In North Macedonia insects are a way of life.

Not different than anywhere else in the world but here I seem to have a different relationship with them. (Okay, not exactly a relationship but a ‘view’)

Takes spiders for instance, I have no fear of spiders, can’t abide hysterical wenches screaming for a man when they glimpse of a 6-legged creature emerging from under the bed. But here I positively love them.

Why?

They spin wonderful webs. 

Every morning I gleefully count the number of mosquito’s and small flies which they have feasted on. (Apologies, no actually no apologies for any vegetarian who may be reading this. Its called nature.) I am hesitant to remove these spiderwebs so I remove one at a time carefully encouraging the local spider to spin another web in another corner.

Then there is the grasshopper.

Yes it is a grasshopper, I have done extensive research (well I googled the difference between grasshopper, cricket and cicada).

This is the information I have gleaned: The Marsh Meadow Grasshopper is a member of the slant-faced grasshopper group. From the Song of Insects

These grasshoppers create a cacophony of noise all day until after sunset, and then its suddenly quiet. The reason we are surrounded by them is that our garden is still a work in progress.

I think I may be sorry to hear them go.