Thursday, October 27, 2011

Friday Hometown Shootout -- Creepy Crawly

I didn't shoot anything new this week.  Partly because of the endless ToDo list which has descended over me like a giant spider's web...


...and partly because it has cooled down somewhat and the diversity of creepy crawlies outside has diminished. 

I did have a moment of excitement last night when we were cleaning out one of the rooms and Karen suddenly shrieked, "It's a cockroach!!  Get it!  Get it get it get it!!!"

With the shootout in the back of my mind I began to run for my camera.

Karen shrieked louder.  "Where are you going!!!  Get it!  Kill it!!  It's a cockroach!!"

So I gave in and demonstrated extreme macho heroism by catching it in a paper towel and flushing it down the toilet.  Poor cockroach.

So here are some archive shots:




And the one below has been my personal favorite for years:


I am often humbled by the realization that some of my best shots were done years and years ago.  Before digital which shows that it is not the camera that makes the picture.  This picture of the fly is interesting because I took it with a cheap single lens reflex -- a Mamiya Sekor, I think.  And I couldn't afford any lenses besides the one that came with it but I had a teleconverter from another camera that didn't fit it well.  It only screwed in halfway and I held it in place with duct tape.  But because there was a gap, it turned into a gerry-rigged close-up lens.  I remember this shot because I was stoned on pot at the time  (yes, I was a pothead before I got sober and started working in the treatment field).  I remember lying in the woods with my duct-tape macro at ground level feeling I was a tiny explorer stalking big game.  Of course, I could have just looked around like any normal person would do looking for insects, but remember I was stoned.  Insects were probbly crawling all over my backside but I was focused at a the two-inch mark.  Then a leaf in front of me quivered and I almost jumped when I saw the shadow of a fly.  The shadow walked around the leaf for what seemed like an eternity but time plays tricks in my state of mind.  I waited as if I was in a blind.  Then suddenly the fly crawled up and peeked over at me and I shot it.  I wonder what it thought about me.  Not much probably. 

This was also from that very weird micro-safari afternoon


Back to a couple more recent archive creepies:





You may recognize this last lady from my grotesque header.  I was going to post my black widow (that was really a brown widow) shot but I've posted it at least three other times and it seemed like overkill. 

BAGMAN:  "Hey.  How come you never bring us into your blog anymore?"

BUTLER: "Yes.  We are beginning to feel very unwanted."

I pause and look at them standing next to me with downcast eyes.  "I'm sorry guys.  I'm not sure why I've been leaving you out of many of my blogs.  I could rationalize that I've been rushing through my blogs and not taking time for digressions...

BUTLER: "You think of us as mere digressions?"

I think for a moment, wondering if this is the right time for a serious family talk.  Because recently, I've been feeling more integrated and Bagman and Butler haven't seemed so important.  Or maybe because I've been working on a novel and struggling with charactor development, Bagman and Butler seem kind of shallow and flat to me.   But I don't really want to get into all that with them, so I simply say, "I don't know, guys.  Maybe we'll talk about it later."

BAGMAN:  "You blowing us off?!!"

I don't answer.

BUTLER:  "Yes, Baggie.  He is blowing us off."

I leave the room and shut the door just as a large muddy boot slams off of it. 

And I scuttle down the hallway...








25 comments:

  1. Darn - just remembered two others. I'll have to do a postscript next week.

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  2. Perhaps it is possible that some of your new shots are wonderful, but need a certain amount of age-ing for you to realize that. We often don't appreciate today, but yesterday ....~Mary

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  3. Well, I edited it - now I have two links to the same one...ah well...

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  4. Love the tiny insect with the lavender tones. My favorite. You will never run out of stories B&B or not.
    QMM

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  5. You found some very interesting creepy crawlies here!

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  6. Your header is, as usual, priceless!
    Happy scuttling :-)
    (I do feel a bit sorry for Bagman and Butler, too, you know. Hopefully, the soon-to-be-done Autumn Wardrobe post I have been planning for weeks will cheer Bagman up a bit.)

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  7. I'm not usually squeamish but that header ....oh yuk! I'm not surprised B & B have been making themselves scarce. Your other creepies look great, I especially like the last one.

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  8. You have some wonderful shots there. I especially like the harvestman and the wasps.

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  9. You know that cockroach is going to crawl back up out of that toilet, don't you?

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  10. that is what i do with roaches. and mine are dead when they get flushed so no crawling back up. spiders and roaches go the same way. i like the other creepy crawly's especially the big orange one at the end

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  11. EEEK!!

    Um, nice pics. Effective. ;)

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  12. You passed on a photo? Shame, shame. What am I to think of my photographer friend's passion for capturing the moment? Too busy? That is the fate of lucky retirees. Keep it up. Love your bug collection. Bet you brought the best bugs to school on insect day. BTW, Bagman defiled your banner.

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  13. EEK! Your heady is extremely creepy (an perfect for Halloween)! The rest of your photos are very good but I cannot believe you didn't take a photo of the cockroach before flushing it.

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  14. The shadow of the fly is a good photo. The story rather creepy though! ... I was never fond of creepy crawly things... They have got a little more interesting with the digital camera though ;)

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  15. I had to scroll down slowly thinking down under a snake will come out lol! I was wrong the crab is waiting...love that last photo of yours lol! Thanks for the visit!

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  16. I had a scrunched up "EW!" face through the entire photo collection--but they are very artistic. I used to take better pictures with a "real" camera too. It can't be that I just don't see as well...

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  17. Niiiiice Mark! I just wish you weren't such a crabby guy, though.

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  18. I like to report an anonymous comment that I have been getting on my blogs which is offensive to half the American population. I am not American, and is still very angry with it. I have deleted the comment on my blogs, and I wonder if you have received any. I won't bother to mention the name because that would promote him further.

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  19. good post. maybe as B&B fades into your past, a new set of sidekicks will emerge.... they are all in there you know.

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  20. great post and even though they are creepy, enjoyed all your insect shots. the header shot is a hoot!! yuck, worm out of the ear!!

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  21. Ok, icks-nay on the bugs. Eww! But that spider web is pretty dang cool!

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