I'm Watching You...

I think we have a new pet. I started staining the deck railing last week, and as the stain dried, I noticed a grasshopper who kept hanging out on the new darker wood. At first I thought absolutely nothing of it, but I noticed him (her? it? ... we'll go with him) again later on. And then again. And then he was still there the next day. And the day after that. It's like this guy has an affinity for the stain.

Finally after three straight days of noticing this guy hanging around, I thought maybe I'd get a photograph of the newest addition to our household. So I grabbed my camera and headed outside. I took one picture... this one...


... and then Mr. Grass Hopper spun around, looked straight at me, and began to move around to try to hide from me. If I moved one way, he moved the other. If I tried to sneak up around on the other side, he quickly adjusted so that his eyes were on me and his body was concealed. Smart bug. Of course at this point it had become a challenge to get one decent (not dark and shadowy) picture of this stinking insect.

I don't know if I really call this a success, as much of him is still hidden, but I finally gave up. I think I got totally outsmarted by one of the tinier members of nature.



And in case you're wondering, I saw him out there 2 days this weekend. He apparently has taken up residency on our back deck. Maybe he'll keep me company this week if I get a chance to finish staining the railing.

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