This is a Red Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla magnifica) that was wandering around in the yard.  They’re actually not ants though.  They’re wasps! When I got back in the house, I googled “read and black wingless ant” to find out what she was. What I found out is that they have a painful sting and are pretty tough creatures.  They’re also known as “Cow Killers.”  They’re not actually capable of killing cows though, so no need for dairy farmers to be hyper-vigilant.

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back yard, cow killer, Dasymutilla magnifica, insect, North Carolina, Red Velvet Ant, Southern Pines

I was talking to James about a saddle he was working on.  I asked him what it was called, and the name struck me as being kind of funny, so I couldn’t help but laugh!  What do you think?

This is a butet jumping saddle

For saddle repair, visit http://cabinbranch.com/ in Southern Pines.  To get a WordPress blog like this one, call ConnectNC.

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butet jumping saddle, butet saddle, Southern Pines, WordPress Blog

I had the unique opportunity of attending the Southern Pines Police Citizens Police Academy these past 8 weeks.  We had our last session this evening. This cake was baked and skillfully decorated by one of the other attendees (Barbee).

One of the topics for discussion last week was Community Oriented Policing. This is a philosophy defined by the US Department of Justice as promoting “organizational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.”

Here’s more information on Community Oriented Policing.

If you own a business or live in Southern Pines, sign up for the next Southern Pines Police Citizens Police Academy.  It’s an amazing program.  Ask your local police department if they offer something similar.

I’ll catch up on more posts in the next few days.  Tomorrow’s Friday!

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Citizens Police Academy, Community Oriented Policing, Southern Pines

I found this spider clinging to the side of the pool today, so I got the net and fished it out.   I tapped it out onto the lawn.  At the time, I didn’t realize her bumpy back looked that way because she was carrying baby spiders. I’ve been told this is a wolf spider.  I only had my iPhone with me instead of a proper camera, so the image is a little bit fuzzy.

Mother spider with baby spiders on her back

Southern Pines, NC back yard wild life!  If you have pictures of North Carolina spiders to share, let me know!

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NC, North Carolina, Southern Pines, wolf spider babies