Isopod with Mattress Tag by Chipka
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Description
One of the side-effects of working in the moving business is the acquisition of random odds-and-ends. Old mattresses are among such dubious treasures. One of the side-effects of working in the moving business, with trucks at home in a somewhat dubious stretch of South Side Chicago real estate is the accumulation of sometimes-cryptic odds-and-ends in the most unlikely places. I don’t know where the mattress once attached to this tag has gone, but I know that the tag itself remained in the truck-yard long enough to start rotting. It was one of those tags you aren’t supposed to remove: the kind everyone leaves on the mattresses in question, simply because the warnings on the tags were not written correctly. (The owner of the mattress can remove the tags, but store employees are required to leave them in place.)
One of the benefits of working in the moving business (while making use of a South Side Chicago truck-yard) is the abundance of insects, crustaceans, gastropods, and hamburger-stealing dogs, all living in a sort of complex ecological balance. On the day I nabbed this photograph, it was too early for hamburgers (and thus, too early for the canine security staff to take an interest in anything I was potentially eating, though Rover did make a cursory inspection of my coffee cup, just to see if he actually liked coffee. I think it’s safe to say that he has no interest in the stuff.) The day’s work had already begun, but there was precious little to do, and so I wandered around with my camera for a few moments. It was spring-time. It was damp. There were woodlice. Everywhere.
This particular woodlouse is a juvenile (or was, at the time I made this photograph.) As I approached, it decided to scurry for cover. In that particular instant, cover was a mattress tag, ripped from its parent object and left to rot in rain and other urban elements. The woodlouse in question scurried under it and I simply turned it over, and nabbed a few shots. This was the best of such shots to come out. I remember that day, clearly, not because of what work I did, but simply because a woodlouse formed an important part of the morning. It’s funny what a small, land-dwelling crustacean will do to one’s perception of a particular day…but as I’ve always said: it’s a good day if woodlice are involved.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week.
Comments (23)
Faemike55
Very cool capture and narrative
Nod
Excellent detail. They apparently taste like crab.
bmac62
Good to have an update on the truck yard woodlouse population. This big boy looks very fit and even appears to have a sheen to his armor:) Obviously, the truck yard suits his life style very well. Excellent image supported by a wonderful, journalistic Chipnerian commentary. Nothing better!
mgtcs
Love the description of the truck-yard as an ecosystem. It is indeed. I have been around many such environments when growing up, but never appreciated the intellectual beauty of the relatively closed biological system they represented. The image itself reminds one of something from a scifi movie... Mutant insects crawling around a post-apocalyptic world where the only thing left are the remains of a human population killed by its own hand in a tragic nuclear war. Lovely.
mbz2662
I thought "he" could possibly be checking the tag to see if the mattress was over 8 ;) Nice shot and even better narrative. My cat likes to check out my coffee, even though he doesn't have interest in consuming it. Silly animals. ;)
dashboard_jehovah
A lawyer was probably involved in the making of that tag...glad they are not interested in louse's and their like!
neoexcello
One of my favorite critters, so thoroughly benign. Read somewhere about one of their prime motivations...go forward until you run into something, then stop. Ah, if life were that simple. Great shot, charming thoughts.
awilddogg
it's a good day when ever there is life, no matter how small.... an interesting contrast with man made tag.
MrsRatbag
I wonder if the woodlouse is reading the tag? Maybe he's looking for someone to arrest for removing the tag? I think that someday there will be only roaches and mattress tags and cigarette butts left on the earth...wonder what other civilizations will think about us?
micturn
Very well done
netot
Great macro! is wonderful as the perception of things change because you interact with them.A small and insignificant creature becomes important and comes into your life changing it.
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend. God Bless.
whaleman
How sweet! A capture of a 'bug' on that place where people fear them most...the mattress!
durleybeachbum
One of the clearest images of this marvellous creature I have ever seen. Beautifully marked and rather transluscent.
helanker
So you had a happy relaxing work day, meeting this little fellow. Always good to have such days, especially for you, who have such an excellent memory, but also for us who can enjoy your uploads :)
flavia49
great
auntietk
What a great photo! Sharp, clear, and fascinating! I think he's reading, and wants to make sure he gets that number right. Wonderful stuff!
jac204
Very cool capture. Your story reminds me of something I saw in Mad Magazine once where this woman in a fit of rebellion ripped all of the "Do Not Remove" tags from her mattresses.
sandra46
TERRIFIC CAPTURE
angora
LOL!!! great story! what a zoo! LOL LOVE love .... what you've done with it! ;-D really think this is an amazing pic!!! **
Orinoor
Life and memory are like that, snapshots, sometimes seemingly ordinary, but significant to the individual. Because of you, I pay more attention to woodlice, although I still refer to them as potato bugs, pill bugs or sow bugs. This reminds me of how soft their feet are . . .
RodS
That's a fascinating contrast with the little fellow surrounded by the printing. Nice and clear - cool macro, Chip!
danapommet
I haven't seen any of these since I was a kid and your woodlice postings - always bring back childhood memories.