what would you be?
A butterfly,
or a bumblebee?
Remember Gregor,
so hated his job,
he went to bed,
and woke up a beetle?
I never did get, Gregor,
why not a spider?
You could weave your web,
and as Charlotte said,
“people are not as smart as bugs.”
Along came a spider,
who sat down beside her,
and interested Miss Muffet for hours 😉
Cheers to you from all the clever crawlies~
“If I can fool a bug… I can surely fool a man. People are not as smart as bugs.”
― E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web
“What a fate: to be condemned to work for a firm where the slightest negligence at once gave rise to the gravest suspicion! Were all the employees nothing but a bunch of scoundrels, was there not among them one single loyal devoted man who, had he wasted only an hour or so of the firm’s time in the morning, was so tormented by conscience as to be driven out of his mind and actually incapable of leaving his bed?”– Franz Kafka, Metamorphosis
As far as spiders go, the one you captured in the first photograph looks really scary! The butterflies and dragonflies are stunningly beautiful. Cheers to you, Cindy!
That spider is a black widow, the most venomous spider in north america. They are known to eat both their young and their mate, so your innate, unconsious reaction was right on target Halim. That’s why it is important to trust your instincts!
Well said, Cindy! I find them from time to time in my garage and my garden. I even captured one and relocated it away from the house. The happy news is that they’re shy and reclusive so aren’t likely to turn up in your bedroom closet. Where did you find this one?
Great advice! Thanks, Cindy!
Yes, exactly! I am so sorry I missed your accurate depiction. Most critters that people are afraid of, are even more afraid of people. If we understand this, we can maximize our potential to avoid scaring them, to the point where they injure or kill us, and visa versa.
wonderful photos…spider? or butterfly? how to choose?
The webs that spiders weave are so incredible and they have what? Eight eyes! Can you imagine seeing the world through eight eyes?
Lovely closeups, Cindy, though some of these “creep” me out!!
That reaction is probably an instinctual, protective response to potentially venomus creatures like the black widow. It may have kept your ancestors alive.
A ladybird, I think. Love the poem
Awwww, thank you and you would be a lovely ladybird~ ❤
great shots
Merci beaucoup!
Brilliant. I choose butterfly!
Are there purple ones?
Melinda
Yes there are! Check it out. This is you! ❤
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Red-spotted%20Purple/index.html
Thanks! I did! Love it!
❤
Great spider ☺ . Salut by Rinaldo.
Glad you like the spider. He needs some liking! 😉
☺
.
the bugs are sooo nicely captured..they must be very happy..:-) Wonderful clicks as always… 🙂
Awwww, thanks much & cheers!
So cool Cindy – well actually I’m not fond of spiders, but these shots are great, do love the butterflies and bees too. Love your creativity in this series – makes me really think what would I rather be. I’m thinking butterfly.
Awwww, such a nice comment. I do see you as a butterfly, your paintings are so beautiful and gentle. ❤
Hi Cindy – thank you so much for your generous and kind words. Hope your Sunday is a lovely one, best wishes in the new week.
❤ ❤
Amazing photos, Cindy!
Awwww, thank you my friend and be well~ ❤
I am in awe of your skill as a photographer (and your photo journalistic creativity) ❤
I wish so much I could meet you. Would you mind clarifying for me the area in general where you live. I am fascinated by you, your community, the photos you post, of course your writing and thinking. I would make an effort to visit, if I could, and if you wanted such an invasion. Hugs and love Carol~
Beautiful, beautiful photos. I have always felt mothers were in many ways spiders – at the centre of a web and alive to any twitching from the various people who depend on her to come and fix any number of different needs in their lives.
Oh what creative imagery. I can see her, constantly repairing the web, indefatigable in her tasks, sensitive to the slightest vibration. I will look at spiders differently now. Thank you~
The macro shots are gorgeous.
Ahhh, so appreciated! Thank you~
I was just telling a friend of my primal fear of spiders. My stomach tightened just looking at the photos (they were great shots by the way). If I could be a bug dragonflies, butterflies and ladybugs are all high on the list — they’re pretty and fly and eat harmful bugs but my top choice would be a firefly. They turn a summer’s night into magic.
The firefly is a magical creature isn’t it! I have only seen them once. Amazing! As a child, I was enamored by the book, “Sam the Firefly.” People tried to catch
Sam in a bottle, but when they did, he couldn’t shine. I think a firefly is miraculous. ❤
I am blessed to apparently have the perfect courting conditions in my backyard so every summer I get to sit by the window or out on my deck and watch love poems spoken with light.
I would so love to see this!!!
Stunning and stunningly beautiful. 🙂 ❤
Awww, you are such a friend Linda. Be well always. ❤
Aw, shucks, right back at ya! 😀 ❤
❤
One I don’t want to be is the Black Widows mate!!!! One ecstatic moment then you would be lunch…. Great photos Cindy
The female black widow should teach sex education classes!
“Watch out who you mate with. They can kill you.”
Applies perfectly to humans, when you consider disease, and psychology.
So true Cindy, it is a strange world we live in…
It is, curiouser and curiouser.
Well, certainly not a preying mantis…
They look like miniature dinosaurs to me!
If I where a bug…I´d commit suicide! They scare the bejesus out of me, they give me the willies
Cracking up………I don’t know if bugs commit suicide though. I know rattlesnakes do.
That´s even more weird….
They do, if they are mortally injured, they somtimes bite themselves, injecting their own venom, to give themselves a more merciful death.
You see, there is a god.
Beautiful photos. I love butterflies in all their beauty, but spiders are fascinating. I can get along with most bugs except centipedes and roaches.
We get those really big six inch centipedes at The Holler. The ones whose skeletons look like fish, and I agree spiders are fascinating.
wünsche einen guten Tag
Sie sind sehr freundlich und sehr geschatzt!
vielen Dank
❤ ❤
Nice shots. The little rascals won’t often sit still.
🙂 I would be a software bug. Sounds very comfortable. 🙂
It does sound wonderful and you would be harder to kill. Excellent choice!
You’re sounding like a Bond girl again 🙂
😉 😉
Son unos macros geniales. Yo me estoy iniciando en este mundo fascinante de la macrofotografía y me enamora cada día, aunque tengo mucho que aprender 🙂
Fotografia macro da acceso a un mundo increible dentro de un mundo. Yo se que les encantara la exploracion. Saludos a usted mi amigo y estar bien. ❤
Beautiful! I love them all!
They are fascinating aren’t they!
I would love to be a Butterfly!
You would be a lovely one Antionette! ❤
Thank you my friend.
❤ ❤
Seeing your stunning photos makes it hard for me to decide, but I think I’m going to go with bees. They’re beautiful, industrious, loyal and responsible for keeping the food chain alive and well. They deserve celebrity status in my book.
Cindy, I’ll say it today, tomorrow and every time I stop by: your photos (and subject matter) are stellar!
Awwwww, such lovely sentiments. Getting to know people like you is why I love blogging to much, and I agree with you completely about the bees. Cheers to you my friend. You brightened my day! ❤
So good to hear. xox
❤
Even the bugs are beautiful at Holler! And clever too 🐜
I wish! Laughing. My son and I have constructed a water hole for the wild critters due to the horrific drought. We moved it today and about ten large black widows ran out! Yee gads! Enough already! Laughing, it was good I was wearing my impervious boots!
Boots are always useful…in one or another way 🙂 I wish I could send some of the water from here in your direction!
I do too and thanks for the thought!
Happy Friday to you ☺ .
Visa versa 2 U X 2!
I would like to be a bee! They get to be around a hive, honey and flowers. Maybe the Queen Bee 🙂
Definitely the queen! 😉
Oh, also meant to say, I would ‘worry’ more as a beautiful butterfly about my dainty legs and delicate wings. 🙂
Yes they are so fragile and delicate!
vielen Dank, wunderschönen Tag wünsche ich
Danke mein Freund und Froliche Wochenende!
I’ll go for swallowtail I think. A short life, but better that than be poor Gregor… RH
Gregor suffered, poor man.
Best Bugs in town! You make them all so pretty!
Well, Cindy, if I was a bug, I’d like to think I’d be a butterfly. Yet, my insect instinct is say …”moth, a fabric moth… the finest woolens and silks, only, please!” 😀
Oh yes! This I can see! Perfect! Laughing~
Cindy: This is going to sound completely crazy. But these pics had me feeling like Alice!! Remember the song from the cartoon? “All In A Golden Afternoon.” That’s what this post reminded me of!!! Sharing this lovely piece now to transport our readers, my dear! 😉 xo ❤
What a wonderful and creative take! But then, you two are wonderful and creative. Hugs & gratitude!
Love all the macros!
Thank you, it’s fun to see the buggies up close!
Fascinating as always. Bugs, snakes, anything that crawls – I don’t want anything to do with them. We’ve had many snake ‘nest’ or whatever it is they do, this year. They seem to be everywhere and I do not like that. . .
No I know, rattlers have dens with lots of snakes. Just the thought creates heebi-jeebies!
I accidently grabbed more than a dozen or so nests of snacks this past spring and early summer. I spent several weeks cutting out a new garden and was going down a minimum of 12 inches. Each time I yelled so loud I scared myself and threw the snakes over my head. The longest one I had was 16″ and that one had the nerve to come out and sunbathe in my front garden as you enter or exit the front door. I took him/her with a shovel of dirt out to the street and cut him into 1″ pieces. That’s the last one I’ve seen so far this year. I don’t need any more. We’re so dry, I don’t know where they might be and oh so hot. It never cools off at night. At 2 a.m. is was 98!
eeks! Sounds like you got quite a fright! I got over my snake phobia because my son was forced to study rattlesnakes in grad school. He captured them, glued trackers on their rattles, set them free, and tracked where they went. The whole thing scared the beejeezus out of me, until he took me with him on one of the set free trips. I observed how abjectly terrified they are of us, (for good reason) and how much they desperately wanted to escape from our presence. Ever since then I look at snakes differently. I even photographed a rattler recently at close quarters and was unafraid.
Still nests are creepy and I can empathize with your fear, and with the heat, at 2am 98 degree is really HOT! Sorry for both situations and hope the heat breaks soon.
Beautiful closeup shots! We may consider bugs us yucky, but up close and personal, they’re unique, interesting, and beautiful!
Very much so. They may as well be extraterristrials, they live on our shared planet, but in a totally different world which is fascinating.
I think I’d like to be a seafaring bug, a lobster with big claws. 🙂 But not a roach, by any means, even if it meant being immortalized by Kafka.
You would have to have your intact IQ so as to avoid lobster traps.
A cinch, and I would write glowing odes to the seaweed forests and coral cities.
Well, until you are a lobster, could you still write the odes to the seaweed forests and coral cities. It is already sounding incredibly creative! ❤
These are all your photographs?? My gosh… Excellent!! (ps Have you heard of a “brown” black widow? I hated black widows from when I was young. I had a propane torch just for them.)
Thanks my friend and yes, there are two black widows here and yes, we have LOTS of them at The Holler!
If I were a bug I would definitely be a bumblebee! Love them! Great pictures, Cindy! 😀
Plus have you noticed? No one messes with a bumblebee! 😉
Fabulous, fabulous pix!
Honored by your kindness! ❤
Fantastic photos, Cindy. Some bugs are so pretty, aren’t they? I prefer to keep them all a little way away from me though. 🙂
Yes, especially the venomous ones! I am watching a praying mantis on my window screen right now~
Fantastisch…. 🙂
Vielen dank mein Frend!
These are so beautiful. I will use some of them for the next GreenFriends newsletter!
Oh how lovely! Thank you~
Thank YOU. I so appreciate your generosity.
❤ ❤
Extraordinary photographs!
You are very kind and most appreciated!
I am sure that I don’t want to repeat poor Gregor’s fate 🙂
I think the only problem with poor Gregor was that he never left his room. If he had ventured out, he might have understood it truly is a bug’s world. ❤
True. After the metamorphosis he should go out and look for his species instead of sticking to his human family.
Exactly! It was humans who made him unhappy in the first place, so I wish he had gone outside and hung out with the beetles.
fantastic photos! WoW
Awwww, so kind~ ❤
Not sure I’d want my wife to be a spider or a preying mantis since I’m not sure that works out so well for their mates. Ladybugs look nice, but I don’t fancy eating aphids for a living. My kids would definitely like to be cicadas — making all that noise? Great!
Okay, so we know what you are afraid your wife might pick, and your children too, but you sir???? What pray tell would you be? 😉 You don’t have to answer!
Well, I wasn’t sure, so I had a look on Wikipedia to check out my options. In the end, I decided to come back as a stick insect.
They apparently eat vegetation, so that’s okay. They just kind of laze about all day, so I wouldn’t have to change my lifestyle much. They can eat as much as they want but always maintain a stick thin figure, which is quite a sales point. It also says they are happiest at about 25°C/77°F, which is also around about the temperature I enjoy. Finally, I couldn’t see anything about being eaten by my wife.
All in all it looks like a pretty good deal.
This has to be the most logical and informed self to bug selection process I have read to date. I do agree, your wife would be unlikely to eat you as you are so, errrrrr, thin. Several other bloggers selected dragon flies for this same reason, thin-ness I mean, not spousal consumption concerns. I too appreciate the stick bugs indolent lifestyle, lack of concern regarding weight gain, considering such indolence, and perference for a balmy clime. All in all, a most excellent choice. Bring on the stick bugs. If I find one to photograph, I’ll name it after you.
Thank you! I know other people get roses named after them, but I think a stick insect would be pretty cool too.
I think the BunKaryudo Stick Bug has a nice sound to it…….
If I were a bug – I’d choose to be a butterfly. They seem to be one that most people like & appreciate. And – oooooohhh how beautiful they are!
Plus, when is the last time you saw someone pull out a can of raid for a butterfly!
LOL 😆
Reblogged this on A FRESH START and commented:
Cindy’s photography is always amazing, but the capture of my favorite bug, the damsel/dragon fly are the best.
Awwww, honored and grateful! Thank you~
Whew. Gorgeous.
So kind and so appreciated! Cheers to you~
Cindy these photos are just amazing – you are so good at close ups. Enjoyed looking at the detail you captured
Very pleased you did and took the time to comment too! Thank you Diana~