime carrying a $50 fine as a punishment) has been floating around since the 1950s, and no one has an idea where this bit of insectoid legal apocrypha came from. There is not (and never has been) any federal or state law prohibiting the killing of praying mantises. They're certainly useful insects that are best left alone since they eat a lot of other bugs we consider pests, but they're hardly an endangered species. (If they were endangered, killing them would carry a fine far heftier than $50.) Maybe because they're considered beneficial insects and have such an unusual posture (they're prayin', fer gosh sake!) people literally thought it a crime to kill them.

2) Mantids are closely related to cockroaches and termites. These three seemingly different insects – mantids, termites, and cockroaches – are believed to descend from a common ancestor.

3) Female mantids sometimes eat their mates. Yes, it's true, female praying mantids do cannibalize their sex partners. In some instances, she'll even behead the poor chap before they've consummated their relationship. As it turns out, a male mantid is an even better lover when his brain, which controls inhibition, is detached from his abdominal ganglion, which controls the actual act of copulation. (There is so much I want to say here but I am biting my tongue on this one)

4)  Mantids are unique among insects in their ability to turn their heads a full 180 degrees. 
Try to sneak up on a praying mantis, and you may be startled when it looks over its shoulder at you. No other insect can do so.  (This is I know since it scared the heck out of me)

5)  The word "mantis" comes from the Greek word meaning prophet.

Over in the bushes in the front yard

6)  The European Mantis (mantis religiosa), a native of Southern Europe became the official State Insect of Connecticut on October 1st, 1977!

7)  Did you know that most of the about 2,000 species' of mantids worldwide are found in Asia?
There are about 20 U.S. native mantids. Two species, the Chinese Mantis and European Mantis, were purposely introduced to control pests in farms and gardens.

Now I always thought of them as a harmless creature until I saw the video of one them killng a hummingbird. Yes a bird - you can check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neFuXVumxK8  

Well, I guess that's it for now, sorry I haven't been blogging much, I guess I gotta get back in the swing of it.  In the meantime, that's another day in Catasauqua

Spring, Bridges and Flowers in Catty

As I was preparing for dinner, I sat on the front porch snapping beans.  It is amazing, has spring truly sprung, or as Parke says when I ask him if he is going to put the snow shovels away, "I am waiting for the big one."

I watched cars go by with the top down.  I saw ants on the pavement.  Bugs are flying around already.  My flowers are gorgeous.  Is mother nature pulling a trick on us, or is the winter that never really happened?

I am loving it.  I hope this is not a precursor to a really hot summer.  Let's not even think about that and just enjoy the beautiful weather in Catasauqua.

Took a walk with Parke after supper and was armed with the camera.  Do you know that on March 27th last year I attempted to get pictures of flowers and I had a hard time, not today.  Hyacinths, Daffodils and even something that looks like tulips are already in bloom.  A few more days and the Magnolia Trees will be in full bloom.  I can't believe it.

AND SPEAKING OF THINGS I CAN'T BELIEVE - the Race Street bridge will have lane restrictions this Monday and Tuesday from 9am to 3pm, for bridge inspection.  What if it doesn't pass, are they going to close it?  Duh, they couldn't do this before they closed the Pine Street Bridge?   I am off on Monday, so I won't have to deal with it, but I work Tuesday and because I work such strange hours it will affect me one way or another.   

When it comes to the Pine Street Bridge closure what bothers me the most is that it is almost time for BASEBALL - mainly Iron Pigs Baseball and I usually go down Race Street to Canal Road to go to Coca Cola Park.  Have you tried that at 5:00 PM yet, omg, you just inch along.  Hate that! 

Well enough whining, have a great evening, get out and enjoy this beautiful weather because it's another day in Catasauqua.

Trying to find Spring in Catasauqua

It was Sunday, March 27, the calendar tells me it's spring, the groundhog told me it's spring, so I decided to try to find signs of spring in Catasauqua.

First I say to Parke that I am going to take a walk and try to get some pictures of the signs of spring. He said he was taking a walk to the golf course and back so I told him I would join him, on the way back I would hit Hartzell's to pick up a prescription. As I gathered my camera and slipped on my jacket I turn to find Parke in a parka, knit cap and gloves pretty much his snow shoveling outfit. I sighed heavily. He said that Saturday he went for a walk and it was so cold that he was half frozen until he got back. I nodded and off we went. To my dismay, Parke was right, it was cold and windy out, I had to put my hood up and to further rub it in, we passed two sets of couples, all dressed like Parke.

Parke wanted to know what I wanted to get pictures of. I said flowers, buds on the trees maybe a robin, something that tells me spring is coming to Catasauqua. Well, along the way we did find flowers. I was surprised to see hyacinths, lots of daffodils and a rogue tulip here and there. We made it to the golf course and Parke said, "why not take a picture of the golfers, that's a springy shot." I said, "No, they are there any sunny winter's day to."

On the way back we split up as I headed to the playground. Ah, more signs that warmer weather is on the way. A girl on her bike, a boy skateboarding by, then it hit me, like a knife through the heart, someone had a "Let it Snow" wreath on there door with evergreens still on there porch. PEOPLE IT'S SPRING wake up and smell the pollen. Well at least their yard didn't lie, daffodils were blooming at the side of the house!

Then I saw them, 6 robins on the top of the 3 dips, I tried to get a picture but the darn birds must be adverse to paparazzi, oh well I did manage to get a picture of one. I have attached some of the pictures I took, the one of the pool house down of the playground is actually a picture of kids playing basketball over at the playground another sure sign of spring, kids at play.

Well, the wind might have nipped at my nose and my cheeks were rosy when I got home, but like the song sung by Bette Midler says, "Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snow, lies the seed that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes the rose"....and that's another day in Catasauqua.