Only specific creatures give me the willies....

My morning started out with the cat not bothering me continuously before sunrise, which I should have taken as a weird omen that something was going to happen.  And it did. As I open the front door and security door so Jim could leave (hands full) for work I was greeted by a Praying Mantis sitting near the doorway under the porch overhang.

Mind you, the last time I actually saw a praying mantis that close and not in anything relating to science I think I was a teenager, so I took it as a sign. Which sign it was I could not tell you but I have it narrowed down to one of four things:

1. Precursor to insects trying to hide from the approaching El Nino (that's an incorrect "n" for the specification, but Word is crabby right now)  Season and staking claim on prime real estate that's dry. 

 

2. There is a coming apocalypse and he thought my front porch was a safe haven (no, not sure if it was a "he", just going with the flow).

 

3. It got lost.

 

4. It was a stupid bug (refer to #3).

 

 

So, with all that running through my mind, another thought ran through my mind, as well. Our wonderful bug spray super hero was coming by today to spray against bugs that give me the willies (we live near a lake and even though its the "burbs" we have a huge amount of fauna of the insect kind here in San Diego County) and I didn't want it on my shoulders that I didn't rescue a stupid bug (I went with sign #4) and it died from whatever.

 

So after Jim drove off to fight the demons that are San Diego morning traffic, I went inside and grabbed a clear plastic container and thin piece of cardboard that I happened to save from yesterday for some unknown reason (humming "Twilight Zone" music right now), and I headed outside to safely move the mantis to one of our potted plants.

 

And why couldn't this have been easy? Refer to #4 above. I tried scooting him with the cardboard and he just drunkenly walked around the corner of the porch and stopped at the mailbox. Dagnabit! Okay, now to trap the little booger, slid the cardboard underneath and carry him to his new safe zone in one of the potted plants. Picture this, an intelligent, college graduate mom of two arguing with a flailing wing-flapping bug. Trying to explain to this creature he was going somewhere better and I was being nice, while he flapping his wings with the ferocity of a hawk (a tiny green hawk).

 

Did everything turn out great? Why, yes it did. He got dumped on the plant and I feel better knowing I helped one of God's creatures today.

 

Sheesh! And by the way....the ones that give me the willies shall not be named and are EW!