I completed Project Light yesterday in the studio but was so disheartened yesterday that I could not write until this morning. I have decided that men (at least most of them) should never have access to poison or anything that can kill things because they are inhumane, serpent brained (Jerry’s explanation), and do not value living things. I say this because unbeknownst to me after we started moving everything in the studio yesterday Christopher decided to spray the entire studio with bug poison. Palmetto Bugs started flying out from every direction, landing on me, and dying a slow agonizing death. I did not know what to do, whether to let them die slowly and painfully or to squish them to get them out of their misery. I decided that squishing them was better than watching them suffer and spent most of the day assisting upside down palmetto bugs into their next life. I also spent most of the afternoon in tears. It made being happy about the lighting in the studio impossible. I should have known that something like this would happen since I was forewarned by the X-files Palmetto Bug episode the night before. This made me feel even worse that I was not looking for it.
Christopher and I had to have a discussion about the use of poison of any kind at our house. It falls in the same place as cutting our trees without telling me first. He likes to chop them to death and gets cutting happy. He doesn’t like this rule but has acquiesced because well simply put it’s just easier for him than dealing with me after. I understand that trees have to be trimmed and that you don’t want your house overrun with bugs but at least them know in advance so that they can prepare.
The revenge of the insects started this morning. I was bitten twice on the way to work by mosquitoes and have huge welts on my legs. I also had a clinger on my car (a spider) that was spinning like a top from the wind. I decided that in an effort to replace some of the bug karma I was responsible for I should stop and rescue it. It promptly landed on me and crawled up my skirt. I was in the middle of the street jumping up and down trying to find it. A woman stopped to ask me if I was ok. She was nice enough to stop too and help me check myself. We never did find the spider and everything my skin crawls I think it’s on me. I guess I deserve this.
I also found out we have a rat in the Darkroom. I have asked Christopher to put a living trap (not poison or one that springs and kills or dismembers) in the room and am hoping we will catch it. Now I am also concerned when I am developing prints that the glowing red dots are rat eyes. Not a good day.
But since Project Light was successful (we have light) I will post some pictures so you can see. It took all day to reorient the workspace and hang the lights. I don’t know if it was worth it (today) but I am sure I will be happy about it in the future.
Christopher the Great Palmetto Bug Killer
Rearranging the Work Space
Everything in disarray
It doesn’t look like much but it took all day








