A Little Fear on a Friday Morning...

Yesterday morning started out with more than a little panic on my part. Well, not at first. Madeline woke a little before six, about an hour later than normal. (What a treat!) She and I played out in the living room together until Kathleen woke a little before seven. When Kathleen came out into the living room with us, she immediately looked out onto the lanai and said, "Mama, look!"

There, beyond the (blessedly closed) glass doors, we had a not-so-little visitor. Kathleen had spotted this guy, squirming around on the back screen door:



A centipede. A giant (at least to my way of thinking) centipede.

Now, not only is this guy a big, big bug (and I've got real issues with bugs, people), he also has a nasty bite. Centipedes are mentioned in one of the briefings soldiers get when they come to the island. The soldiers are told that although the centipede has a nasty bite, it's not generally poisonous, at least not for adults. It's only trouble for smaller animals, like dogs and cats... and presumably, my little girls.

So, with that horrifying thought, I launched into action. I left the glass doors to the lanai firmly shut and hustled the girls out the front door. I loaded them into the jogging stroller and went for a run, but not before I left a ridiculous, panicked, rambly message for Jim on his cell phone. Jim was already at PT, so I knew he wouldn't get the message immediately, but I was mostly hoping that he'd get the message and come home and get rid of our uninvited house guest before the girls and I got back.

The girls and I did our usual morning run (about 35 minutes of running and then about 20 minutes of playing at the park, so there's something in it for everyone) and then headed home. I was relieved to see Jim's Jeep as we rolled up to the house. Jim, however, was in the kitchen, blissfully oblivious to my panic, not having checked his messages. Babbling and guesturing frantically, I dragged him to the back lanai and pointed out our problem.

I'll spare you all the gory details, but let me say that, armed with some bug spray and a long, sharp tool, Jim masterfully eliminated the centipede. Thank goodness that guy didn't choose to visit while Jim was gone; I'd have been a real wreck!

Oh, and I talked to pest control. They said the centipede was probably an isolated incident, but they're sending someone out to spray the perimeter of our house on Monday, anyway. Whew! We really like visitors, but not that kind of visitor!