May your search through Nature lead you to yourself. ~Author unknown
I Monkey here.
Mama is still busy with her blogging break, but I convinced her to let me say a few words today. After all, it’s been ages since you’ve heard from me, and who’s more important around here anyway?!
The other evening, Mama got out a big pair of pruning shears and started whacking at some of the weeds around our yard.
Yes, we have a lawn crew, but they think their only job is to ride a mower and cut the grass.
Huh. Another example of somebody who’s confused over what their job really is.
Mama tells me this all the time. She keeps reminding me it’s her job to kill the yucky-bugs, and it’s my job to chase the cats and critters away. Barking at the doorbell, I tell her, is merely lagniappe.
For those who don’t speak South Louisiana or Southeast Texas, lagniappe means a little something extra.
Anyway, back to the pruning shears.
Mama chopped a few vines and weeds before tackling some kind of invasive mulberry bush. Or tree. It was pretty tall, so she was taking it down limb by limb.
I was helping her by grabbing the cuttings and racing around the yard with them. I hoped she’d give chase and fuss with me for making a mess, but no such luck.
What’s wrong with the woman? Doesn’t she realize that playing Keep Away is good exercise and great fun?
But there she was, focused on felling that mulberry when she happened to glance to her left, saw something, and squealed like a little girl at a Taylor Swift concert.
Oh boy, I thought. What’s she found?
I raced over to where Mama stood, peering intently into one of the Arborvitae trees lining the back yard.
She wasn’t moving. Nor was she backing off.
Interesting.
I could’ve sworn her squeal meant “danger,” but she’s fooled me before. (Like when she sends me outside before sneaking a cookie so she doesn’t have to share. Huh.)
Next thing I know, she whips her phone from her pocket, accesses the camera, and clicks a photo. Of something.
Folding up the pruning shears, she marched back to the house, muttering something about not getting paid enough to fight with bugs.
Bugs? I never saw a tissue, nor did she act like she was going to kill anything. And that’s her job! She told me so herself.
Eventually, Mama showed me what she’d found:
Big bug!
A Praying Mantis!
Not something I wanted to tangle with — nor did Mama, obviously — so we left it alone right where it was.
Some cultures believe Praying Mantis is good luck, probably because it eats garden pests and is relatively harmless to humans.
I think we’ll keep our distance anyway.
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
Glad you left it to do its job! Very helpful garden neighbors they are. 🙂
Thanks Miss Eliza. However, I Monkey only left it alone because it was so BIG — I didn’t know about its helpfulness until Mama told me.
Yaaaaaaaaaay, it’s MONKEY!!!! I love when you post!
First, thank you for the definition of ‘lagniappe’ because I never heard the word before. I’m gonna start using it now.
Your story had me on the edge of seating, waiting to see what Mama squealed about. I thought perhaps a snake, rat, or an alligator LOL!
I know, Praying Mantis LOOK scary because of how big they are and their shape. But they are harmless to humans (and dogs).
Tell Mama I said, “Great photo capture of the Praying Mantis!
Great hearing from you, Monkey! X to you and Mama!
Mr. Ron, lagniappe is one of those fun words that Mama says rolls right off your tongue. You’re going to love using it!
Yes, Mama says you’re right. Praying Mantis isn’t harmful to dogs or people. But Mama watched a video where one tangled with a scorpion, and that sure wasn’t pretty.
Hope some of our cold front makes its way to you — I Monkey em enjoying this cooler weather! Licks and hugs!
It seems (and as you well know) your mom has a tendency to slip into “loose cannon” mode …. so relax. She’ll be back. And if you didn’t know, Praying Mantis is harmless. I hope her blog break is going well. Thanks for the update.
Mr. Frank, Mama seems to be enjoying her blog break. She’s been reading, practicing those foul musical instruments, playing on her computer, and shopping. I don’t see how that’s so much fun– I’d prefer she play day-long games of Fetch with ME!!
How lucky for the both of you to see a praying mantis. I’ve only seen a few in my life, but I think they’re so cool — particularly since they don’t prey on doggies or humans!
Miss Linda, it was kinda cool (in a creepy sort of way!) to see such a BIG bug! I Monkey had never seen one before, but Mama assured me she had. But you know, it must have been just luck for us to see it because when Mama went back to take another peek, why, it was gone!
Wow! Good thing you left it aline, Monkey! Thst looks like a BIG one!
Miss Dawn, that thing was so much bigger than the houseflies I Monkey am fond of trying to catch! It looks like an alien, with its bug-eyes, spiky front arms, and that skirt-thing around its bottom. And poor Mama ran inside brushing off her hair and clothing as if she thought it was crawling on her, heh heh!!
Hi, Monkey! Give me a snake, give me a spider, but DON’T ask me to deal with a praying mantis or one of those giant walking stick bugs!!! Ugh!
I’ve always loved the idea of lagniappe. It’s used all over Louisiana. ☺️
A giant walking stick bug??? Oh, Miss Kelly, I Monkey would be paralyzed if I saw something like that! Mama says you’re right: they do exist. She showed me a picture of one online, and they can grow up to 12 inches long. Mercy! (Did you like how I Monkey threw in that bit of lagniappe just for you?!?)
Twelve inches?? 🫣😱 I would probably pass out if I saw one that big! Four inches is scary enough! Not the kind of lagniappe I like to get. 😉
Oh Miss Kelly, I Monkey am right there with you! And Mama just told me she read that one species of those walking stick bugs (https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Walking-Sticks) measures over 20 inches long with its legs straight out. Get me the smelling salts!!
And of course I’ll click on the link to see… 😑
Oh, you wanted a picture? Here ya go — https://theworld.org/stories/2016-02-20/giant-stick-insect-so-rare-only-three-females-have-ever-been-found-wild
🫨😧😱😵💫😰
Good to leave it alone, Monkey. They eat their weight in bothersome insects. Hope Mama is having a nice break.
Mr. John, I Monkey do hope those Praying Mantis creatures eat all the flies and mosquitoes they can find. Mama hopes they’ll leave the butterflies alone … and NOT jump on her when she’s working in the yard!
Yes jumping on Mama would not be a good thing for sure.
She doesn’t like me Monkey jumping on her either.
😁
Oh, Monkey, you and your Mama are so brave! If I saw a bug that size, I’d die! I had a spider in the bathtub last week that seemed like the hugest creepy-crawly in the world to me, but it was teeny-tiny compared to your bug!
Miss FF, I Monkey am not too keen on spiders either. Mama pretends she’s okay with them (she’s a web designer, after all), but I notice she promptly gets rid of every one she sees in the house! They’re safe as long as they’ll stay outdoors. But that Praying Mantis? How would you even get rid of something that big? Mama would be afraid to step on it, that’s for sure.
Oh my goodness Monkey! I Yorkie would have loved to see that Praying Mantis because they bring good luck! But 12”, a foot long, sounds like Texas size. Living in Texas all of my 10 years of life, I have only seen praying mantis as big as 3”. The only bugs that I’m terrified of are flies and mosquitoes. If I hear Mama say those words I run!
I’m so glad to hear from you Monkey. We doggos must keep in blog correspondence. It’s great that your Mama knows when she needs a break and even better when you sneak in to write to us! Mama reads your messages out loud to me in doggo language. I even heard my Mama on speaker phone when asked if she knew a second language and she responded Doggo. Hey hey hey.
My Mama couldn’t find any yard people to prune the bushes. But she found a person to pull out all the bushes which made Mama happy. And a special person trims two extra tall oak trees. Our grass this summer is mostly dead because of the extreme heat, drought and water restrictions. Mama’s favorite garden job is to water. And my garden job it to bark to warn Mama of the cats!
It soon will be cooler and the Halloween Spooky will start to appear! Love your paws, Yorkie.
Hi Yorkie! I Monkey am always delighted to hear from you. I’m not terrified of bugs — if it moves, I’m on it! But Mama is trying to teach me that it’s her job to get the bugs. She takes away all my fun.
I’m sorry it’s been so miserably hot where you are. We’ve had a HOT summer, too, but Mama says it’s going to cool down. Eventually. Being a doggo with a LOT of fur, I’ll be happy when that happens.
Mama needs to find a person to pull out some bushes, too. We’ve got a few that are looking sick and probably on the way to dying, so they need to go away. It’s hard to find good help, Mama says. Mama likes watering the plants, too, and I like drinking from the garden hose. If I had shorter fur, I’ll bet Mama would let me run through the spray to cool down!
Your Mama is taking away all the fun for you with getting the bugs, definitely! I tried to eat a live bug on the front porch yesterday, I don’t know what’s kind of bug, but Mama said to stop and sent me inside for a chewy stick that was much tastier.
Your long fur is beautiful Monkey! I have long hair, not fur. Mama wants to give me a pixie, but I won’t let her. My hair like your fur is my identity! We all will be more pleasant when the temps cool down.
Yes, Mama finds it difficult to find help to do exactly what she wants. It appears they only have one way or their own way to yard keep. We are trying two new people, ladies actually, can you believe. These two young ladies ride the mower, air blow and weed whack. But that’s it. No raking leaves or grass clippings, no trim bushes, no trim trees, no pretty flowers. They are $5 more from my Yorkie food bank than the single man who came last only in late afternoons after his full time job. These two young ladies will come in the morning and that timing is better for Mama because she likes to watch the lawn care people and then do her watering in the morning afterwards.
Monkey I am sure that running in the water hose is so much fun for you if only your Mama would allow you!! Sigh.
Yorkie, I Monkey am sure your hair is gorgeous, too. No way would Mama give me a pixie — I’d look like one of those naked mole rats if I were skinned of my furs!
You are a very smart little dog, Monkey! You know what to move forward, and when to back off. That’s more than I can say for most people!
Thank you, Miss Ann, for confirming what Mama has long suspected: I’m smarter than I act sometimes, heh heh! Maybe if that Praying Mantis had been inside rather than outdoors, I might have been tempted to give chase, but it’s always more fun to chase Mama (and she was headed inside FAST!!)
Oh wow, Monkey! I found a Praying Mantis in my garden once. When I took its picture it was looking at me and the camera. They don’t move very much, unless an insect comes by and they want a bite to eat. I understand some folks even keep them as pets!
Pets?? That’s creepy, Miss Barbara. I Monkey would never tolerate Mama having such a big bug as a pet! It sounds like you got a good picture though — they’re interesting to look at.