Unlikely Playmate!

Oh, the things I do as I meander around the hillside above the Bayou!  Today, I was involved in a rousing game of "Hide and Seek"!  No, there were no children present during this gleeful romp about the yard..just me and a friendly, playful.......cricket!  Yep, I spent the better part of my walk just dilly-dallying around with a bug!

It all started when I reached down to move a large plank that was laying on the ground.  Michael had removed this board when he was installing the gate to the rose garden and since it has been laying there for a few days, I thought it might be killing the grass.  It was..so I moved it closer to where he is going to reuse the board.   As I lifted the plank, a little black cricket scurried around hunting for a hiding place.  It poked its head under a blade of grass..nope..that did not work!  The little bug's rear end was waving like a flag for any hungry bird!  Poking its head under the blade of grass might have made it think it was safe but that rear said otherwise.  I had a twinge of guilt.  I WAS the one that shooed the critter from its safe hiding place and put it out there amidst all the perils of the world!  The birds were hungry!  So, I tapped the cricket on its tail just to let it know that it could be seen.  As unbelievable as it may seem, the bug backed out of its "semi-hiding" place and crawled over toward my fingers.  It eased up and touched my fingertip before leaping away.  Then it scurried helter-skelter-shelter-seeking!  I think the bug just tagged me!

The next hiding spot was not much better!  My friendly buggy-boo chose a leaf as a means of concealment.  The leaf would have worked well if not for the fact that, once again, the rear of the critter was exposed! I am supposing that as long as the cricket had its head hidden, it thought it was not visible.  This kept up several times.  Each time it would choose a hiding spot, its rear was out in the open just waiting for a bird to spy it.  I would touch the bug..it would back up..come toward me..touch my finger..then hide again. I am not sure if the cricket was enjoying our game of tag but I thought it was rather amusing!  We kept at it until a unexpected rainstorm caught me!  Picking up a handful of mulch, I tossed it on top of the cricket and then made a dash for the front door!  I am sure hoping the little guy stayed hidden and did not become supper for a hungry bird!