Spring has arrived ! And so has a new guest...

Happy spring everyone!!

How's the weather in your part of the world?

Here in Morocco it really does feel like spring has arrived. It was lovely and hot today. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky.

It's nice to spend some time outside and wear spring/summer outfits.

But spring also means that nasty little creatures will be back out and about. 

The creatures I'm talking about are scorpions. They also like basking under the sun...especially on my patio...

I'm not afraid of many things, but scorpions really scare me. 

They freak me out but fascinate me at the same time. 

How did nature create such an invincible creature? 

A sort of mix between a lobster, a wasp and a spider. 

A sting at the end of it's tail that injects a powerful venom, capable of taking down a predator or enemy many time's it size. It's also covered by a protective armor, enabling it to survive a fire or a nuclear bomb.

Invincible and fascinating ... and scary

I don't like these little guys much, but my patio and garden is their home as much as it is mine. They were here before me. I leave them alone, let them get on with their own thing and stay out of their way. You just have to be careful and you won't get stung (like check your shoes and be wary when you move any plant pot or stone.

One thing that really worries me is our dog Hermès... 

I don't think he realizes how dangerous these little beasts are. For him anything that moves looks like a fun toy or friend to play with. I'm really scared than one day he will get stung...

So the other day when I heard him barking, my first thought was : scorpion!
I rushed outside to find Hermès trying to play with (or trying to eat, I'm not sure) another creature...
To my great relief it wasn't a scorpion...
It was a tortoise!

I have no idea where he came from or how he got into our closed garden. 

We've named him Koopa. He seems to like his new home, he spends most of his time wandering and roaming around the garden and house. I'm surprised how tame he is. He likes to come and sit by my feet, and seems to love being stroked on the head! Maybe he was somebody's pet before? Maybe that's how he got into our garden...(we've already had people 'throw' puppies over our wall in the past, sadly nothing surprises me anymore).

I hope he stays with us :) I've always loved tortoises and he's a real cutie! I think he'll become the mascot for my rally raid team ^^

(More about the upcoming rally soon!)

Take care!