The week started off with a trip to the Butterfly Pavillion just outside of Denver. I had read on their front door that this was an invertebrate museum, and knew fully well that all species of insects would be found here. I had already made up my mind, that no way, no how am I letting a tarantula touch my hand—I don't care if they are fuzzy and light and don't bite or are not poisonous. Yikes! No way! We walked into the main building and of course, this is where all the spiders, scorpions and cockroaches are. I actually had to leave the room for a few minutes after seeing this guy! I don't know exactly how big this was, but if memory serves me right it was something like 10 feet across.
After leaving the room for a bit, I finally worked up the nerve to let Rosie walk across my hand. I was literally shaking from SpiderFreakoutis™, but let her walk across me. Light, fuzzy and not that bad. I still don't want one in my house, but not the most horrifying experience in the world. Of course, Mom didn't get my camera to work so all I have is a sticker for proof and a picture of the insect walking on her hand. I will admit, my camera does funny things sometimes.
Next up were the cockroaches. They don't bother me nearly as much as the spiders and what is even weirder still, I had butterflies land on me left and right and had no problem at all with them. The top image is the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach and for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the roaches on the bottom image. They're actually quite pretty in person.
After visiting the Arthropods, you get to see a few creatures of the ocean—starfish and horseshoe crabs. I didn't take any pictures of them as I was still getting my shaking hands under control after "petting" Rosie. After all the interior sections, you get to go out into a huge arboretum where all the butterflies and plants are. All of them were quite pretty and very active as the day was rather warm.
"MOTHRA… MOTHRA…"
Up next… Penzies Spice Company in Arvada Colorado.
1 comments:
I held Rosie too. Spiders don't bother me, but cockroaches...ugh. Maybe it's because down here we have all these wonderful little spiders that nest in crannies in my bathroom and eat all the ants and mosquitos that get in, pulling their weight, so to speak. Roaches, on the other hand, have no redeeming characteristics and merely freeload.
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