“The Thing” Revealed!!!! Winner announced

22 Replies

A few days ago, I posted This Picture:
DSC02649
and offered a prize for the person who could identify what it was.  Answers ranged from toupees to Itt’s second cousin to embedded Smurfs to Chupacabra eggs, but the judge ruled Laura M’s answer of a “Lurkin’ Merkin” as being the most original.  Yes, I had a judge, but I cannot reveal his/her name or the losers would have to kill her/him, most probably, over their disappointment.  So, Laura M, let me know which prize you prefer.  If it is the book, have a look at my book pages and let me know which one and your mailing address. If you want the personalized poem, I’ll need information about the subject or event it is for.

Okay, when you see this film you will understand what this “object” is. It is actually hundreds if not thousands of Daddy Longlegs clustered into an oval a foot long.

I know, hard to believe.  This used to happen every year at my house with the clusters being a couple of feet top to bottom and sticking out six inches or so.  Then they did not come for a few years.  Last night I went outside and this one was completely gone, but nearby they were congregating again in a more sheltered spot.  I’m wondering if the dog or the gardener disturbed them.  I never would.  I find them fascinating.  It is not a mating thing, by the way, but rather a defense measure.  Banded together, they produce an odor (not detectable by the human nose) that wards off predators.  In this case, probably ants. Another speculation is that it is a defense against the cold. If you search YouTube, you can also find a video of one of these guys fighting a Black Widow Spider and winning!  Ain’t nature grand?  It is a continual adventure here south of the Tropic of Cancer.  Thanks for playing with me!!!  Judy

P.S.  By the way, these clusters have been found to contain up to 40,000 DLL’s and in spite of what the guy in the video says, they are not spiders  and, I love the feeling of a DLL on my skin! (Gonna check that number.  It may have been 4,000.)

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About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

22 thoughts on ““The Thing” Revealed!!!! Winner announced”

  1. livingonchi

    That’s absolutely fascinating. Your photo is even more interesting than the youtube because it just looks like a glop of dog hair. There is an ick factor there, but I’m pretty sure they’re harmless, so less icky. 🙂

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    1. lifelessons Post author

      I know. It would have been fascinating to see this clump disengage, but I don’t like to disturb anything it isn’t necessary to disturb when it comes to nature. Yes, I pick up seashells on the beach. I’m not perfect, Thanks for commenting. Judy

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    1. lifelessons Post author

      That amazes me, Cee. You seem interested in everything. Have I found your Achilles heel? When I figure out Picasa and/or have access to my pictures, I’ll be entering your challenges again. It still takes me hours to edit and post and I never quite know exactly what I’ve done. And I don’t like the quality of the pictures as much. Disclaimer: I know the quality of even the older pictures is not of a professional quality. I am more of an observer and “snapper” than the excellent photographer that most of your entrants are, but I still enjoy entering your challenges as another way to tell a story. Your pics on your site today are stunning, by the way–wherever I went when I was trying to find this comment so I could answer it. Judy

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  5. Allenda Moriarty

    Judy, I don’t know how I didn’t recognize it. As your former next door neighbor, we used to get huge mounds of them, too, when we first lived there. They would pile up in the garage, and along the walk next to the house between the kitchen door and the front door, huddled against the side of the house by the hundreds. We were fascinated, too. I don’t recall ours being that dark, though, seemed like more of the traditional color, but my memory may have failed me.

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