so nice

to have a yard.

There is no one behind us. Just a canyon. Which is lovely, but it holds some creatures. We found a baby scorpion in our house, at the foot of the stairs. Mark smashed it no problem. But a couple days later Mary, Marlo and I were coming in through the garage and came upon this right in front of the door:

It made no attempt to retreat but rather raised its claws and curled its tail. We scurried in through the front door and I told Mark and he went out to take care of it. I watched him scoop it up on a large piece of cardboard and take it toward the front yard.

We waited inside for the news. He came in and told us it was gone. "What do you mean, gone?" said his mom. Mark (6'5" 215 pounds) said, "It was too big to kill."

This wasn't good enough for my mother in law, who headed out front with a broom in her hand and a rage in her eye. I wasn't there for the massacre, but I heard she let him have it.

She and I went hunting a few nights later, but all we found were black widows. She went through two cans of bug spray.

Now I know all about the urban sprawl and live and let live and all that, but these things are especially dangerous to kids and I'm just not having it. Neither was Mary, that's for sure.

I also want to give her a big THANK YOU, not just for killing varmits, but for cooking, cleaning, feeding, changing diapers, giving baths, playing with Marlo, ironing (she even did onesies), making beds, and generally working like a sweatshop slave for us. You're the best!