Ally's Eight-Legged Journey

Today was Careers day at my daughters primary school. As is the tradition, the school appeal for parents to go in and discuss their jobs, the things they do, what it's like to do that job, etc. I've done it every year so far - usually I take my lab coat, a microscope, and a selection of plastic skulls from the lab. Sometimes I have laminated photographs, latex gloves, or plastic pipettes - just a selection of things that give an idea of what it's like to work in the lab. This year I took Catchy and Zucchini, and they were a HIT. I didn't let the children handle the insects, I just showed them. But you would have thought that I was handing out free candy or something. The children had so many questions, there was a LOT of screaming, and the insects definitely earned their treats by the end of the day. Zucchini had fresh bramble leaves, while Catchy got a whole juicy mealworm and is looking quite gorged now.