It's a Bugs Life

I should have been wary about moving to a place that has erected a monument of an insect, the boll weevil, in the middle of town. The monument comes complete with a fountain, and night lights and sits right in the middle of "Main Street"!

The history of the monument dates back to the early 1900s when a bit of bad luck led to some resourceful thinking that brought on a new era of prosperity. The official story is that a bad swarm of boll weevils came and destroyed the cotton crop one year and the towns people decided to grow other crops (peanuts for one) and thus avoid another economic disaster. The grateful towns people decided to pay tribute to the pest by erecting the Boll Weevil Monument (the only memorial in the world which glorifies a pest, I might add) and this gold plaque that reads: "In profound appreciation of the Boll Weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity, this monument is erected by the citizens of Enterprise."


Since Alabama boasts the only memorial in the world to glorify a pest, it should come as no surprise that Alabama has also become a refuge to a plethora of bugs, insects, pests (call them whatever you like). I think most of the 3.8 million species have decided to make their home in our back yard. We can't go outside without getting eaten alive, almost literally- with or without bug spray. The gnats fly into every orifice they can find, the mosquitoes suck blood like vampires, the fire ants are ferocious and the cockroaches are the size of small dogs.

Speaking of cockroaches- meet "Rochello."

We found him in the hallway and decided to keep him. I figured I might as well put a collar on him and start feeding him so he doesn't eat the kids. According to my five year old son, Austin, he is an American Cockroach (Rest assured, this was determined only after extensive research.)

We are trying to embrace Alabamans' love for bugs and have therefore made Rochello a special part of our family. He lives in his very own roach motel and has taught Austin how to do the rockin' roach dance-where he lays on the floor on his back and kicks his arms and legs in the air. Who knows, maybe Rochello is a "herald of prosperity too!"











Now that I have enticed all of you to come for a visit, August is prime time for roach sightings. And when you arrive, we are happy to put you up in the Boll Weevil Inn, within walking distance of the Boll Weevil Monument. No need to thank us- really! Just be sure to bring your mosquito nets.