Wednesday, October 24, 2007

National Day of the Spider


At work, we have a safety monitor. It's not a paid position, just a title that was given by vote to Ted. So far the only thing he's ever done is declare the local bar to be the meeting place in case of emergencies or evacuation. I'd say my vote was well placed. Not every one has a special, unpaid second position, but I also do. I'm the Official Catch and Release Technician. 'Kay I just made that up. I mean, they actually do call me for any spiders, and I catch and release them, unharmed, back into the wild, but I don't really have that title.

At home it's the same deal. Until this one. She watched me brush my teeth this morning, twitching her hangin' hairy mandibles and occasionally moving a leg. I watched her right back. She was the hugest spider I ever saw. She was also the first spider to ever scare me. I've had a black widow dangling from my wrist when I missed with the cup, and I got a little adrenaline rush, but I still scooped her up after the miss. This spider, though, I couldn't even get near with a dollar bill or coin for size refrence, for the photo, so I left her there. Then when I got to work I realized she could go anywhere in my home, now unsupervised.

Supposedly we eat spiders occasionally, when we're sleeping. You ever wake up with particularly bad breathe and something black in your teeth when you know you brushed before bed? Okay, not me, eeew. It's probably just an urban legend. Also supposedly there is a spider every four feet all over the entire earth. All of a sudden I feel itchy.

Well, I only kill bugs in self defense- mosquitoes, ticks, fleas. And even though this was one terrifying critter, I am happy to report that she was safely caught and released. I even feel bad saying she was so scary. Like she'll read this and get her feelings hurt. Anyway, I have to say how amazed I am that CL didn't squish her. Usually it's shoot first ask questions later with him and spiders. I did the release, once she was caught. She thumped when I dumped her out. Far, far away. Probably not far enough, come to think of it. I hope the fear was a one time reaction. I've got a reputation to uphold.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

o mien gott in hemel! that was hilarious!!!!!!!!! what an amazing color, i have never seen a sopider like her before, hmmmmmmm saw a tarantula the other night, not scary at all and i don't know why, seems he should have been; david said it was a he.... only spider ever scared me was a wolf spider and i don't know why on that either, hmmmmmm again...

you are like me in the catch n release and david is like cl, thou we got this plug in gizzmo that keeps the bugs away and it really does, weird....

sleep sweet baby doll and enjoy your 4 day work weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love you, mum

jill or jay said...

That is the scariest looking spider I have ever seen. Really. I am so sorry but I would have stomped it right into its next life...hopefully as a ladybug. I saw a tarantula when we were camping a couple weeks ago and because of the off-the-ground tent trailer, I wasn't worried at all. Yeah, right.

Maewen Archer said...

Wow. She is creepy. Spiders totally give me the shivers.

The deck of my yurt and the woods around were always full of these gigantic spiders at the end of the summer -- webs everywhere. They weren't dangerous, but I stayed far away from them.

Anonymous said...

I've been trying to look up what kind of a spider that was. closest i could find is the hobo spider whose bite can cause some grief but not likely death. you be careful with that catch and release. your writings and photos are majorly outstanding!!!!! when are we going to have dinner???
love, granny
also Thanksgiving's not too far away and I am stating the nagging to get you here.....