If you’re living on the fourth floor of a building somewhere, you don’t expect anyone to be looking through the window at you from outside. And, while this may sound as if I’m stating the obvious, think again.
Now, my apartment has loft ceilings, and windows so large they make me think of Montana – Big Sky Country. Once in a while I’ll see a raven fly by. It’s exhilarating.
I love looking out the window at the sky, the ever-changing cloud formations (when there are clouds). Needless to say, when you look out a fourth-floor window, you don’t expect anyone of any walk of life to be looking back at you.
Like I said, think again. One was looking back at me. For the first time in some 60 years, I looked out the window and someone NO COMMA NEEDED I’ve decided to name Frank, was looking back at me.
Frank is a praying mantis.
There’s a lot of myth and mystery around the praying mantis: “One of the earliest mantis references is in the ancient Chinese dictionary Erya, which gives its attributes in poetry, where it represents courage and fearlessness, and a brief description.”
I understand the praying can be two to five inches long. Frank, I am proud to say, is in the five-inch neighborhood.
Frank hung out, if you’ll forgive the pun, for several hours. Never moved. Just watched me.
I grew fond of his company and noticed I missed him as soon as he was gone.
I hope he comes back.