A Leaf, a Dragon, and a Mantis,

At home we normally get the usual visitors.  You know, the human kind.  Sometimes though we also get the neighborhood feline kind too.  And often we will be visited by the friendly squirrels who are too smart to hang around for long with cats roaming the yard.

But in the past month we have also been visited by some unusual visitors.  It all started one day when I was just minding my own business walking into my living room and glanced at the large bay window.  And there it was.  Just clinging to the white curtains, staring back.  A green leaf bug.  To this day I still don't know how it got indoors or what happened to it after that day.  I could never find it again.

I did take a photo though.  

I never saw one in real life before and I never saw one up close.  It is said in some countries that if a Green Leaf bug enters your home it is a sign of good luck.  More specifically, that money will come your way soon.  Hmmm.  I could always find something good to do with more money. :)

A few days later my father and I were changing the back lights on my car when he stopped and told me to look at something on the hood.  When I walked to the front I saw a Dragon Fly.

The poor thing had been caught in the grill of the car and my dad had plucked it out.  It didn't survive the impact of meeting the grill on the road but it was still so beautiful to look at.  We were very impressed by how delicate the wings are.  So my dad gently placed it in a plastic bag and has it sitting on display in the living room.  The detail of its body and its eyes are amazing!  My camera isn't the best so I can't show you how amazing this bug really is.  

Then, just the other night, we had a good storm.  Lots of rain.  And when my family and I returned from eating dinner we were greeted back home by this lovely lady.  A Praying Mantis.  She was, quite literally, hanging out on my car.  When I looked more closely at her I could see she actually had a water droplet in her mouth.  My theory is that she was drinking the water droplets on my car.

She certainly wasn't shy and didn't seem to mind my father and I snapping pictures of her.  And after we spent some time enjoying her beauty we went inside.  I thought that was the last time I would see her.  But I was wrong.

The next day I stepped outside and found her hanging on the screen of our front door.  She looked like she wanted to come inside.  Then I looked down and saw one of the neighborhood cats that adopted us, another story all together, staring up at her.

So I knew I had to intervene. I gently nudged her onto an envelope and deposited her onto a bush far from the door.  Kitty would not get to make a snack out of her.  In fact, I doubt the cat would even eat her.  He probably just wanted to play but he would have been too rough and killed her.

Perhaps she was praying someone would save her.  In any case, I'm glad I was able to help and I wonder what other fascinating visitors will drop by. 

" He fills my life with good things.  My youth is renewed like the eagle's!"

Psalm 103:5