today's wildlife adventures
Nov. 23rd, 2010 07:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_siobhanI was brushing my teeth this morning when I was getting ready to leave for work, and I kept imagining I could hear this soft rustling noise. Pause, listen, nothing. Go back to brushing my teeth and rustle, rustle, rustle. Repeat several times.
Finally I decided that I should figured out once and for all if I was actually losing my marbles and I went looking for the noise. I moved the garbage pail to look underneath and this time I definitely heard the noise. I peered inside and spotted a large dark lump moving between the bag and the side of the pail. And I thought, "Wow, that's a huge mouse."
So I gently peeled the side of the bag away from the container; expecting that at any second I was going to have to jump backwards so as not to get a faceful of startled rodent.
Instead I came face-to-face with the biggest frickin' centipede I have ever seen in my life. It was longer than my middle finger. I could clearly see the segments on the body and the tiny hairs along each leg. The brown banding is actually kind of pretty if you can forgive it for having that many legs.
You know given the size of the thing, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the reason we haven't seen any mice in our house yet this fall.
Then when I was waiting for the bus a flock of about 60 starlings decided to land in the tree next to the bus stop and start hammering back the tiny hard berries in the branches over our heads. Resulting in a deluge of dislodged berries and jammy birdshit to rain on the commuters below. I couldn't help laughing - with my arm over my mouth obviously, and while backing away from the tree.
I love autumn.
Finally I decided that I should figured out once and for all if I was actually losing my marbles and I went looking for the noise. I moved the garbage pail to look underneath and this time I definitely heard the noise. I peered inside and spotted a large dark lump moving between the bag and the side of the pail. And I thought, "Wow, that's a huge mouse."
So I gently peeled the side of the bag away from the container; expecting that at any second I was going to have to jump backwards so as not to get a faceful of startled rodent.
Instead I came face-to-face with the biggest frickin' centipede I have ever seen in my life. It was longer than my middle finger. I could clearly see the segments on the body and the tiny hairs along each leg. The brown banding is actually kind of pretty if you can forgive it for having that many legs.
You know given the size of the thing, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the reason we haven't seen any mice in our house yet this fall.
Then when I was waiting for the bus a flock of about 60 starlings decided to land in the tree next to the bus stop and start hammering back the tiny hard berries in the branches over our heads. Resulting in a deluge of dislodged berries and jammy birdshit to rain on the commuters below. I couldn't help laughing - with my arm over my mouth obviously, and while backing away from the tree.
I love autumn.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-24 06:14 pm (UTC)