cruiser54

Went to turn the lights off in the shop last night and head into the house.

I had a visitor.

Bugout4x4

All my girls liked to pick these up and check them out. They are late in migrating this year because of the cooler than normal weather. Hope you don't mind me sharing a funny story about these friendly critters...

Kind of rare to actually see, but they will migrate in mass in certain locations across the southwest. One time my new bride and I were going to Las Vegas up 95 from Ca into Nevada and just past Searchlight there is a huge dry lake bed. As we came over a rise and could see the lake bed I noticed some huge dark areas on the lake that looked like cloud shadows. I started trying to line these up with where the clouds and sun were in the sky and they didn't match.

Then I realized these dark masses were actually moving. I was perplexed until we got closer to them and the road got slick as ice, this is when I realized they were big herds of these guys moving in mass together. I started to slow down and pull off to the shoulder when my wife said "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?". "I'm going to stop and get out and take a few pictures"... "The hell you are! You are not going to stop and you are not going to open that door!" lol

Jeepin'_Aint_EZ

yup that's a HARD NO

Bugout4x4

Lol... Up until then she was up for and willing to do anything I ever wanted to do, one of the reasons I married her, But this was a line drawn and not going to happen!

But back to these critters though, they really are cool and gentle. And a mass migration like this is an incredible sight to see. This was the one and only time I have seen this in my lifetime living primarily in the southwest. I appreciate Cruiser sharing this with us.

4.3L XJ

Then there is this old girl that took up residence right over my computer screen.



But tarantulas I like. I had a Chilean Rose. Weighed in at about a quarter pound. Never did get around to getting pics. Very gentle and used to get her out of the cage regularly. When the daughter was 16 and wanted to date boys, I wouldn't let them go out with her unless they held the spider. Great way to cull out some of them

Jeepin'_Aint_EZ

No tarantula's out this way but we got black widows and brown recluse. Gotta keep an eye out when moving wood from my piles. I'm not a spider guy. I don't hate them but I also don't want to play with them lol. I appreciate them killing all the other annoying bugs around the house though!

Ralph77

Put them on Craigslist like this guy.

https://newhaven.craigslist.org/zip/...632318661.html

cruiser54

that's cool!!!

4.3L XJ

Mine came free. The guy just got tired of her. As far as we can tell, she lived for 14 years, 12 of them with us

Ralph77

I just got done doing my afternoon Craigslist drive by, saw that, and then found your thread. Hell of a coincidence huh?

cruiser54

Yes!!

TwistedWrench

We get the odd tarantula from time to time at the shop, but that mass migration mustve been amazing to see!

We do get bats in the morning though, which is cool. Soon as i open the bay doors at 6am they swoop in and start in on the bugs. I usually spend a few minutes each morning just drinking my coffee and watching em do their thing.

Mostly just the little freetails, but one morning we had a BIG grey bat. No idea what species, but it was awesome.

Bugout4x4

Over my lifetime I worked a lot of graveyard gigs in 24 hr gas stations. All night long there were these tiny swift winged birds flying around the outside canopy lights and lot lights doing the same thing. Not much bigger than a bat, but had those very swift looking type wings. The amazing thing was that they were actually owls. Tiny ground burrowing owls. Pretty cool looking guys with tiny little owl heads. You'd never guess because their heads are so small and their wing shape is so unique for an owl. You got those down there too?

TwistedWrench

No i havent seen one, but that sounds cool as hell, gonna have to google that!

5-Speed

Around this time of year, we get a ton of bats, mostly just the small black ones. If you shine a flashlight up at them they come and dive bomb you! And yes, them big'ol spiders come out too. Not a fan of them... Its also about time to see the Coyotes running up and down the street. And dont forget about the skunks. My dogs just love getting sprayed by them. That summer heat brings all the creatures out.