Sleep To Shriek in 1.5 Seconds Flat

I leave you with this little island
painting to end your week. 

Just when I thought the island couldn’t throw any more curve balls at me, today I got a wake-up call. Literally.

My eyelids were just starting to separate, and the cobwebs were beginning to clear when a  shriek from upstairs invaded my still half sleeping ears. 

​“Scott! Scott! Come! Quickly! Hurry Up! Now!” 

Yes, all the exclamation points are necessary

I thought, yet again, I had forgotten to lock the door or left the toilet running. I lumbered up the stairs like I usually do to find Andrea in her dressing gown gingerly and quickly carrying a yoga mat out the front door at arm's length. If her arms could have been longer or she could have used a barge pole, I think she would have, gladly.

Immediately, I thought, oh, okay, another cockroach. 

Cockroaches and other bugs usually get that kind of reaction around here, as if they’re trying to escape Stalag 13 and the sirens need to be sounded. 

Most people know me as Scott, some people know I was a Marine, but most people couldn't guess I have a shadow career. In our home, I'm an expert, or at least very experienced, cockroach sweeper. I even swept one up this morning.

Easy peasy. 

Cockroaches are horrible creatures, and even I get a bit squeamish around them, but I don’t shy away from the creepy little crawlers with a shriek! 

One time, I was at a bar in North Carolina. It was just outside of Jacksonville, NC - read Camp Lejeune. It was the kind of a bar that had straw, peanut shells, and other unidentified stuff milling about in the mix. I had my cowboy boots on, and to my surprise, I felt something crawling around my ankle: Yup, my ankle. 

I took that ole cowboy boot off, and a couple of cockroaches scurried out of my boot. Not just one but two cockroaches. I think they were trying to set up housekeeping or something. 

We’ve all had our run-ins with creepy crawlers, I’m sure. 

​There are all kinds of tiny household invaders on the island. Mostly its mosquitos and noseeums, but there are also:

• Cockroaches (crawling and flying), 
• Millipedes (they get everywhere, we even found one in our bed), 
• Geckos (they're rather cute and harmless), 
• Tree boas (I've seen quite a few of them, but never had one of these in our house.  I'm sure a boa could get in if it wanted to), 
• Tarantulas (yes - big hairy spiders - usually found in the garden),  

And what we discovered yesterday morning. 

It was a scorpion, a three-inch-long spikey-tailed scorpion. The critter didn't look all that happy. Maybe I was assuming too much. Perhaps the little bugger was enjoying all the shrieking and stomping going on. I particularly enjoyed that part where Andrea screamed like Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween! 

So, there are now three things I'll consider from now on while on the island:

1. Never reach into a drawer or space I can't see
2. Check my shoes before putting them on
3. Poke anything well before picking it up. 

Though most scorpions won't kill you, they can give you a nasty sting. And really, that's something I really don't want. 

​Until next week, I wish you, scorpion-free peace. 

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