Wildlife - more life than wild

on the wall of the house I frequent there were several black dots clustered together. I noticed one day that there were some 'little dots' moving around. Rather painstakingly myself and the house owner (more the latter than the former) moved the moving dots out into the garden. This is what they turned into:



We had no idea what the black dots were and were amazed as they turned into these!

On the boat I do not have leaf beetles, but rather endless spiders and the discarded carapace of athropods. I used to be terrified of spiders but decided I really needed to sort it out - especially as my sister gave me a bird eating spider framed in a beautiful box. Desensitisation is a slow and gradual process, but I knew I was getting somewhere when I went into my engine room and was met by a sabre tooth tiger disguised as an 8-legged fiend. Initially I withdrew but decided that when living on a boat being scared of spiders simply isn't an option. It isn't. Now I just object to walking through spiders webs with the spider sitting gracefully at about mouth level - moreso when I have already had my breakfast - euwgh!