Since this is my first official entry here, I feel like I'm the new kid in school. I'm honored to be a part of this Band of Brothers. I've been reading it for a while and enjoying the great writing from cool women.

Have you ever really looked at a Stick Insect? Walking Sticks are very common here in Florida. When you see a family of them, you'd almost think Disney's been creating genetically engineered Insects. (I wouldn't put it past them!) They're that gratuitously cute.

You'll usually see two large Walking Sticks, followed closely by three or four small ones, perfect miniatures of the adults.

Living out here, I've got a 3 year old cousin nearby. I love taking him out in the backyard to look for bugs of all kinds. I enjoy it as much as he does.

It's funny that we humans sometimes think life only exists at around 4 feet or higher when really, whole worlds exist under our feet.

Imagine living in that incredibly diverse world. Where some creatures fly, swooping down to graze your antennae...or try and make a meal of you! Where every day is a struggle to exist and you wouldn't know what a checkbook or Happy Meal was if one hit you on the head (and one just might!).

Sometimes all it takes to change a bad day is to catch the sun glinting off a Beetle, turning it into a walking jewel, or picking up a fuzzy Caterpillar that's been struggling across a busy street and moving it from the hazards of the road into the uncertain wilds of the nearest front lawn.

Of course, my love for tiny creatures does not extend to spiders in the bathtub or ants in the kitchen.