Entomologists bug me

I'm bugged here at Yogaville. There are more bugs/spiders/creeper crawlers here than I know what to do with. This morning I showered with three spiders while a third watched on (kinky and creepy at the same time). Another reason to love Colorado - we don't have many insects.

Praying mantises (not sure of plural form) take over the grounds here. Lovely critters and it seems very appropriate for them to be here. On top of the "praying" aspect I find an odd sense of pleasure in the fact that the females eat the males after mating (apparently I'm not as into non-violence as I thought). I saw my first one on the window of a temple on my first day. Since then I can't get enough of them and am considering "mantis worship" as a form of spirituality. (Okay, that's a bit dramatic.)

Found out yesterday that many entomologists come to Virginia and in particular this area to study bugs. Information that would have been useful before I booked my plane ticket and found out I would be living with peeping Tom spiders and beetles (there's one who sits near my nightstand I swear watches me undress).

I don't of course never kill any of them (not even the spiders), that's really the best part - they run free inside here because no one kills any of them. Makes me smile that the entire stairwell to my room has a succession of spiderwebs that are more intricate than the food I eat.

As I type this there is a Daddylong legs above me on a web and an odd crab shaped bug near my feet. (They both say hi by the way.) I'm learning to adapt to this new kingdom and have a new appreciation for the reminder they bring to my connection with something larger than myself - however, on occasion they still bug me.

Today I'm grateful for praying mantises (of course), my new raw diet, and phone calls with Samuel.