I've been promising my son for almost a year that we could go hunt for bugs in the park. I had tons of excuses not to do it. First, we needed the "equipment." Then, it was the heat. I let it drag on long enough that it was no longer the right season. And don't forget all those days that we already had plans to do something else. Finally, something stopped me from making any more excuses. My son is getting older and way too soon he won't even want to go hunt for bugs with me. So, I decided to stop all the nonsense and organize a Hike it Baby event, because just maybe someone else would want to do it with us.
Well, to put it simply, I had my very first no-show hike today. My son and I showed up just before 9 am and waited until 9:15. No one came. I blame the heat. If I hadn't organized it, I might have bailed, too. At 9 am it was already 32°C/90°F. Since we had all our stuff and were already at the park, we decided to go ahead and find some bugs.
This morning I was super nervous that we wouldn’t find anything because I’m definitely not a bug finding expert! Well, I shouldn't have stressed myself about it because there were plenty of bugs to see. As we began to wander around and look at various tree trunks, we found lots of semis (cicadas) and semi exoskeletons, 2 lizards, several types of butterflies, and a kamakiri (praying mantis). My son was having a great time spotting so many creatures.
Soon an old man walked up to us. He had a big female kabutomushi (Japanese rhinoceros beetle) on a stick. The gentleman kindly gave it to my son, which he promptly put in his bug viewing box. I've seen this many times in Japan. People are, for the most part, very kind to children. They often give them little treats or special things. My son has been gifted amazing paper airplanes from strangers in the park, origami from random people in various offices, and more. The thing that gets me is that it isn't creepy. It is just a simple act of kindness that is often the norm here.
It was pretty hot and the further off the main path and into the cool wooded area we went, the mosquitoes started to attack with vigor despite our bug spray. So, we headed over to the water fountain and stream that kids can play in. We quickly cooled off thanks to wet feet, a nice breeze, and ice wrapped in tenugui on our necks.
Even though the water is in full sun, there are a couple trees near the play area. Suddenly we saw movement on one of the trees. My son checked it out and discovered a large male kabutomushi! Overjoyed at the sight, he grabbed his bug net and captured the special bug. This was the bug he really wanted to find. The females don't have the predominate horn that the males do. And he really wanted that specific bug. He loved showing both beetles to all the other kids at the fountain.
Before we knew it, it was 11:30 and already 36°C/97°F. It was time to head home. But we released both beetles back to where they belong before we left the park. Several people were shocked to see us putting the beetles back onto the tree. However, we felt like it was the right thing to do. Also, I don't want a whole bunch of beetles in my house!
Hunting for bugs in Hikarigaoka Park was such a fun experience for my son. I’m so glad I organized it and made it happen for him. I know I’ll be hearing about for a very long time as he relives the experience through storytelling.
Well, to put it simply, I had my very first no-show hike today. My son and I showed up just before 9 am and waited until 9:15. No one came. I blame the heat. If I hadn't organized it, I might have bailed, too. At 9 am it was already 32°C/90°F. Since we had all our stuff and were already at the park, we decided to go ahead and find some bugs.
This morning I was super nervous that we wouldn’t find anything because I’m definitely not a bug finding expert! Well, I shouldn't have stressed myself about it because there were plenty of bugs to see. As we began to wander around and look at various tree trunks, we found lots of semis (cicadas) and semi exoskeletons, 2 lizards, several types of butterflies, and a kamakiri (praying mantis). My son was having a great time spotting so many creatures.
Soon an old man walked up to us. He had a big female kabutomushi (Japanese rhinoceros beetle) on a stick. The gentleman kindly gave it to my son, which he promptly put in his bug viewing box. I've seen this many times in Japan. People are, for the most part, very kind to children. They often give them little treats or special things. My son has been gifted amazing paper airplanes from strangers in the park, origami from random people in various offices, and more. The thing that gets me is that it isn't creepy. It is just a simple act of kindness that is often the norm here.
It was pretty hot and the further off the main path and into the cool wooded area we went, the mosquitoes started to attack with vigor despite our bug spray. So, we headed over to the water fountain and stream that kids can play in. We quickly cooled off thanks to wet feet, a nice breeze, and ice wrapped in tenugui on our necks.
Even though the water is in full sun, there are a couple trees near the play area. Suddenly we saw movement on one of the trees. My son checked it out and discovered a large male kabutomushi! Overjoyed at the sight, he grabbed his bug net and captured the special bug. This was the bug he really wanted to find. The females don't have the predominate horn that the males do. And he really wanted that specific bug. He loved showing both beetles to all the other kids at the fountain.
Before we knew it, it was 11:30 and already 36°C/97°F. It was time to head home. But we released both beetles back to where they belong before we left the park. Several people were shocked to see us putting the beetles back onto the tree. However, we felt like it was the right thing to do. Also, I don't want a whole bunch of beetles in my house!
Hunting for bugs in Hikarigaoka Park was such a fun experience for my son. I’m so glad I organized it and made it happen for him. I know I’ll be hearing about for a very long time as he relives the experience through storytelling.
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