Thursday, August 16, 2012

Red Alert and Wall Mosaics

Red alert at summer camp!  First, it was the spotted lizard lurking in the front hall.  I'm absolutely terrified of spiders, large insects, and snakes . . . .   As a child, I couldn't look at those pictures in the encyclopedia, and I'd cower in a different room if I saw a bug or spider on the wall when no one else was home to get rid of it.  Lizards are cute, especially when they're on the patio or backyard walls, but evidently they're not as attractive to me inside the house.  I screamed and Craig came running.  The thing clamped onto his finger, but fortunately didn't break skin.

We had a whopper of a thunderstorm last night with amazing thunder, lightning, wind, and drenching rain that lasted for hours.  Saby and I both could have used thunder shirts.  We're still looking for whatever made the loud crashing sound (like a tree going down) in the neighborhood.  Finally after three hours of watching the show from the living room, we decided to go to bed around 11:00 p.m.

The scorpion on the bedroom wall was the final straw.  Craig killed it and that bedroom was quickly abandoned.  I'm not a rational person when it comes to creepy crawly creatures, so there would be no sleep for me in that room that night!  And I know -- Craig kept telling me it's no different than a wasp sting.  Would I abandon a room because I saw a wasp on the wall?  But fears aren't rational.

Let's just say I've been lucky because it was my first scorpion sighting ever.  We stayed in an open air palapa in Yelapa where I slept with one eye open because that destination is notorious for large scorpions.  I've heard about them on Isla, but never seen one in all my trips.  And in six years of living in the desert -- nada.  I'm vacuuming and looking in every cranny this morning, and I'll be shaking out shoes and every article of clothing.  Shudder!

Open air living at summer camp just ended.  We'll keep these beautiful glass doors closed for the rest of the trip and hope the damn thing's family isn't lurking under the bed.  And yes, I'm high maintenance and my idea of camping is a gorgeous cabin like this where the living room doors fold open to make an open air living space.

Enough of that.  On one of our morning hikes this week up Brewery Gulch, we happened upon this mosaic wall embedded with collectible glass pieces.  Glasses, bottles, goblets, vases, figurines, globes -- a lot of pieces I've noticed in antique stores over the years!   I take a camera with me everywhere I go here in Bisbee because there's an amazing find around every corner.



















Late breaking news:  Craig just admitted he killed a scorpion in the other bedroom the second day we were here.  I'm not sure I wanted to know that?  (Did I bring those sleeping pills with me?)


10 comments:

jeanie said...

That wall is gorgeous! WOW! We had a creepy crawly nightmare at Cabanas one year. I had the door open and a HUGE spider walked in. I ran out and got all the gardeners (I don't know where Frank was) They searched every and it was concluded that the beast had walked back out. Lat that night I was coming out of the bathroom. and Frank said "Walk over to the door and go out on the terrace." After I was outside he told me my friend was back and on the ceiling. I went to the lobby while Frank got Transito who slew the beast. The problem was that when it fell, hundreds of little ones came out. Trans assured me he got them all. We couldn't switch rooms at that time of night so I sat crosslegged in the middle of my bed wearing a carefully inspected white sheet as a tent. I was still awake when the morning staff came in at 7 and we switched rooms.

Life's a Beach! said...

So it's not just me! The thought of scorpions crawling over me in bed did me in. I finally fell into what I would call a fit-full sleep. There's a tiny loft above the kitchen. I was tempted to climb up there and sleep, but I suppose scorpions can climb too! When Craig smashed it in the room, I shuddered, because I'd always been told not to do that because they carries their babies on their backs. Let's hope this one wasn't carrying!

jeanie said...

Beck, The next time we end up on Isla at the same time we should post a warning. If you see two crazy old ladies screaming and yelling running down the street or the beach, the world is probably not coming to and end. It just means Beck and Jeanie saw something crawl. BTW about Craig's wasp theory. Frank just went golfing a few minutes ago. He sat on the hot tub steps on the deck and put on his golf shoes then he grabbed his hat. He immediately took it off and a huge wast flew out. Just another thing to freak us out!

Life's a Beach! said...

Craig got stung by a hornet in Kansas in July and I had to take him to Urgent Care because 3 days later, the swelling was getting worse and moving up his arm. Strange this is, I never see bugs where we stay on Isla. Once I saw a large roach flailing on the edge of the balcony in town, but other than that, just little sugar ants. Unfortunately, I think the scorpions here are the smaller ones that are more poisonous. Bark scorpions. Good thing is scorpions go dormant in colder weather, so we could probably come here in the colder months and not have to worry.

Janet said...

Becky, loved all the pictures of the wall! That is so neat! When we were in Isla at Christmas one year, our son and daughter-in-law had a scorpion in their room at Casa del Sol. He stabbed it with a knife,lol. Bugs and snake don't scare me, but mice and rats, insanely afraid, insanely!!!

Ann said...

That wall is amazing! Since everyone is telling scorpion stories...my only encounter with one was on my trip across country back in 1972! In Arizona--we were camping & they were all over ! Didn't sllep much at that campground!

Life's a Beach! said...

Janet, we stayed at Casa del Sol and saw nada, but I think some of it has to do with how much the house is occupied and how well the management keeps up with extermination. Scorpions feast on other insects. We just talked to a guy in town and he said one side of town has roaches, and the other side has scorpions.

Ann, I don't think I could ever camp out in Arizona. In addition to scorpions, it's black widow land. Our house had black widows when we moved in, but those are easier to exterminate.

The Star Gal said...

No scorpion, but the other day I found a large (2 inch) leaf hopper in my bedroom and I live in Virginia. I chased him around the room for 2 days before I finally got hold of him and took him outside and set him free. Guess there are ickies everywhere...so just have fun.

Getting ready to book another trip to Isla Mujeres for Valentine's Week!!!

Gloria in Virginia

Anonymous said...

That wall is beautiful! Was this along a private residence?

I don't like creepy crawlies either. And despise spiders and am really afraid of them - except for daddy long legs - don't like them but they are harmless.

Jeanne

Life's a Beach! said...

Gloria, we don't have our next trip to Isla planned. February will be a fun time!

Jeanne, the wall is the retaining wall along the street in front of the property. I assume the artist probably lives in the house above.