Cricket Carpet In Adelaide

If you have read my posts from over a year ago, you will be familiar with my coming to terms with insects and creepy crawlies that call Australia home. Read here, and here.

I still don't love insects (as if!), but these days I show much more courage. I almost hardly ever scream now.

However, there seems to be a sudden increase in crickets lately. The night is full of their song. Last night, when on one of my "weight loss walks", there were whole streets literally covered in them - a Cricket Carpet!

Moths also seem to be in larger numbers than before, and the moths in Adelaide are the size of a small sparrow back home. A lot to contend with.

At least summer is coming to an end (officially over, but it's still warm), and soon I will find solace in the cool of winter.

A few nights ago when it was a tad cooler, the cats started scratching and scraping under one of the armchairs. I thought they had lost one of their toys - a small pink ball with a bell inside - but no. I lifted the chair back only to find a not insignificant spider. I don't think it was a huntsman, but boy had he been eating his spinach!

I ran to get some kitchen roll, while at the same time trying to keep the cats away from it.

It could have ate them!

No, seriously, I didn't want them eating it as I didn't know what bugs it might itself be carrying. I also didn't want them to torture the spider to death, as cats unfortunately have a habit of playing with their pray.

This may offend some of you, but I can't bring myself to apologise. I tried to crush the spider. It wouldn't crush! I crumpled the paper up and punched the spider. It wouldn't die. It didn't even look injured. I could swear these spiders have armoured plating. After a few attempts I managed to kill it, and promptly flushed it away.

I don't enjoy killing anything, but I don't want to be bitten or have my cats bitten (Sam can look after himself).
Even if I managed to take the spider outside, I know it would come back in, because it's a bit cooler.

And so that's what I have to look forward to over the next month or so, as summer does fade away - an influx of visitors with six legs and goodness only knows how many wings and eyes.

Yuck!

*

My gardens are a bit unsightly at the moment. We both work full time and it's hard to find time to maintain our gardens when we are not tired, not working, when neighbours aren't out in their gardens (I'm shy and don't like being watched), when it isn't raining and when it isn't too warm. So that doesn't leave many days in the year!

So I was out today trimming back the plants and bushes. I did about 20% of the required weeding and tried generally tidying up. I was out working away for over 2 hours, and when I stepped back to see the benefit of my sweat and hard work, I was disappointed to see I hadn't achieved as much as I thought had.

My green bin, which is for garden waste, is now full. I think it gets collected this week. Once it's collected I can carry on with the gardening. This is my mission for the week.

I also have a strip of bear earth in the front garden. I have sowed seeds, planted hedges and various bushes, and nothing survives (well, except for weeds!). I just don't have green fingers. It's very frustrating!

Luckily, I have managed to retain the services of a landscaper. He can't commence work for a few weeks, but come April, my garden should be a glorious sight to behold.

I may even post photographs when he is done.