It's Officially Autumn
Well it is officially Autumn now so I suppose I can't complain about the cold, damp weather but I will anyway. I think I should have been born in a warmer country. I really feel the cold, probably because I spend a lot of time in my warm bug house and then it is cold when I come out.
I've had lots more bugs in this week, praying mantis, stick insects, spiders, scorpions etc. I went out to check on something in the bug house the other evening and found that the Imperial scorpions had escaped from their cage. They are huge, powerful scorpions and they had managed to push the lid off and climb out, they were all over the place. It didn't take that long to find them all but thank goodness it didn't happen while I was on holiday. My mother in-law would have freaked out, there is no way she could have handled them. They look gruesome but in reality they are pretty docile, they can be picked up ok but I prefer to use my long tweezers. I don't think their venom is very powerful but I'd imagine their claws are!
Also a couple of nights ago I was 'attacked' by a mouse in my office. I was finishing off some emails and I thought it was one of my cats playing with my foot. I didn't have any shoes on, just my socks. I felt a sharp bite to my toe and thought enough is enough, I looked down to see a beautiful little wood mouse. She just sat there for a minute and then ran away. I really didn't feel like moving furniture but I couldn't leave her there or she would be have been eaten during the night. I managed to catch her after about half an hour and then discovered what she was doing. The poor little thing was dying of thirst, my sock was wet because I had trodden in some water in the kitchen (next to the dog bowl - I do sometimes think I've got too many pets). I made the mouse a home for the night and let her go the next day.
I certainly have a lot of paperwork on my desk today, it has been mounting up all week again. I have been 'conned' into taking my daughter to college this morning, it's miles away and we pay hundreds of pounds for the coach but she doesn't have any lessons until 10.30 this morning and she could do with a lie in (she's off to a party tonight). I must admit that after three weeks at college she is still managing to get up at 6.15 every morning without a fuss, amazing when in the holidays she wasn't emerging until lunch time or later each day.
My husband has been away on a motorbike trip this week (3 days that he could have been sorting out my office roof). I certainly hope he will get on with it this weekend, it's freezing and half the things that I need are in boxes in the living room and the spare bedroom. I must admit that he did finally build a path in the front garden last weekend and cleared the sideway. I'm really pleased because it means that any callers now have access to the bug house at the bottom of the garden, without coming through the house. It is very difficult having people calling at your home. I have quite a few regular customers who call and that's fine but there are people that I don't know at all. I have never had any problems with anyone who has called to look at the bugs but quite a few of my male customers tell me that I shouldn't invite people into my home that I don't know. I always point out that I have a very large dog! Luka has been chief of security for eight years now, she will be nine next week. She is my teddy bear but I wouldn't recommend that anyone else tries cuddling her. I have finally written down some notes for callers and I will be putting them on the site this weekend. I have tried to word them as tactfully as possible but it wasn't easy. Basically, I am always busy and I just don't have the time to open up the bug house for people who don't turn up for appointments or want to look at everything and then buy a stick insect. Anyway we will see how the 'callers notes' go down, if they cause offence I will take them off! Do have a look and let me know what you think.