As I left the house to pick Seamus up this afternoon, I caught my eye on a surprise guest off to my right. Not an unwelcome one, mind you, but a surprise.

She seemed egg-heavy and looking for a place to lay her load down, but she consented to a fifteen-minute photography session after I dashed back into the house and got my macro lens.

She was even gracious about it, not minding at all when the hand she was resting on suddenly swooped up in the air to flip the camera on and off manual focus.

After just a little while, she was relaxed enough with me to groom a little, not minding at all the frantic naughty black cat on the other side of the window.

When I was done, I coaxed her back onto the screen. She was still there when I came home, and sort of nodded a friendly “Hello” at me as I went through the door.

I hope her children stick around here; I do love the mantids, and she’s a beauty. And more gracious than either a human or a feline model; she’s welcome in front of my lens any day.