Ham-Micks

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Skool Day

Qwit chur wynin! We noze itz Satday, but we aint had a skool day since Janry. Member wen we lerned bowt geckos, crickets and grasshoppers? Den we had a POP kwiz?

Well, tuday we lern bowt Crane Flies. Yup. Some beans call dem Mosquito Hawks or Mosquito Eaters or Daddy Long Legs. But dey aint. Dey ist Crane Flies, Latin name ist Tipulidae. Dunt worry. Dat won't be on da POP kwiz.

Here ist a pikshur:

The reesun we ist lernin bowt Crane Flies ist dat one came in da howse yestday. Maw sez dis means Spring ist here in North Texas. See, wen the Henbit weed grows all over da front yard, and da Crane Fly comes in da howse, it means Spring to Maw. No matter wat the meetergist man sez on da big talking pikshur box bowt da first day of spring being March 20. Wen we gitz Crane Flies an Henbit weedz, itz Spring.

Member we tolded you how the grasshopper and cricket legs will fall off wen you touch dem? Well, da Crane Fly loses itz legs ifn you look at it!!! Yup. Der legs fall off reel eazy. Maw uzed ta go "EEeekkk!" wen she first moved to North Texas cuz Crane Flies are huge and can be kinda skeery.

Dey come owt in Febry an March cuz dey lif in decaying stuff wen dey ist larva. Da adults dunt eat nothin. Usshully dey ist heer before now. Mebbe cuz of the extreme drought dey ist late dis year.

So, dat ist yur lesson fur tuday. Study hard fur a POP kwiz.

Luf, Us. An Hugs to Efurryone {{{{{hugs}}}}}

20 comments:

Daisy said...

I am studying and studying that Crane Fly. I am going to ask my Mommie to get me a magnifying glass. His legs are very, very long. He looks like he would be fun to chase. Then, I could eat the legs when they fall off.

Thank you for the good lesson!

mister jeter harris, hizself said...

iz dere any particyoolar way we should prepare da legz fer consumshun wen dey fall off?
dis iz a eksellent lesson.
wen'z da kwiz?
yer frend--jh
ps--thank u fer da greetin!

Shaggy and Scout said...

Everything's big in Texas isn't it?
We have big dragonflies in summer and some type of skeeter eater, but ours are smaller.

Mo and The Purries said...

Wow, we don't get crane flies up here in the arctic circle (Michigan) 'til like May or June!!!
And what I wouldn't give for a front yard full of henbit right now!!!
We got 4 more inches of snow last night and it's been snowing again all day here so far! We've got cabin fever!

((((((HUGS)))))) X 40
from us to you

the crew @ Purrchance To Dream


with special ((((HUGS))))
to Jenny, Gatsbi, and Sgt. Sally from Jazper
♥ ♥ ♥

Big Piney Woods Cats said...

Oh, Momma, do I have to go to skool?

Precious

What you call a Daddy Long Leg is a spider, here in the Big Piney Woods...and Precious, get to learning!!!

Patches

The M's said...

The shamrock is a catnip pillow toy. We thought since his birthday is in March, like our bean Daddy, he might like one.

The M's said...

Almost forgot, we have something like that bug up here, but a little smaller. We will study up for the pop quiz.
((((((Hugs)))))) from all of us.

Lux said...

If my mom saw one of those Crane Flies, she'd faint dead away. I'm a bit braver than that.

I hugged all of you guys!

Tara said...

Crane flys are showing up here too! Its spring! I can't wait to chase them.

When Mom was in college, she had to make an insect collection. She couldn't pin the crane flys, cause the legs kept fallin off!

Tara

LZ said...

Interesting! I bet they taste good. I like to eat bugs and I think I've caught one of those before. Thanks for the lesson everyone!!

Latte

Unknown said...

That Fly Crane looks lije it would taste bitter! And what if it wiggled on the way to my tummy? Nope. Don't think we would mess with that thing.

Anonymous said...

oooh - we gots those things in the stairwell an sumtimes they come in the house an then we gotta go nuts chasin' 'em an the teenagers scream an the Lady tries ta swat 'em. it's a good time!

Anonymous said...

I think my mom would have a heart attack if a Crane Fly came into our house.

Jake and Bathsheba said...

We've had crane flies on our deck, but not yet this year. We don't let them in the house. The henbit looks beautiful when it's magnified like that. The flowers are so tiny.

Hugs to you all!

~J&B

Dragonheart, Merlin, Devi, and Chloe said...

Wow, that crane fly looks big! I've never seen an insect like that - I don't think we have them in Germany. Interesting that it loses its legs so easily! Thanks for the lesson!

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

We git those Crane Flies too, but we call them Daddy longlegs. they don't git here till mid to late summer, and when they do arrive, there are a million squillion of dem. We haf da bestest fun catching them, and when we chew on them, all theer legs hang out uv owr moufs.

Toffee K. Ripple Fuzzypants & Feline American Angels said...

Holy moley! That Crane bug is pretty scary! In my defense, I think that I'd slap him against the floor to stun him and then I'd EAT him!
DMM

Icon Baxter Bentley said...

Is that a life size photo!?! it is bigger than Katie's whole head!

They must land lopsided when their legs come off. I better study for the quiz.

{{{hugs}}}

Angel Junior, Orion and Sammy said...

EEEWWW!!! I don't want any of these around me! I would be forced to eat them!

KC and the Giggleman Kitties said...

o, tha crane flys, we calls 'em mosquito hawks, haf been here's fur a couple of weeks.

i gotted one that came in tha house 'n ated it. yummmmy.

purrssss, KC

pee ess: they be easy ta catch wif them long leggies.