Manny the Mantis

Something I quickly noticed, and found rather odd, is that houses here do not have screens on windows and doors. This means should you want fresh air in your house, you are also inviting nature's delightful little creatures inside when you open windows or doors. We routinely have mosquito eaters, granddaddy longlegs, and other various spiders etc. inside. Nothing that is really a major nuisance, thankfully. But that is probably in part due to there being a lesser number of creepy crawlies on this little island country.

Now, having grown up with pets, I have often wished I could have one. Unfortunately as a renter I have been stuck with a piano and house plants as a substitute. However, it seems nature might have decided to provide.

About two weeks ago, I noticed a praying mantis in the laundry room. I did not think much of it at the time, but over the next few days saw it frequently in the laundry room, or down the hallway, or in the sun room. When cleaning and decorating for Cinco de Mayo, it seemed a good time to let Mr. Mantis return to his real home of the great outdoors, and put him out in the garden. He seemed to disagree however, as a couple of days later he was back, and was hanging out in the sun room right over the record player listening to nice piano music.
The next day he was in the kitchen having a stand off with a spider who eventually gave up and went the other way. A few days later he kept me company during a workout before work. And just a few days ago, when firewood got delivered, he hung out with me outside while I stacked it before it got wet in the rain.
He has been named Manny. We will see how long he sticks around :)