The One with the Spiders

I like these photos because they contain some of my favorite (and least favorite) things. Autumn colors, bokeh, sun-flare.... spiders.... (I'll let you choose which is favorite and which is least).

I have made some significant steps in my journey to hate spiders less. I've actually caught myself thinking that when I see a spider in my house I don't necessarily want it smashed (by someone else) as soon as possible but if (someone else) could simply trap it and release it to freedom (down the street) I'd be much happier. 

What gets me the most about these creepy crawlies is their unexpected presence. One of the MANY reasons I'm grateful to live in the Pacific Northwest is our significant lack of creepy critters. That doesn't stop the "small" ones from appearing though - when you least expect it.

One of my chores in the home is laundry. (The one time the hubs did a load of laundry the basement flooded. Unfortunate coincidence, but handy for him because now he doesn't have to do the laundry again...) Once, when I was still living at home I was in the basement folding towels. I picked one up, straightened it out and brought it towards my chest so I could hold it tight under my chin as I brought the corners together. Nearly an inch from my face I finally realized a wolf spider (sounds ominous right?) was perched right where my chin should go. I shrieked like the little girl I was and bounded up the steps - two, maybe three at a time.

Just recently, I'm folding a pile of clean, but neglected, laundry and I shake out a sweatshirt to get the arms and hood straightened out. "Thud" on the wall across the bedroom from me and my heart stops. Once again - the wolf spider comes back to haunt my chore-time (serves me right for trying to keep the house clean)... Spiders aren't supposed to be big enough to make a noise when they hit the wall across the room. And, if they hit the wall, they should die... not crawl under the bed and cause the hubs and I to create a crime scene of a room throwing things around to try and find it....

Yeesh. My palms are sweaty just recalling these stories. Ick.