20 August 2007

Standing Guard

On Saturday, I was down at the boat telling my next-slip neighbor, Chris, about the six-legged visitor on the boat. The story was reaching its thrilling conclusion about how we eventually forgot the thing was on board when I decided to see if it was still there. So, I reached inside the coaming and.....again shrieked like a little girl as it came climbing out in all its freakish glory.



Chris' first question was "what could it be eating" then he threw out a disturbing thought -- rope mites. I paid good money for my rigging and can't believe that Mauri Pro Sailing would ship me rope mite infested lines. Then again, I am not even really sure that there is such a thing as a rope mite and it would destroy this whole paragraph if I looked it up.

I think I have to get used to my stowaway and come to peace with him/her. Maybe bring him/her some aphids or something as a snack next sail.

First step is to come up with a name. I'm not sure if it's a boy or girl (and I'm not going to turn the beast upside down to check that's for sure) and I don't want to know. If it's a girl, it ate its husband. If it's a boy, it's single and entertaining ladies and will eventually get eaten. I'd just rather not know.

Any name ideas are welcome in the comments.

9 comments:

Brendhan said...

Great. Now I'm in an even BIGGER rush to go sailing.

Chris Vance said...

Give your mantis a gender-inspecific name. I'd suggest Chris, but there are already too many folks named Chris around.

All I know is that you've got a new crew-mate -- just look at those well-developed forearms. Put em on bow duty.

EVK4 said...

OK, so we have to go with Chris, Alex, Pat or something. But what the hell, I'm going to name the little beast Brendhan as that is apparently the only way I'll ever have a Brendhan on my boat.

Zen said...

popeye!

Zen said...

BTW

Mantis are good luck. Well unless you are a male Mantis. Anyway you will not have to worry about insect infestation!

I may steal... er.. borrow that picture. It is too cool to pass up for a Tai Chi Mantis Sailor.

Coming to a blog near you: The Mantis Sailor hhhmmmm or something like that :-)

Carol Anne said...

My first thought is a gender-neutral name from science fiction, since this creature does look otherworldly. "Neo" and "Spock" come to mind.

Or, since the way its front legs fold has led to the species being called "praying," maybe naming the thing after a saint would work: "Francis."

EVK4 said...

Zen, I'll email you a larger copy of the picture.

Chris Vance said...

Cheat the nursing home. Be eaten by a mantis.

Christy ~ Central Air said...

Ugh - no way. Kill it!!