Saturday, October 06, 2007
Downtown Draw
The Third Annual Downtown Draw was held on the Green today. Below is a sampling of some of the chalk drawings.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Sidewalks & Jaywalking
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to walk from Grand Street to Barnes & Noble. It's a short walk, and there are (I thought) plenty of good sidewalks and crossing lights all the way there. As you can see from the photo below, the sidewalk abruptly and randomly ends just past St. Mary's. There's no crosswalk where the sidewalk ends. So I jaywalked across to the sidewalk on the other side.
The rest of the walk to the mall was on a good sidewalk, except for the disturbing way the guard rail doesn't protect pedestrians from out-of-control cars. Instead, the guard rail pretty much guarantees that the pedestrian will be crushed between the car and the rail.
I hit a new problem when I reached the mall entrance. There is no walkway to the stores, and the railing is positioned so close to the curb that you have to walk in the roadway, which is barely wide enough for cars.
The really sad thing is that this is one of the better areas for pedestrians in Waterbury.
The rest of the walk to the mall was on a good sidewalk, except for the disturbing way the guard rail doesn't protect pedestrians from out-of-control cars. Instead, the guard rail pretty much guarantees that the pedestrian will be crushed between the car and the rail.
I hit a new problem when I reached the mall entrance. There is no walkway to the stores, and the railing is positioned so close to the curb that you have to walk in the roadway, which is barely wide enough for cars.
The really sad thing is that this is one of the better areas for pedestrians in Waterbury.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Thoughts on The War
Because so much of my professional life has been focused on history, many people assume that I must enjoy watching documentaries. Certainly there are plenty of people with similar careers who do enjoy them, but for me, I think it's a case of knowing too much. The magic disappears as soon as you know how the trick is done.
I'm currently watching the Ken Burns documentary, but only because I want to see what his team did with all the material they collected and all the many interviews they conducted. Near the beginning of tonight's episode, while the narrator described racism problems in Mobile, Alabama, they briefly showed a photo supplied to them by the Mattatuck Museum. The photo was taken in 1899 at Ansonia Brass & Copper. But the documentary doesn't explain the images we see. The viewer is left to assume that the images relate directly to the topic they are hearing about. In this case, I think most viewers would assume that the image was of a Mobile factory during the 1940s. And, just past the start of the second hour, they showed a photo of Waterbury's Fulton Market from the 1950s to illustrate something happening in Luverne, Minnesota. It's maddening for me.
I understand why documentary-makers do this. It's a visual medium, and they need to keep viewers supplied with constantly changing images, and with images that appear to illustrate the point being made. It works fine so long as you don't know when they "cheat". I stopped watching documentaries years ago, when I was watching one about Catherine the Great. There was a sequence of images of painted portraits of women, and the documentary presented the images as if they were all of Catherine. I knew that they weren't, and it pretty much ruined the show for me.
Despite all of that, I am enjoying The War, particularly the segments about the home front in all four towns. I think what I'm enjoying the most are the personal stories. At the Mattatuck Museum luncheon with Ken Burns on September 10, Ethel Goldberg (sister of Ray Leopold) spoke eloquently about how each and every person has a "glory" story to tell, and that we should take the time to recognize this about one another.
I'm also impressed by the very different perspective of the battles. World War II, unlike the current war in Iraq, was presented very carefully to the general public. There was a tremendous amount of censorship and propaganda on the part of the US government, which I think led to a sort of mythic remembrance. WWII has frequently been referred to in this country as a "good" war, and the people involved have been labeled "the greatest generation" (which seems very unfair to every other generation!). So far, this documentary has proven that there is no such thing as a good war.
In 1948, the company newsletter for the Princeton Knitting Mill (located in Watertown) ran a selection of employee responses to a question about the anticipated impact of television. One employee believed that television could bring about world peace. His response seems hopelessly naive, but I think he wasn't entirely wrong. Maybe I am hopelessly naive and overly optimistic, but I don't see how anyone could watch something like The War, which emphasizes the miseries and atrocities of all wars, and still think that starting a war is a good idea.
I'm currently watching the Ken Burns documentary, but only because I want to see what his team did with all the material they collected and all the many interviews they conducted. Near the beginning of tonight's episode, while the narrator described racism problems in Mobile, Alabama, they briefly showed a photo supplied to them by the Mattatuck Museum. The photo was taken in 1899 at Ansonia Brass & Copper. But the documentary doesn't explain the images we see. The viewer is left to assume that the images relate directly to the topic they are hearing about. In this case, I think most viewers would assume that the image was of a Mobile factory during the 1940s. And, just past the start of the second hour, they showed a photo of Waterbury's Fulton Market from the 1950s to illustrate something happening in Luverne, Minnesota. It's maddening for me.
I understand why documentary-makers do this. It's a visual medium, and they need to keep viewers supplied with constantly changing images, and with images that appear to illustrate the point being made. It works fine so long as you don't know when they "cheat". I stopped watching documentaries years ago, when I was watching one about Catherine the Great. There was a sequence of images of painted portraits of women, and the documentary presented the images as if they were all of Catherine. I knew that they weren't, and it pretty much ruined the show for me.
Despite all of that, I am enjoying The War, particularly the segments about the home front in all four towns. I think what I'm enjoying the most are the personal stories. At the Mattatuck Museum luncheon with Ken Burns on September 10, Ethel Goldberg (sister of Ray Leopold) spoke eloquently about how each and every person has a "glory" story to tell, and that we should take the time to recognize this about one another.
I'm also impressed by the very different perspective of the battles. World War II, unlike the current war in Iraq, was presented very carefully to the general public. There was a tremendous amount of censorship and propaganda on the part of the US government, which I think led to a sort of mythic remembrance. WWII has frequently been referred to in this country as a "good" war, and the people involved have been labeled "the greatest generation" (which seems very unfair to every other generation!). So far, this documentary has proven that there is no such thing as a good war.
In 1948, the company newsletter for the Princeton Knitting Mill (located in Watertown) ran a selection of employee responses to a question about the anticipated impact of television. One employee believed that television could bring about world peace. His response seems hopelessly naive, but I think he wasn't entirely wrong. Maybe I am hopelessly naive and overly optimistic, but I don't see how anyone could watch something like The War, which emphasizes the miseries and atrocities of all wars, and still think that starting a war is a good idea.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Shakesperience in Earnest
Shakesperience Productions is performing Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest at their new home on Bank Street (in the former M.A. Green building). Last night's show was great -- and sold out. There are three more shows next weekend, Friday & Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2pm.
Brass City Brew Fest 2007
The Second Annual brew fest was held in library park yesterday. The weather cleared up just in time for it to be a sunny afternoon. Today's paper reported that there were 1200 people in attendance. Which explains why I had trouble finding my friend after she wandered off!
There was a classic car show on Grand Street before the beer fest. The cars included one used in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie (I think it is the turquoise car in the middle).
There were a few people who arrived just as the gates opened, drank & ate quickly, then left, presumably for another function.
Early crowds milling about:
Lots of younger beer drinkers. Rumor is that Boru's sold 90 tickets. There were a lot of people at the brew fest wearing Boru's t-shirts.
I overheard a couple of non-drinkers express a wish for coffee. The only non-beer beverages were water and soda.
The ever-popular kettle corn stand near the entrance. There was also food from The Hills and Crossroads Cantina--things like hot dogs, buffalo wings and chili.
Saranac's inflatable bear surveying the scene. It was later duct-taped to someone's back.
By 4pm, a lot of the brewers had run out of beer, but there was enough left to keep everyone going another hour and then some. Crossroads Cantina did a pretty good dinner business afterwards, since a lot of people were parked next to them.
There was a classic car show on Grand Street before the beer fest. The cars included one used in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie (I think it is the turquoise car in the middle).
There were a few people who arrived just as the gates opened, drank & ate quickly, then left, presumably for another function.
Early crowds milling about:
Lots of younger beer drinkers. Rumor is that Boru's sold 90 tickets. There were a lot of people at the brew fest wearing Boru's t-shirts.
I overheard a couple of non-drinkers express a wish for coffee. The only non-beer beverages were water and soda.
The ever-popular kettle corn stand near the entrance. There was also food from The Hills and Crossroads Cantina--things like hot dogs, buffalo wings and chili.
Saranac's inflatable bear surveying the scene. It was later duct-taped to someone's back.
By 4pm, a lot of the brewers had run out of beer, but there was enough left to keep everyone going another hour and then some. Crossroads Cantina did a pretty good dinner business afterwards, since a lot of people were parked next to them.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Burns Day
Ken Burns came to town on Monday. Below are my assorted camera phone pics of the day.
At 12:30 there was a luncheon at the Mattatuck Museum. It was very corporate...
At 3pm, the Mattatuck hosted a celebration to honor WWII veterans. It was a lot more fun than the luncheon.
Next are images of people enjoying the WWII exhibit at the Mattatuck.
At 5pm, there was a rally on the Green, with assorted speeches, music and ceremonies. There had been a lot of back-and-forth during the afternoon about whether or not to move the rally indoors, but the rain held off (but boy was it humid!).
At 6pm, a large group paraded from the Green to the Palace Theater. Just as the parade was starting, one of the police on motorcycles yelled at some kids on bicycles to get out of the way. The cop was really kind of harsh, especially considering that the kids weren't anywhere near the people walking down the middle of the road.
The show at the Palace started at 7pm. I did a mad scramble to get a pair of tickets, and wound up buying upper orchestra seats at discount from someone who didn't need them after all. Burns and Lynn Novick (I think The War really is more her project than his) presented 70 minutes of clips, mostly of Waterbury-related stories, from the documentary.
For many weeks this summer, most of the news about the documentary focused on the inclusion of a couple of swear words that might inspire the FCC to fine any PBS station airing those episodes. I think I read that some PBS stations will blank out the swear words. After watching sections of the documentary that include film footage of the atrocities committed during the war, I can't imagine how anyone could possibly care about the inclusion of foul language. There are no words that come at all close to being as offensive as some of the things that happened.
The War premiers on PBS Sunday, September 23, at 8pm. Burns pointed out that this is coincidentally 17 years to the moment that The Civil War first aired. It sounded like CPTV will be airing the episodes nearly nonstop, so there's no need to worry about missing one. I think watching all of them might be difficult. I think it's going to be very emotionally wrenching.
At 12:30 there was a luncheon at the Mattatuck Museum. It was very corporate...
At 3pm, the Mattatuck hosted a celebration to honor WWII veterans. It was a lot more fun than the luncheon.
Next are images of people enjoying the WWII exhibit at the Mattatuck.
At 5pm, there was a rally on the Green, with assorted speeches, music and ceremonies. There had been a lot of back-and-forth during the afternoon about whether or not to move the rally indoors, but the rain held off (but boy was it humid!).
At 6pm, a large group paraded from the Green to the Palace Theater. Just as the parade was starting, one of the police on motorcycles yelled at some kids on bicycles to get out of the way. The cop was really kind of harsh, especially considering that the kids weren't anywhere near the people walking down the middle of the road.
The show at the Palace started at 7pm. I did a mad scramble to get a pair of tickets, and wound up buying upper orchestra seats at discount from someone who didn't need them after all. Burns and Lynn Novick (I think The War really is more her project than his) presented 70 minutes of clips, mostly of Waterbury-related stories, from the documentary.
For many weeks this summer, most of the news about the documentary focused on the inclusion of a couple of swear words that might inspire the FCC to fine any PBS station airing those episodes. I think I read that some PBS stations will blank out the swear words. After watching sections of the documentary that include film footage of the atrocities committed during the war, I can't imagine how anyone could possibly care about the inclusion of foul language. There are no words that come at all close to being as offensive as some of the things that happened.
The War premiers on PBS Sunday, September 23, at 8pm. Burns pointed out that this is coincidentally 17 years to the moment that The Civil War first aired. It sounded like CPTV will be airing the episodes nearly nonstop, so there's no need to worry about missing one. I think watching all of them might be difficult. I think it's going to be very emotionally wrenching.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
World War II
This weekend, leading up to the Ken Burns day on Monday, there is a WWII encampment on the Green. I stopped by briefly this afternoon to check it out.
Garage Spider
I don't know what kind of spider this is, but she's sort of pretty. Every day she spins a web in the corner of the garage entryway. I have to remember to duck, but so long as the spider stays in the corner, she can stay in my garage.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Unexpected
This praying mantis was hanging out on the side of the Palace Theater at 1pm today. I'm not sure I've ever actually seen one "in the wild" before. I definitely would not have expected to see one downtown. A quick Google shows that this is the State Insect for Connecticut, so I guess there must be more of them in town.
Monday, August 27, 2007
WWII Exhibit
The Mattatuck Museum's exhibit about Waterbury and World War II opens this week with a reception on Thursday, 5:30-7:30. So far (installation is still in progress) it's looking like a good exhibit. Yes, I am biased... but so far the comments I've overheard from museum visitors have been great!
The exhibit, of course, ties in with the Ken Burns documentary. Burns will be in town on September 10th. Full information about the exhibit and related programs at the museum are online at the museum's website.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Getting a Facelift
The Soldiers' Monument on West Main Street at the Green got a makeover today. I don't know if you can tell from the crummy cameraphone photo above, but the bronze has deteriorated over the years, not just turning green but also corroding a bit. But now, just in time for the Ken Burns visit, it's being restored.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Train Travel Time
Update 2/1/2008: This seems to be my most consistently popular blog posts, if only because it's so darn hard to google for the train schedule! For the current train schedule, visit the MTA website.
Here's a little bit of history from the Waterbury American in 1941:
Today the train to NYC takes 2.5 hours, give or take ten minutes depending on which one you catch. In 1941, you still had to transfer in Bridgeport, so why did the trip take half an hour less sixty years ago? Did the trains run faster then? If so, that's certainly not what would have expected.
Also, for whatever reason, I've assumed that the train schedule was better in the past (that mythic era!). But in 1941, there were still only 8 trains a day from Waterbury to New York.
Maybe there were more trains in 1900. Or maybe it's only in this era that people like me want later trains from the city (as I've moaned about before, the last train back to Waterbury leaves Grand Central at 9:07pm -- so if I want to do anything in New York in the evening, I have to stay there overnight or drive part of the way -- and driving defeats the point of taking the train).
Here's a little bit of history from the Waterbury American in 1941:
Today the train to NYC takes 2.5 hours, give or take ten minutes depending on which one you catch. In 1941, you still had to transfer in Bridgeport, so why did the trip take half an hour less sixty years ago? Did the trains run faster then? If so, that's certainly not what would have expected.
Also, for whatever reason, I've assumed that the train schedule was better in the past (that mythic era!). But in 1941, there were still only 8 trains a day from Waterbury to New York.
Maybe there were more trains in 1900. Or maybe it's only in this era that people like me want later trains from the city (as I've moaned about before, the last train back to Waterbury leaves Grand Central at 9:07pm -- so if I want to do anything in New York in the evening, I have to stay there overnight or drive part of the way -- and driving defeats the point of taking the train).
Monday, August 06, 2007
Brass City Brew Fest
The Second Annual Brew Fest will be Saturday, September 15, 1-5pm.
This was a great event last year, except for the icy weather. It's being held about a month earlier this time, so we won't all be huddling in the sun for warmth.
Full info on the event website: www.brasscitybrewfest.com
Click here to go to my blog post (with pictures) from last year.
This was a great event last year, except for the icy weather. It's being held about a month earlier this time, so we won't all be huddling in the sun for warmth.
Full info on the event website: www.brasscitybrewfest.com
Click here to go to my blog post (with pictures) from last year.
Monday, July 30, 2007
City Services
I tried calling the Water Department this morning to find out why I've been billed for service from before I bought my house. The woman who answered the phone did a terrible job of explaining my bill to me. She kept quoting numbers that didn't match the numbers on my bill, and she couldn't clearly explain if I was being charged an estimated amount or an exact amount. She did explain that when I bought the house, I bought the water bill (although the seller made a payment to them at closing which was supposed to cover the expenses). I tried calling my attorney, but he couldn't figure out much either.
My house does have a remote water meter sensor attached to the front porch. In theory, the water bill is an accurate reflection of the water usage. The numbers on the meter inside, however, are a lot higher the numbers on the bill. This caused me to panic, because it seemed to suggest I might end up owing hundred of dollars for water used before I bought the house.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for one of the city-issued blue trash receptacles. My house used to have one, every other house on the street has one, but mine is gone. The orange recycling bin is also gone, but the refuse department was able to get me a new one immediately. For the blue trash bin, the best they could do was put me on "a list." This was several weeks ago. Not having a trash bin means I have to store the trash in the basement and bring it out in time for pickup on Monday mornings. Home Depot has bins that look compatible with Waterbury's trucks. Maybe tomorrow I'll call the refuse department again, ask how long of a wait there is for the blue bins, then ask if the HD bins will work. It's probably too much to hope that I could get a refund on my taxes for buying my own bin, but storing my trash in the basement isn't a lot of fun.
The phone line isn't a city service, but this seems like a good place to mention that it isn't working. The phone thinks it's in use and has been since sometime last night. AT&T says they'll send a repairman on Wednesday between 8am and 5pm (I don't have to be here). The problem seems odd to me, since anyone calling me will get a busy signal, even though I have call waiting. Tech mysteries.
My house does have a remote water meter sensor attached to the front porch. In theory, the water bill is an accurate reflection of the water usage. The numbers on the meter inside, however, are a lot higher the numbers on the bill. This caused me to panic, because it seemed to suggest I might end up owing hundred of dollars for water used before I bought the house.
Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for one of the city-issued blue trash receptacles. My house used to have one, every other house on the street has one, but mine is gone. The orange recycling bin is also gone, but the refuse department was able to get me a new one immediately. For the blue trash bin, the best they could do was put me on "a list." This was several weeks ago. Not having a trash bin means I have to store the trash in the basement and bring it out in time for pickup on Monday mornings. Home Depot has bins that look compatible with Waterbury's trucks. Maybe tomorrow I'll call the refuse department again, ask how long of a wait there is for the blue bins, then ask if the HD bins will work. It's probably too much to hope that I could get a refund on my taxes for buying my own bin, but storing my trash in the basement isn't a lot of fun.
The phone line isn't a city service, but this seems like a good place to mention that it isn't working. The phone thinks it's in use and has been since sometime last night. AT&T says they'll send a repairman on Wednesday between 8am and 5pm (I don't have to be here). The problem seems odd to me, since anyone calling me will get a busy signal, even though I have call waiting. Tech mysteries.
Back to School
Summer's almost over. Judging by the weather, I'd say that summer is in full swing with no end in sight, but a shopping trip last week for new sandals taught me otherwise. I had a hard time finding new sandals, because the stores are almost completely sold out. I strolled past swimsuits to see if maybe there was something better than what I currently have, but all that is left are the dregs, and even they are being crowded out by winter coats. Forget trying to by a new summer dress. There aren't any in sight. Just endless miles of back-to-school clothes. Worst of all are the stores that decide to do a Christmas in July sale. I'm thinking about visits to the beach, and the stores are trying to get me to buy Christmas ornaments.
I'm sure the seasonal changeover is a system that works for the merchants, but I can't help wishing that I could buy my clothes when I need them.
I'm sure the seasonal changeover is a system that works for the merchants, but I can't help wishing that I could buy my clothes when I need them.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Lucky Pennies
As I've been fixing up each room of my new house, I've noticed that each room, closet and hallway has a dusty old penny lying face up. In most rooms the penny is on the floor near the baseboard and would have been under the wall-to-wall carpeting the previous owner installed. There's also a penny on the molding over the front door.
I did some googling and learned that this is possibly a Catholic tradition. I found postings from people saying that this was something their Irish Catholic or Italian grandmother taught them. The basic idea (there were many variations) seems to be that you should leave a penny in each room to bring good luck for the next person to live there. Which is really very nice, doing something to bring good fortune to a stranger.
I wonder how long this has existed, and why pennies? Once, on a tour in Bath, England, I learned that the ancient Romans may have started the wishing well tradition--in their case making an offering to the gods by tossing coins into a well. What, then, is the origin of pennies in each room bringing good luck?
I think there must be a lot of superstitious things for the home. Crickets on the hearth, horseshoes over the doors, pennies in every room.
There is a store at the Brass Mill mall that sells mostly Chinese goods. I strolled through there a few weeks after buying my house and bought a bundle of white sage, because it had a label stating that burning the sage would dispel negative energy. It seemed a little bit like having a priest bless your new home. If nothing else, it smelled very nice.
My thanks to whomever it was who left the pennies. When it comes to luck, every little bit helps!
I did some googling and learned that this is possibly a Catholic tradition. I found postings from people saying that this was something their Irish Catholic or Italian grandmother taught them. The basic idea (there were many variations) seems to be that you should leave a penny in each room to bring good luck for the next person to live there. Which is really very nice, doing something to bring good fortune to a stranger.
I wonder how long this has existed, and why pennies? Once, on a tour in Bath, England, I learned that the ancient Romans may have started the wishing well tradition--in their case making an offering to the gods by tossing coins into a well. What, then, is the origin of pennies in each room bringing good luck?
I think there must be a lot of superstitious things for the home. Crickets on the hearth, horseshoes over the doors, pennies in every room.
There is a store at the Brass Mill mall that sells mostly Chinese goods. I strolled through there a few weeks after buying my house and bought a bundle of white sage, because it had a label stating that burning the sage would dispel negative energy. It seemed a little bit like having a priest bless your new home. If nothing else, it smelled very nice.
My thanks to whomever it was who left the pennies. When it comes to luck, every little bit helps!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tabitha Again
The woman who has been using my phone number for her credit scams is still at it. Wachovia called me today with an important message for Tabitha. Her name nowadays is Tabitha Hollister. It really amazes me that she's been able to keep this going for five years (at least). She applies for credit using other peoples' phone numbers and a PO Boxes in nearby towns. Collection agencies have tried hunting her down, apparently without success. She's changed her name only a few times, but sticks with similar-sounding names.
I guess what amazes me now is the length of time she's able to use the name Tabitha Hollister with my phone number. Given the pervasiveness of computers, I would think that creditors share information, but I guess they don't.
When I recently purchased a washing machine at Sears, I was able to see the names and addresses their computer associates with my phone number. There were two other people from years gone by, but neither was Ms. Tabby.
I guess what amazes me now is the length of time she's able to use the name Tabitha Hollister with my phone number. Given the pervasiveness of computers, I would think that creditors share information, but I guess they don't.
When I recently purchased a washing machine at Sears, I was able to see the names and addresses their computer associates with my phone number. There were two other people from years gone by, but neither was Ms. Tabby.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Fear Factor Home Edition
When I bought my house a month ago, the garage was locked and the seller had lost the key. Today I finally worked up the courage to go in through the broken-out, boarded up window (and successfully unlocked the door). Half the window board had fallen on the ground sometime last year (I'm guessing), and when I lifted it up while cleaning the yard, I got a good look at the creepy crawlies living in my yard. I had seen the same creepy crawlies weeks earlier in the back yard. I've wimped out and swiped photos from websites instead of taking my own photos (I might remedy this in the future).
The first photo (swiped from the state DEP wildlife website) is of the one non-creepy crawly. Northern Redback salamanders. They're really kind of cute. They have a funny side-to-side way of running. Sort of a mix between running and slithering. I saw them when I picked up a tarp in the back yard.
The woodlouse (below) is the least creepy of the creepys. They are living under every rock, board and log. When I pulled off the last remaining board from the metal window frame I had to crawl through, there were woodlice (and cobwebs) which had to be brushed away.
Woodlice are the cattle of the bug world. They huddle together in large numbers and get picked off by extremely creepy crawly predators. Which is why climbing through a window possibly hiding the creepy crawly predators made me think of Fear Factor.
Here's a Dysdera crocata (woodlouse spider) doing the predator thing:
I couldn't find a single photo of the woodlouse spider that really captured the full extent of its creepiness. The above photo gives you a good sense of its color--bright red legs and head, shiny beige body. The below photo gives a better sense of the view I get of them, although the brown body is typically fatter, almost ready to explode, like a tick that's completely engorged. So nasty. Some people are allergic to its venom, although supposedly it rarely bites.
I couldn't find a photo of the creepiest crawly, so I used this photo (below) of a centipede found in Hawaii. The centipedes in my yard are bright red and just plain mean looking. They make this Hawaiian centipede look tame.
So there you have it. Waterbury's creepy crawlies, some of which can cause a fair amount of pain when they bite. All yard work will be done with gloves, heavy shoes and thick socks!
The first photo (swiped from the state DEP wildlife website) is of the one non-creepy crawly. Northern Redback salamanders. They're really kind of cute. They have a funny side-to-side way of running. Sort of a mix between running and slithering. I saw them when I picked up a tarp in the back yard.
The woodlouse (below) is the least creepy of the creepys. They are living under every rock, board and log. When I pulled off the last remaining board from the metal window frame I had to crawl through, there were woodlice (and cobwebs) which had to be brushed away.
Woodlice are the cattle of the bug world. They huddle together in large numbers and get picked off by extremely creepy crawly predators. Which is why climbing through a window possibly hiding the creepy crawly predators made me think of Fear Factor.
Here's a Dysdera crocata (woodlouse spider) doing the predator thing:
I couldn't find a single photo of the woodlouse spider that really captured the full extent of its creepiness. The above photo gives you a good sense of its color--bright red legs and head, shiny beige body. The below photo gives a better sense of the view I get of them, although the brown body is typically fatter, almost ready to explode, like a tick that's completely engorged. So nasty. Some people are allergic to its venom, although supposedly it rarely bites.
I couldn't find a photo of the creepiest crawly, so I used this photo (below) of a centipede found in Hawaii. The centipedes in my yard are bright red and just plain mean looking. They make this Hawaiian centipede look tame.
So there you have it. Waterbury's creepy crawlies, some of which can cause a fair amount of pain when they bite. All yard work will be done with gloves, heavy shoes and thick socks!
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