The Tarantula Chronicles: Part 6

Jacob is always very careful and gentle with placing his spiders in their new environment.

He provides water and good warm soil and a hide for them to nestle in. He keeps a thermometer and humidity gauge inside.  His Dad owned a tarantula as a kid and is very comfortable checking out this new one. He knows how to pick them up and treat them kindly.

Jacob was also very comfortable right away this this little guy....or I mean gal. She's sweet natured and not easily offended. She doesn't pose in a threat position. She just kinda walks around and enjoys her world.

There's pretty much no place she minds traveling to or visiting.

Jacob encourages others to share in the enjoyment but watches over her like a mother hen. He's very protective and doesn't take his eyes off her. Have I held her yet? No...not yet. I might. I probably will. But not just yet. I'm not ready. I like to admire their beauty....and they ARE beautiful....from the distance of a camera lens.

Jacob's great grandma was willing to look and sit near it but I think the expression on her face says more than any words I could say. Some folks have that reaction.

Have you seen enough yet?

Well, this isn't the end of the story yet.

There's still more to come.

We're on an adventure.

But there will be a slight pause in the
TARANTULA CHRONICLES
as we discuss the options of adding
3 very colorful...yet more serious...
 baby tarantulas to the collection.

Ahhhhh....not so
sure about this decision yet.

I'm just so not sure this is a good idea.
Jacob is sure though.
We'll see.
Stay tuned.

The Tarantula Chronicles: Part 5

Jacob made his choice. It was a good one. A beautiful one. It's called a pink zebra beauty.

She's a female. She has a unibrow. Jake named her Unice. She is friendly. Honestly. A way different personality than testy Mr. Goliath Birdeater who's never going to be friendly no matter how much you feed him and smile at him thru the glass.

So this is the part you may not approve of. We stopped for lunch. And brought her in with us. We couldn't leave her all alone in the van now could we?  It might get hot.  Someone might take her. She might be sad and lonely....well, maybe not that. 

 We were quiet about it. No big deal. It looks like a carry out container anyway. Fits right in.

Who would mind? She's friendly after all.

More to come...yep....more still.

The Tarantula Chronicles: Part 4

Jake decided he wanted a friendly tarantula. Yes...there are friendly ones. So we went off to the Reptile Show in Taylor. In all my years, I've never been to a Reptile Show. I didn't realize there were so many people that loved reptiles. I also never realized you could buy frozen rodents to feed your snakes either. Wow...such a steep learning curve.

Jacob looked at every booth that had tarantulas.  We also briefly looked at some snakes for the "eck" factor. 

Jake talked to the vendors and got some valuable information. One guy was especially fond of his tarantulas and loved to share his knowledge.

He even lifted one up to double check that this was female since Jake was skeptical because his other one was sold as a female and we're almost positive now that it is a male. 

Now here is a a guy who takes tarantulas seriously. Who would tattoo so many on their arms if they weren't something you really really REALLY liked...or loved even.

NOTE to Jacob: Please don't like them this much. I like your arms just the way they are.

More to come...including the trip home and something you may not approve of but we did.

The Tarantula Chronicles: Part 3

Now Jacob decided that 10 gallon tank was just too small. He already had a big 40 gallon tank prepped and ready so he transfered Aragog into it.

He researched more. He joined an online forum called Arachnoboards and posted questions and got answers. The biggest concern was whether this was a female (suppose to be) or a male tarantula.

We got a book. A good one. And immediately he started more reading although he had done plenty already online but they all recommended this book. It has beautiful pictures and a whole bunch of very detailed and honest and helpful information.

Jake was loving having this lively and interesting tarantula. He loved watching it eat big crickets and it was eating good. I think he said it ate around 9 crickets the first week.

Look at those hairs! See them? You don't want them to flick those hairs on you. Oh no. They have little barbs on them. Also, when they lift those back legs they aren't in a happy mood.
Aren't we so glad it's behind that glass...oh, yes I am.

Jacob is intrigued. Jacob is delighted. Jacob never forgets that he now has an extra tank.

You see where I'm going here?  Yes, you're right. 

Jacob has his sights on another one. In fact, he knows which one. 


More coming up.....much more and it involves people with spider tattoos and more snakes around me than I've ever seen all in one place.

The Tarantula Chronicles: Part 2

After selecting a container, soil, water dish and discussing the size of the "hide" he already had we were ready to go. Jake named him Aragog and off we went.

Jake protected him on his lap on the ride home and I drove carefully. He only lifted the lid and peeped in a few times. He was very anxious to get his new friend home and in it's new habitat.

This was the 10 gallon tank he just bought at the suggestion of the pet store owner because the owner felt he needed a smaller tank than the 40 gallon one he already had ready.

Getting the tarantula into it's new home is....wellllll....kinda scary for the Grandma (that's me) watching.

Come on now.....get in there....gently....gently. I know they're fragile. But still. Let's get him in there and put the lid on. Yep...that's what I want to do.

Ok...now....I know what you're thinking. Yes. We did. Pay $89.99 for this tarantula. Oh yes we did. Well....Jake did actually. With his own hard earned money. I was just the "enabler", supporter and photographer/grandma/worrier.

But now...... isn't it a beaut! So worth it, don't you think??

More to come......much more....much.....much more.

The Tarantula Chronicles: Part 1

Jacob is taking me down a road I never expected to visit or never expected to enjoy so much.

I'm calling this adventure our "TARANTULA CHRONICLES".

Jacob is an adventurer. An experimenter. An inventor. Inquisitive to the max. He decided that tarantulas would make an interesting and exciting and enthralling pet. It has been all those things so far.

The first one was acquired from a pet store. Jacob "jumped in with both feet" as they told him on a Tarantula Forum he found online. He got a Goliath Birdeater that is mean and gets large. As large as a dinner plate.

Here's Jacob and the pet store owner discussing his choices. There were two possible ones he selected.  He had called earlier and had researched and knew what he wanted. Haley and Jake looked at the entire selection but quickly zeroed in on the pre-chosen ones.

 

He studied.

He pondered.

He made a choice.

To be continued...........There's more....so much more.

Traditional Candle Lighting Centerpieces

We've done a few of these traditional 

candle lighting centerpieces for 

Bar/Bat Mitzvahs this season.

Sometimes the candles are part of 

the centerpiece.

Sometimes they are in glass holders 

on the sides.

Either way it's a great place to make it 

personalized with a cutout name and often

a photo...sometimes more than one.

No amount of candles seems to be

the "correct amount". We've done

from just one candle to up to

seventeen!  Now that was quite a few

and certainly not the norm. I'll bet 

there were some folks wiggling in

their seats at that one.

I do see a trend towards shorter and

faster candle lightings but I can't image

they will ever stop happening.  

PLACE CARD TICKETS for sports & concert themed parties

We often do themed party placecards.

A popular option is a ticket whether it's for

a sports themed party or a music party.

Often they are free standing foldover 

place cards.  Sometimes they are

single thickness and insert into a

foamcore table top rectangle with

slits cut into it. This is a great option for

a windy area or to keep the place cards 

neat and orderly.

We also have little plastic holders that work

well with place cards that are not the traditional

rectangle shape.

The colorful place card on the top left is easily 

adaptable to changing a picture of either a sports

arena or field or even a musical concert venue.

The ones on the right work best with a 

unique and personalized party logo that

can go in the center.

We always enjoying doing placecards....

even though they are a last minute event and

often have last minute changes. 

It always surprises me when there aren't 

new arrivals and last minute deletions.

Even with all the pre-planning, life

has a way of re-working that placecard list.

Mickey Mouse waffles....life's little pleasures

I've had this Mickey Mouse waffle maker for

over 13 years now. My Mom & Dad bought it for

me before Jacob was born. I just knew I'd be

making Mickey Mouse waffles a bunch of times in the

upcoming years and I have.

Sometimes they have apples in them or strawberries or

blueberries. Sometimes even bananas. I usually 

sprinkle in some wheat germ and use extra eggs. I've

even dropped in some orange juice for flavoring.

They often over run the circle so we have to

scrape off the pieces that do not stay within

the Mickey Mouse shape. That's the mess you

see around bottom.  We wouldn't want to

eat the parts that do not apply....defeats

the purpose don't 'ya think.

Often when we're full there's always room

to pull off an ear on the last waffle.

The ears are the crunchiest.

In a re-model of my kitchen someone

secretly knocked my Mickey Mouse waffle maker

 on the floor and broke a piece on the dial and quietly put

it back on the shelf. I thought it was

done for.  I was so bummed out. 

But Jim fixed it and it's been

going strong for over 7 more years so far.

Behind the waffle maker I have these pretty little

plaques. I love them. Whoever put them in the 

family Christmas grab bag...thank you.

They blend well with my counter tops and also

with my Mickey Mouse waffle maker.

Fussin' & frettin' with my Dad

So since my Dad's in the hospital, we've all been 

in the fussing and fretting mode. 

My Dad's the caretaker and not one to like

being on the receiving end of things.

He tells us to go home as soon as we get there....

over and over.

I told him I was going to take a video of him 

telling us to go home so he could quit saying 

it and we could just watch the video.

Here it is.

Real Men do laundry

 Come on Jake...show your face.

Real men do laundry and I'm proud

of you. Good job you're doing there...

necessary and important and vital

to the family welfare.

Thanks....that's better. Now that

wasn't so hard, was it?

Menorah-type centerpiece for candle lighting ceremonies

Every time we've made one of these 

centerpieces for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Candle Lighting

Ceremony, they've each

been a little different and unique.

Any amount of candles seems to work just fine.

Any type of font blends in well.

We added holographic silver to the top one

and it gave it an interesting 

sparkle and shine.

Even a bit of the party theme can work

on it...like Jordyn's hugs and kisses.

They're just a bit different.

It's The Village of Wolverine Lake.

5 houses down from me is one of our Village signs.

There are a few more around the perimeter of our 

Village of Wolverine Lake but this one is the one I see

the most often. Whoever designed them made a pleasing 

sign that fits the flavor of this Village.

It's placed right near the beginning of the wood 

boardwalk that provides safety and a cool way to travel 

from point A to B.

Here's our quaint wooden boardwalk.

This boardwalk was a long time coming and I'm glad

it's here. It's used often by many people. I'm happy it

was constructed before Michigan took a poop.

January our sign was looking pretty messed up.

 Time had taken it's toll. Michigan winters

can be unkind sometimes.

But now it's lookin' good again.It's a sign to

be proud of and I'm glad fixing it up was put

in the budget.

Mulberry pickin' at the spooky house

There's a spooky windowless house across the lake 

and in a cove....kinda hidden from the rest of the lake.

Thank goodness its hidden away. 

It's the worst looking house on the lake.

 I wrote about the street side view in 

another blog post called Curb Appeal.

But there is a cool mulberry bush hanging

into the lake so there's something positive here.

We kayaked over there and feasted.

You had to grab a branch and pull and

lean and pick. They were soft and

tart and squishy and juicy.

  These guys looked like "survivors" foraging
for food in the wild.

 Good thing the water is shallow here. 

Standing in a kayak is never a really 

good idea.

 But if he fell in maybe it would clean up

his mulberry face!