Beetles, Bugs and Butterflies

The title won't mean a lot to folk who haven't experienced the delights of Charlie and Lola in books or on TV (kids stories).

Another day of photographing bugs. You can see some of them from the last few days here if you're really into wee beasties. Today's star is, happily for me, very dead. He was found in the pool filter.

I should confess that, along with many many other daft fears, I have a thing about bugs. I just don't like them. It started with earwigs I think (thanks to my 'lovely' Aunty Kath telling me they crawl in your ears and eat your brains) and just grew from there. So when I got up this morning and was just staggering kettle-ward with tea on my mind, I got a bit of a fright when the rest of the family cornered me with this fella. Still, I think my throat closing up so I didn't feel I could breath was an overreaction. I blame lack of caffeine.

I calmed down once I was behind the camera. He was really quite beautiful - with his iridescent colours, scary mouth parts and, best of all, deadness.

More rain this afternoon - Mr B made the kids swim in it anyway ("What, are you scared you'll get wet??"), and we taught Katherine handstands and forward rolls in the water. Much fun.