James, I hear you! My folks moved to a lake in the woods in the UP of Michigan after I graduated high school. Had heard about bird hunting so I went out solo and came across a ruffed grouse that wasn’t 20’ away. After blasting it to smithereens with the shotgun, I proudly took it home to my folks. What I didn’t realize at the time, but s…
James, I hear you! My folks moved to a lake in the woods in the UP of Michigan after I graduated high school. Had heard about bird hunting so I went out solo and came across a ruffed grouse that wasn’t 20’ away. After blasting it to smithereens with the shotgun, I proudly took it home to my folks. What I didn’t realize at the time, but soon figured out, was that the bird was a mother grouse seeking to distract the intruder from her young ones. That was it for me for hunting of any kind. I still regret pulling the trigger. But, like you, I understand the need to cull the deer herd and so on, I just don’t want to be the one doing the culling. And insects? There are some on my hit list: waterbugs, roaches, ants, mosquitoes, flies. But that’s about it except for the violators on my tomato plants. I’m good with wasps and bees, will catch them inside and release outside. I like small spiders and prefer to co-exist with them, particularly those in the bathroom which usually end up with names. Bigger spiders in the house wind up outside, unless a black widow, in which case, it is bidden farewell.
I am right with you down the line!!! I think when I was young I was generally ignorant of the miracle of life. I have so changed since then. I can’t imagine knowingly injecting a person with harmful chemicals or not acknowledging ending the lives of 13 young soldiers. Just 2 examples I threw in there…
It might interest you to know that as a special education teacher, I kept as a pet a black widow on my desk for years. We fed it flies and crickets. It’s important to know what is and what isn’t a real threat. Black widow bites ARE serious but they seldom bite unless threatened by being touched and they often bite “blanks”. No venom, like a warning shot. They don’t live in my house but I’m not inclined to kill them if I happen to see them outside. I’m a lot less forgiving of brown recluse who happily burrow into my bed and bite because as far as they are concerned, it’s their bed now and I can just jolly well move over.
No but each one lives about 3 years with good care. Since they are literally everywhere except the north and south poles, they were easy to find around the school building. A kindergarten teacher had me paged one day when she recognized one crawling across the floor!! Interestingly, no one in all those years was ever bitten. That’s the potential vs actual threat demonstration.
Wow, that's way longer than my bathroom buddies last. Think the cats might have something to do with it. My wife understands and is okay with it - she's put up with me for 50 years...
James, I hear you! My folks moved to a lake in the woods in the UP of Michigan after I graduated high school. Had heard about bird hunting so I went out solo and came across a ruffed grouse that wasn’t 20’ away. After blasting it to smithereens with the shotgun, I proudly took it home to my folks. What I didn’t realize at the time, but soon figured out, was that the bird was a mother grouse seeking to distract the intruder from her young ones. That was it for me for hunting of any kind. I still regret pulling the trigger. But, like you, I understand the need to cull the deer herd and so on, I just don’t want to be the one doing the culling. And insects? There are some on my hit list: waterbugs, roaches, ants, mosquitoes, flies. But that’s about it except for the violators on my tomato plants. I’m good with wasps and bees, will catch them inside and release outside. I like small spiders and prefer to co-exist with them, particularly those in the bathroom which usually end up with names. Bigger spiders in the house wind up outside, unless a black widow, in which case, it is bidden farewell.
I am right with you down the line!!! I think when I was young I was generally ignorant of the miracle of life. I have so changed since then. I can’t imagine knowingly injecting a person with harmful chemicals or not acknowledging ending the lives of 13 young soldiers. Just 2 examples I threw in there…
Was trying to remember from whom the idea and phrase "reverence for life" came. Turns out it was Albert Schweitzer. Thought you wouild like this summary of his life: https://www.wrf.org/women-and-men-of-medicine/albert-schweitzer-reverence-for-life
It might interest you to know that as a special education teacher, I kept as a pet a black widow on my desk for years. We fed it flies and crickets. It’s important to know what is and what isn’t a real threat. Black widow bites ARE serious but they seldom bite unless threatened by being touched and they often bite “blanks”. No venom, like a warning shot. They don’t live in my house but I’m not inclined to kill them if I happen to see them outside. I’m a lot less forgiving of brown recluse who happily burrow into my bed and bite because as far as they are concerned, it’s their bed now and I can just jolly well move over.
Thank you for that insight! Did the same spider live all that time? Figured their life span was much shorter.
No but each one lives about 3 years with good care. Since they are literally everywhere except the north and south poles, they were easy to find around the school building. A kindergarten teacher had me paged one day when she recognized one crawling across the floor!! Interestingly, no one in all those years was ever bitten. That’s the potential vs actual threat demonstration.
Wow, that's way longer than my bathroom buddies last. Think the cats might have something to do with it. My wife understands and is okay with it - she's put up with me for 50 years...