Last week was my birthday, and upon returning home from a lovely clothes shopping trip, this was what I found in my garden. I took picture after picture of this rather large grasshopper—probably much to the amusement of anyone watching me—and I am pleased that my little point-and-shoot camera actually got some great pictures. (Next year, I may ask for a better camera for my birthday though.)
I know nothing about these insects, and I am weary that it may have been up to no good on my dwarf fig tree, but it really was a lovely insect.
—”Different fields, different grasshoppers; different seas, different fish.” (Indonesian Proverb)
Amateur Bot-ann-ist 
A belated Happy Birthday. Congrats on getting a bug on your birth day. Mine is in late November when there isn't usually a bug in sight in Chicago.
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Dear Mr Brown Thumb,
I visited Chicago about 10 years ago at the end of January for about 4 days. Like a silly Pacific Northwest native, I thought I could easily walk the flat city. Heck, I'd done so in NYC before, so why not? Chicago almost snapped my face off with its cold and wind. I'd like to see it some other time of the year though when I visit again.
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We have grasshoppers in our garden as well, and I do have the same almost childish fascination with them. As long as they provide entertainment and fascination, I'm prepared to let them have a bite of this and a bite of that; I think that's a fair trade-off.
Now, a swarm of them would be a different matter…
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Dear Ficurinia, I think your grasshopper is actualy a Cicada, much better looking than any grashopper. I've heard that a Cicada brings good luck to the gardener… so, a birthday present for you!
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