Those of us who came to our rock from urban settings tend to be accustomed to living in sheltered environments where critters of all kinds were never to be seen inside a house, and preferably not outside either.
In this way, moving to an island can require quite a bit of adjustment. Your home is no longer just your home. Geckos, birds, crickets, tiny whistling frogs, spiders, and many more island creatures stake their claim – your home is their home.
I’ve come to a point where I don’t mind sharing – most are welcome. Most. Though let it be noted that I have NEVER and will NEVER accept cockroaches as roommates.
It’s amazing how much fun we’ve gotten out of watching some of these critters in and around our home. For example, we put out a jar lid on the verandah with water and our resident geckos come to drink. They are also quite happy to gobble up the small green worms which get into pigeon peas & when we sit shelling them, they gobble them up as soon as we put them down. I love that there’s no waste here.
But the most fun I have is watching these critters “clean house” for me.
Early in the morning, the house wren comes along and climbs up the wall to get all the bugs stuck there, having been attracted during the night by our security lights. (Yes, they do CLIMB up the wall.) Their relatives, the bananaquits, will land on the windowsill and pick off whatever is there. The mocking birds prefer larger fare – moths and crickets. The geckos will come inside the house and look for any and all moving winged or crawling things, and patiently wait for the opportune moment to grab them. While many people are afraid of spiders, they too are an integral part of my cleaning crew, mostly catching flies, mosquitos, and other small creepy crawlies.
For our feathered friends, the reward is our bird bath in the garden. Unfortunately, this is one thing no one but us cleans, but it is also a source of amusement.
While we love all the critter activity in our home, some of our rock friends can’t quite get used to them and go to great (and usually ineffective) lengths to get rid of the “cleaning crew,” thereby, in my opinion, depriving themselves of a lot of fun.
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Which island critters play “cleaning crew” at your house?
Current Rock of Residence:
Grenada
Island Girl Since:
1968, but full time since 2013
Originally Hails From:
Chicago, USA
Maria has lived many lives in many places but has never felt happier than on her current rock in the sun, Grenada. In a former life, for many years she was a successful realtor in Chicago. Ironically, Maria has found buying a new pad in the Grenadian marketplace to have many plot twists… but she loves exploring, meeting new people, and growing a year-round garden in the sun.
One of Maria’s new missions is to communicate with folks back home and to teach them about the Spice Island – its unique produce, lively culture, and welcoming ways. Maria is an avid lover of life who seeks to try new foods and meet new people.
Back in a past life, Maria was a huge supporter of the opera, theatre, and was active in many civic organizations and causes. She has now limited her organizational involvement to being active in the Grenada Association of Retired Persons. She’s happy to share her adventure with her wonderful husband of many years. Together, they share a large family and love to show their kids and grandkids around their lovely island home.
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