Creepy-Crawly Connoisseur

My boyfriend is the bestest.  But he has this thing about plastic creepy-crawlies.  The first time he purchased a handful of plastic snakes and spiders, he assured me they would go in a friend's backpack, or in someone's shoe bag at a contra dance.  I innocently believed him.  However, after the cockroach appeared in my shower, a snake in my utensil drawer and various ants and bugs under my pillow and in my  purse, I began to doubt the truthfulness of his intended victim(s).

I must admit, this Halloween he offered a number of contra dancers their choice of spiders.  People's reactions were entertaining, ranging from disgust to unexpected delight.  But I still wonder if the majority of these critters will ever leave the confines of this house.  And the collection continues to grow.  I brace myself any time we walk into a toys store or a nature center; he makes an uncanny bee-line to the plastic bugs section of the store.

I seem to be facing a real pest problem

For example, he found another wonderful selection of bugs just last week at A2Z in Northampton.  There were even a pair of banana slugs!  Who could resist them?  He's a little disappointed that he has not yet found a good house centipede.  But was content with his other purchases.  The spider (which I have not come across yet) and the over-sized ant are impressively realistic.

I had the whole family over this weekend.  My nephew was enthused about the slug on my keyboard and spent some time with my sister hunting down various bugs in the kitchen.  Hmm... maybe next time they're over, I'll tell my nephew that he can keep any bugs he can find.