Children take time to notice their surroundings, and mine are no exception. I can't count the number of amazing sights I've seen because my of my childrens' powers of observation.
Benjamin wandered out onto our back deck earlier this week, only to come shrieking back, exclaiming, "Mum, Mum! You have got to see this!". I lugged myself up and away from my coffee and paper, and was rewarded with the sight of this huge Titan stick insect.
As fast as you could say 'enormous bug', Fatty had a wildlife book out, and we identified the insect. Although the blurb says the insect is around 25cm, our Titan stick insect measured 36 cm when I held the ruler directly next to him. We grow 'em big on our back deck!
As the Titan stick insect is the biggest insect in Australia, and as OURS (well, OK, the one on our back deck) was sooooo long, I informed the kids this morning that we may well have been visited by the longest insect in our entire continent. "Really?", Laura enquired in hushed tones.
"Really", I replied, smiling - glad that it's a Saturday, glad that such a small thing can enthrall our whole family, and thankful above all for children - the most astonishing creatures of all.
15 comments:
WOW!!!! Got to love the things that kids make us take notice of! You could have a world record on your back deck!
Have a great weekend Jelly.
That is one big stick bug. Gives me goosebumps just looking at it. I'm surprised your kids didn't bring it in the house for you to see. How long did it actually stay on your deck?
Wow - that is one giant bug! We don't grow them that big here. Nice spotting by Benjamin
What a wonderful creature!
That's so cool.
Be sure to count your children each night; no telling what that bug eats.
Aren't those stick insects wonderful? Mum, as a keen gardener, loves them because they eat the nasties off her plants. However, when I told her how big they here, she gave me a very old fashioned look. It was obvious she thought I was exaggerating (she lives in NZ, the stick insects there are quite small), until she visited one year and saw one for herself...not quite as big as yours, but big enough to give her a bit of a start.
Kids love things like that, don't they?
Jelly,
That is so cool!
My kids (who, by the way are your age or older) are still showing me cool things.
rel
Uck.....I don't like bugs.
He is cool looking though but a little too big for my liking. he could probably take me down:)
Oh - what a bewdie!
Aren't they the most fantastic creatures?
The most amazing camouflage - you would never see him in a tree!
Stick insects are so fascinating. I'm very impressed with the clear photo of the measured insect and very legible info shot. It's fun seeing things through children's eyes.
What a lovely post! Aren't kids just wonderful for showing us the REALLY important things in this world!
That is seriously cool my friend.
Is it wrong of me to think how much cooler it would look, dead and in a glass box on my son's wall, joined by all the other dead bugs he's collected?
I'm such a nature lover....
Wink, wink.
Hello there lovely one!
I do agree you have there the biggest stick insect in the world....rather alarming to some I would imagine.
I just read that post about the car in the car park....I was reassured that one of such a sensible and clever nature could succumb to the same nuttery as myself.
make sure you set a place for the stick insect at the table. He looks as though he would like to be part of the family.
Cool! Are they related to the praying mantis? I once missed a snake dangling from our tree, I thought it was a loose branch but the kids definitely did not miss it.
Mimi
Wow, what a find!!! We have stick insects here but NOT anywhere as big as yours. You may have a world record there.
Now that's a big bug!! Practically a dinosaur! Must be your back deck is like Texas, where everything is bigger and better :)
I can imagine the kids' excitement. Nice to have a book to look it up in.
I don't think I'd be quite as excited to come face to face with such a large insect. Well, not excited in a happy way, anyway :)
Great Saturday fun for the whole family!
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