It's A Giant Ladybug! It's A Bee! It's A Beetle Rolled into One!

It was almost 21:00 but the earth is still bright on this side of the world so hanging out in the garden has been a usual habit for us two these days. The only blackbird couple we see around flew back to their nest somewhere and three of what's left of the nine swallows in the vicinity were still soaring the sky but quietly this time.

We just had dinner and we usually never had dinner this late but I was knocked out after 16:00, I hit the bed and got up at past 20:00. Luckily, I made too much salmon maki roll that day so I just whipped us a salad and shared the left over salmon maki rolls for dinner.

We've just finished eating and I noticed one broken red carnation bloom so I asked my husband whether he accidentally knocked it off. He said he didn't and went in the greenhouse counting how many strawberries were all ready for the picking for breakfast the next morning and left me fuzzing about it must be the frogs leaping so high again pestering the bumblebees kissing those florets cause I've seen them do that several times this sunny week already.

I sniffed each carnation enjoying the light vanilla like scent each of them have and I had to hold sticking my nose on this one when I saw him between those florets.

"Honey! A bug's hiding between the carnation florets!"

and I ran back into the house to grab my D Eye before he could give me an answer.

"Honey, it's a lady bug! Uhmm.. it looks like a bee though!"

Snap! Snap! went the D Eye but since it was almost dark my camera just gave me this blurry shot. He was tucked in like so in his soft fragrant bed.

"Leave him alone!"

;says my husband.

"I'll just check out what sort of bee this is, one clear shot and I'll put him back in promise!"

I said excitedly, while my better half continues his musings in the greenhouse. Carefully, I cleared the florets and carefully piked him up with my index finger and thumb and set him on my palm.

"Oh, it's a beetle! Come, take a look! He's beautiful!"

"How did you know?"

;asked my husband who probably got curious and finally came out of the greenhouse leaving the door close behind him, rushing towards me to see what on earth I was going gaga about.

"The antenna, it's a beetle's antenna! Plus he looks like a beetle!"

We both agreed he's beautiful! I was again asked to put it back and leave it alone while he took the tray of dishes back into the kitchen.

Sleepily, he hang on to my palm why my other hand tries to take this shot. I got it so I carefully put him back between the florets. I took more shots of the sluggish guy till he crawled back in between where he'd look well hidden. I couldn't resist! It's the first time I've seen this guest in my garden in all my years of being here. It's the first time I've seen a bug like this all my life!

I have a confession to make, that night, I thought of committing a bug napping! However, a memory with my grandfather (in my dad's side) flashed back. We used to have plenty of a beetle we call "Kulibubog" in our mango tree back then. We used to play with them but as you know, back then we were ignorant kids. We used to tie a thread on one of their legs and let them fly like kites then release them back to the mango tree at dusk. Don't worry we cut the threads off their legs without hurting the bug. They even had some sort of a mini contest back then.

My grandfather always asked us to release them at dark and told us it's cause they eat dew. Whether it was true or not, I was a kid so we just believed that. I'm an adult now but that conditioning prevented me from bug napping this guy that night and of course, I don't really know what he eats so I'll probably just make him suffer.

If there's one thing I hate - it's people who likes meddling with me as if they know better how to live my life thinking they're saving me from making mistakes, which I am also very much allowed to make.

IMHO Just like no one else can live a person's life better than that person's self no matter how concern we are, meddling would just probably make that person unhappy even if that person's your child .. and IMHO, the same applies with a bug. In other words, he knows best how to live his life!

Even though, I really just wanted to take a closer look of him the next day, I had to let the thought go because he'd be happier being left alone. Hopefully, I see him again on another plant.

I have been checking out the carnation blooms ever since this encounter but no sight of return yet. If this is a new bug in sight, it's first seen in my garden.

Are you from The Netherlands, have you seen this bug? One percent up to the first one who could identify it with a valid source. Would you have thought of bug napping him for a day or two, too? I wonder ... if so, why?