Let me begin this story by saying that as a kid/teenager/young adult I had a major phobia regarding spiders. I couldn’t be in the same room with one without hollering for my mom to come and kill it. As a young preschool teacher, I had trouble reading children’s books with drawings of spiders. I’m better now, and have come to accept their existence on this planet, though I don’t like it. I’m a Spider Saver now instead of a Squisher, and at school I have a patented cup-and-card method of removal to the outdoors, where they can be good citizens and eat the really creepy bugs.
Let me also tell you that I have progressed so much in my acceptance that I can even concede that jumping spiders are cute. Go ahead, see for yourself.
Ok, but they’re not cute when a) I am told there is one near but don’t know exactly where it is and b) I am misled regarding its size.
A couple of days ago I came home and Lloyd told me about a spider.
Lloyd: “There’s a really cute jumping spider somewhere by your computer.”
Me: “Where?”
Lloyd: “I don’t know. He was there a couple of minutes ago. I named him Elmo.”
I looked carefully but couldn’t find him. I was kind of wigged out the rest of the evening, but I survived.
Tonight, Lloyd was cleaning the counter and said, “Hey! It’s Elmo!”
I saw a tiny speck on the counter by his towel and grabbed my camera, setting it to macro to photograph this adorable little spider that I could barely see.
I got closer and Lloyd turned over the towel and showed me a freaking tarantula!!!
Ok, maybe it wasn’t that big, but it was at least a hundred times bigger than the speck of cookie crumb that deceived me.
*jibblie jibblie*
I made Lloyd take Elmo outside to be a good citizen. Hope that robin doesn’t get him.
Brad says
Haha! Great pictures. I mean the ones you drew, not the ones you linked to. I don’t think the pictures you linked to are cute at all.
When I was in middle school, I frequently checked books out from the library that were full of pictures of spiders. And then I would have horrible nightmares.
Kristi says
Regarding the link… those are truly faces that only a mother could love.
CousinSam says
From the perspective of the picture, the camera is at a perfect angle to fall on said spider and kill him. Well, maybe stun him long enough to get him ouside for Robin’s snack. 🙂
(BTW, this is Rachel, not cousing Sam.)
CousinSam says
Cousin, Cousin, not cousing (is that the same as a cussing, cousin?)
Lauren says
Rachel! Good to hear from you! (Cussing Sam is always acceptable ’round here.)