This afternoon as I walked in through the open garage door, I happened to catch sight of a large, black, many-legged insect between the track for the door and the frame of the garage. For some reason, I bent down to get a closer look. In a horror movie, you'd be screaming NO, NO, DON'T GET CLOSER, YOU DOLT! But I thought it might be one of those big crickets that are everywhere around here.
It. Was. No. Cricket.
It was one of the biggest spiders I have seen outside of a glass case. Tucked into a nice little spot off to the side, it looked at me and I looked at him, er, her. And then I backed away. Slowly.
I have a love/hate relationship with spiders. I know they eat all the bugs that I really hate: mosquitoes, gnats, flies, etc. But they are super-duper creepy. It's all those legs and they're so fast and their EYES. Whenever I see one, I think of that giant spider from the Lord of the Rings, with it's lightening fast stinger. Gives me the willies.
As a young girl, my attitude was smush first, ask questions later. But when I was 17, after years of unprovoked abuse, the spiders hit back. One of the wee beasties took a nibble on the back of my leg. It. was. bad. I took the high ground, though. Instead of firing back, I decided a truce must be called.
Since then, I like to think we have an agreement, the spiders and I, like the one we have with pigeons. You know, we look the other way when they poop on statues and they get out of the road when we need to drive on it. I (mostly) look the other way when they create little webs in the corners of rooms and they don't touch me. Ever.
The monster in our garage has been a quiet and respectful tenant. As long as s/he follows the rules, the status quo is fine with me. But the minute, s/he steps over the line? Truce OVER.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Wow! You are a brave one, my friend! Spiders freak me out totally... I can't even kill them because I'm scared they're going to attack me! Instead I scream bloody murder and make my husband kill it! Or even - no joke - my 4 year old!
ReplyDeleteImpressive! I have this ridiculous fear of spiders. We arrived home one evening a couple of months ago and saw the BIGGEST SPIDER EVER in our carport. I refused to get out of the car as a result. And I'm still very wary of that thing showing up again when I expect it. :-)
ReplyDeleteFor most of the fall, we have had two large-ish spiders living in our window sill in the kitchen. They weren't bothering anyone, and seemed to be keeping any other bugs away.
ReplyDeleteHowever, once the weather turned cold, the windowsill wasn't good enough for them. They ventured into my kitchen, startling me one morning before I had even had a cup of coffee.
Um, our truce was SO over.
I just hope their relatives don't come to investigate.
Good luck with your spider! Hope the Bean isn't as curious as you.
I have the same love affair with crickets....they just make so much noice being crunched...gives the the heeby-jeebies...so it's live and let live as long as you stay out of my house!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like we all have the same agreement with the bugs. As long as they aren't IN my house then we're cool, but once you come in then it's lights out pal. Sorry bout your bad luck.
ReplyDeleteLately, I've been getting a little guilty joy over the fact that although the gluey mouse traps aren't catching many mice, they ARE snaring quite a few nasty largish spiders. And I don't actually have to kill them.
ReplyDeleteYou do know spiders mean MANY baby spiders...?
ReplyDeleteJust putting it out there!
Instead of Lord of the Rings, maybe you should think Charlotte's Web.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteyou make me smile.
Spiders give me the creeps. big creeps
The only spiders that don't freak me out on first sight are daddy long legs (or "big daddies" as my girls call 'em).
ReplyDeleteI'm a "squash first, ask questions later" kind of gal. Especially to spiders that are IN the house. My feelings are if the nasty thing would've just stayed OUTSIDE where it BELONGED, it wouldn't have met it's untimely demise.