Creature Capturing

The monsoons are, I hope, FINALLY on their way out here in southeastern Arizona. This is the longest monsoon season we've had since I've been living here-- it's rained almost every day since the beginning of July. The weeds are crazy, the bugs are crazy, I'm covered in mosquito bites. Every freakin' creature around here is growing to gargantuan size, dogs excluded because I very carefully watch their diets. Creepy crawlies are trying to creepy crawlie into my house at every opportunity. Moths, flies, mosquitoes, butt-bugs (black beetles that walk with their hineys in the air -- I have no idea what they really are but I can't resist playing with them), grasshoppers, even a frackin' SIX-INCH LONG DESERT CENTIPEDE (yes, the kind that BITE). I caught that one after yanking Ghost away from it; she was a quarter inch away from getting an extremely painful bite on the tender pink nose. And, of course, spiders:

This baby -- a fully mature Huntsman Spider -- was relaxing on the wall above the doorway to my office. He was almost as big around as my palm. If you look carefully, you have to wonder if he doesn't have ten legs rather than eight, with those extra two ending in nice, big boxing gloves. Turns out those are, um, "man parts." If you're feeling particularly peeping-tom-ish, click on the photo a couple of times for a REAL close-up.

I had quite a time identifying this big guy, but thanks to www.uglyoverload.com, I now feel informed. Uglyoverload is a must-visit site, by the way. Great creepy-crawlies and zippy writing by the owner, Justin Lindsay, make my daily visit there something to which I always look forward. Yes, dambit, I'm being grammatically correct. One of these days, I'll upload more pics of the fabulous critters I've been capturing and playing with, including several snakes. Arizona is endlessly entertaining. :-)=