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n And, as if by magic, I’d just finished yesterday’s post and logged into my email, where I found a message about stick insects. Someone had offered some on Freecycle ages ago, and I’d responded, but heard no more, and forgotten about it. If I would ring back, I could go and collect them. So, this afternoon I rang, and arranged to go and pick them up. It was only ten minutes walk away, at the other side of the park, so off I went, got hailed on, and arrived at the house. I was invited in, and a nice young boy brought in a mesh cage with about a hundred babies in it. I gave him a plastic box and he counted out about twelve nymphs. We had a chat about stick insects, and off I popped home. I kitted the big tank out with a variety of plants, and moved the livestock in. Then I did the same for my locusts.
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| Can you see any stick insects? They are camouflaged, after all. |
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| This is one of the babies – it’s about one cm in length! |
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nThe stick insect tank stands on a leaded display cabinet, which I bought from the same seller as the corner unit I showed the other day. They match each other, and were probably bought at the same time from the same source. I paid £10 for this one too. The tank stands on a cloth I bought, with several others, at 20p each from a charity shop in Barnoldswick (which, as the locals do, is pronounced ‘Barlick’).
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nAnd here are the locusts.
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nIn addition to the insects, I sugar-soaped this old plant stand. I’ve had this for years – I bought it for, if I remember aright, one shilling and sixpence (that’s seven and a half new pence for you youngsters), from a second-hand shop in about 1970. When it was dry, it slapped on a coat of red emulsion undercoat. I’m in two minds about it – I may paint it with the same gloss as the other woodwork, or I might lacquer it.
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nRight. It’s Sunday evening, so I’m going to have a glass of stout and watch The Antiques Roadshow.
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