Strange Bedfellows

I have forged many friendships since my arrival in camp however none have been more intimate than with Africa's smallest creatures. Although I do have a can of "Doom" (local insect spray) at my disposal and within easy reach, I can honestly say I have yet to use it though the urge to do so has not always escaped me. With fierce determination, I have driven several creatures out of my tent only to find that others have taken up residence. It all comes down to mutual respect. Case in point...a long legged spider had taken up residence between my sink and the soap dish. It would occasionally wander onto my bar of soap and as long as I did not require use of the soap I was more than happy to let it reside there as it also kept an eye out for other undesirables. Then of course there was the large bow wheevil (I think?) that strategically positioned itself in the middle of the bathroom floor between the entrance and the flush. Naturally, I tiptoed around it. No need to look under the bed as that is where you would find the crickets chirping you to sleep.  Now this isn't to say there haven't been some exceptions to the use of an insecticide. Although not having handled the Doom myself, I will say there have been moments I have readily encouraged and cheered others on to do so - such as yesterday. The camp office had become a magnet for stinging insects. With stealth like manoeuvrability, giant wasps (anything bigger than my thumb is giant), were using our heads for target practice. We would chase them out of the office, zipper the tent fly only to discover we had sealed ourselves in with at least one enemy operative. The final answer; unleash the Doom!  At times this strategy worked but generally, it was just plain safer to wait them out. Unless they were siyafu (biting ants), in which case I would recommend a complete detour of the area. Then of course there is the inevitable EEEEEKKKK moments. You scurry one way and they, another...some of the time. This evening, while I lay awake in bed, a moth fell on my face. No need to panic you might say as it is only a harmless winged creature but in the dark, EVERYTHING is amplified. It felt and sounded so much bigger in the pitch blackness. I swatted at the air until I was sure that not even a dust spec could find its way onto my pillow which is also why I am now journalling with a flashlight at an unreasonable hour. With all the good, the bad and the ugly, I have discovered that these creatures are as fascinating as they look and sound. Now about the snakes...