Outside the window in our sitting room can be seen a big hardy fuscia currently in full flower and in a flower bed to the right of the window. It would be a lovely picture and well worth looking at if it was not for what is connecting it to a buddleia in a flower bed on the left side of the window. A fine thread, a very fine thread, and to some a very attractive picture - if it wasn’t for the fact that its maker and occupant likes to lurk in the middle of the thread and in full view of the window. I really don’t like spiders and I’m sure that this one knows it. So it sits there and sneers at me.
That I could cope with, if they stayed outside. But this time of year spiders are trying to find themselves shelter indoors and for the last month the Husband has had the job of getting rid of them before I come across them. Frequently over the last few weeks I’ve heard his say “Don’t come in the …hall/dining room/bathroom” and then I’d hear thumps as the creature meets its maker. (We have an unspoken deal in our house. The Husband deals with spiders, whilst I deal with the mice that Nimrod has brought in and let go.)
Then there was yesterday. The Husband had gone up to London for the day as he and other members of his music group first went to see a film at the Barbican (“The Lives of Others” – he said it was very good) and then on to the newly reopened Royal Festival Hall for the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the London Philharmonic Orchestra by Sir Thomas Beecham. I find it nice to spend some time alone sometimes and I enjoyed spending some “me” time yesterday afternoon. However, come the evening I made a quick trip to the bathroom and there It was. A huge great thing with long legs not just lurking in the washbasin but actively running around it and making it clear that it was alive and ready to kill anything in its path. All right, I know all the received wisdom about arachnids and how useful they are keeping flies under control. I also know that I’m bigger than they are. Nevertheless that thing knew who was boss and that It was in charge of the bathroom. It was only when the Husband returned that the balance of power in our household returned to normal and the 8-legged creature was evicted.
There are times when it’s very useful to have a man around.
2 comments:
Hmmm...it's been a strange year for wee critters here in Kansas, this year. We've had few mosquitos, which is odd; I've had no chiggers (a mite of some sort), at all, which is odder; we've an abundant crop of the large, garden spiders--not the brilliantly striped black/yellow that I'm accustomed to, but a stockier and murkier-colored spider. There are huge cobwebs all over our woods, amongst our plantings, and adorning all of our outside doorways. One must clear a strand or 15 of web before one may exit or enter.
Inside spiders are a different case. There are no more nor fewer spiders than in past years. As usual, they are virtually all the spindly, brown critters that are about an inch or so across. Fortunately, I don't really mind spiders--except when they are on me!! Sounds like you and The Husband have a great arrangement.
Cop Car
CopCar,
I don't think I've ever come across any large black and yellow striped spiders - and to be totally frank I really don't want to.
I'm not aware that there are more spiders this year than others. Every year they become very evident in the garden and make concerted efforts to come indoors, presumbaly to hibernate for the winter. I'm afraid I'm just an arachnophobe.
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