I Hate Spiders

I did not always "hate" spiders. In fact ,until recently, I have always been sort of ambivalent towards them. A spider was a spider, I never felt the need to indiscriminately squash them, or spray them with noxious substances. As long as he didn't bother me, I was cool with that. In fact I have enjoyed a somewhat "intimate" relationship with a few spiders in my life. First of course being Charlotte. I am sure you are familiar with Charlotte from the book Charlotte's Web by E.B. White? If not, then Get Thyself Back To Childhood ! The last spider in my life was also named Charlotte. Or actually that is the name I gave her, I asked her numerous times to introduce herself but never once did a message appear in her wondrous web for me. Looking back on it now, I suppose her Web was not so wonderful after all. It more resembled a dust bunny in the corner more than a web. You see this Charlotte lived in the corner of my linen closet in my bathroom. For several weeks we were quite friendly. Then my sister came to visit. She decided that I had been lax in my housekeeping duties and evicted poor Charlotte.

It was about this time that I discovered * Black Widows* Nasty, ugly, scary, hurt you if they bite spiders ! My garage was full of them, they invaded my mailbox, and lurked under my lawn chairs. Their Alien looking eggs were everywhere. Small dirty looking spiky things full of hundreds of baby widows! Still I did not indiscriminately hate all spiders. Most spiders around my home were left in peace.

That changed today ! I have declared all out war on the Araneae order ! I was minding my own business, netting leaves from my pool, when I was attacked. Ambushed ! When I went to remove the skimmer basket for emptying I encountered a small spider. Harmless enough I thought, and seeing as he was still alive I decided that he should live one more day. I gently and carefully lifted the basket so as not to slosh water up on him, or frighten him in anyway. I put out my best I Come In Peace vibes. And then it happened. He ran up the tip of my thumb, up onto my hand, and then my arm! He shoved with all his strength and sent me tumbling backwards, through the screen, into the Tiger Lily clump (where the big black snake lives ) . I am certain he meant to drown me. Had he succeeded in twisting my arm around I would have fallen head first into the deep end of the pool. I would have died from hypothermia before I reached the ladder :-), . But I live to fight another day, and the next time I will leave the spider in the basket!

S