Risky Business …
Did you know that posting to your blog on the weekends almost guarantees that it won’t be read? It’s true … I read it on the Internet. Actually that is a lie, sorry. But it does seem that weekend posts aren’t read quite as much as the ones posted during the week. I am guessing that this is due to people having “lives”. Yet again, the self-centered nature of humans is astounding. “Oh … I need to spend time with my kids”, “I need to go to the grocery store”, “I need to clip my toe nails” … good grief!
And yet, here I am posting, on the weekend. But hey, I live dangerously and on the edge!
VERY Risky Business …
The latest Black Widow, playing Possum oddly enough.
Not the best picture, but since she is still alive at this point, I knew she was waiting for me to get too close, so she could spring onto my face to suck my brains out. “You SNEEKY spider!”
So apparently Colorado is the Black Widow capital of the world! Wait, that isn’t true either. I am having integrity issues today. I will work on that … I promise. (/wink)
“Honesty” aside, we have come across many Black Widows. In the last few weeks, we have come across 4 different ones. If you have ever seen one, then you know there is no mistaking them for a different species. Spindly creepy legs, huge disproportionate black abdomen, blood red hour glass underneath, beady eyes that promise to drain you dry while you sleep tonight. Creepy right? /shiver
I must confess that I kill them as I come across them. Normally, I don’t kill spiders, they are super beneficial. But the Black Widow is too dangerous to keep alive in my opinion. If I am bitten, likely the worst thing that will happen is some abdominal cramps and tissue damage around the bite. But with Deena’s compromised immune system and three little dogs barely topping 10 pounds each, I just can’t risk it.
So I terminate them while using my best Arnold accent and giving them my best Terminator glare.
Interestingly enough, I have the Heebie Jeebies for an hour or two afterwards, certain that the relatives of the deceased arachnid will be seeking revenge on me and my family. The worst is when a house fly buzzes your ear and you jump, yelping like a teenage girl … spinning in circles with eyes as big as saucers, desperately seeking the avenging spider, vigorously shaking out your hair, certain that the spider is perched there enjoying the entire spectacle. Not that this happened to me or anything … I think I read about it or something. (I wonder how many of you are checking your hair for spiders right now?)
Update: As I was typing this, Taylor noticed yet another Black Widow right on our steps (below) … crazy.:
Playing Possum again, must be a self-defense mechanism. SUPER creepy, I keep checking my hair and shoulders and the Gummy Bears I was munching on have taken on a whole new texture … /bleh
Morning Jaunt …
Like I do every weekend morning, I took the pups out for a walk. For these little guys, the 3 acre property is humungous! They have such a great time, bouncing around like puppies do, running way ahead of me, then sprinting back to ask me if I am coming or not. Pretty cute!
This morning we came across some pretty cool spider webs on the brush (What is with the spider theme today?):
And while I am sure many of you grow weary of seeing pics of the dogs, this picture of Gus having a great time this morning reminded me to enjoy every moment and squeeze every ounce of fun from life:
Gus reminding us what life is all about …
Until next time … here is to Love and Life … and … checking your hair for spiders …
-K&D
This blog has been brought to you by the letter “V” and this stump:
Brambleshire Farm 
I grew up in an old farmhouse in California and we had so many black widows my mother would go on a “spider hunt” every night with a flashlight and pliers. Black Widows are blind but they can feel vibration very well so if they feel you coming they hide. But…you can shine a flashlight on them and they don’t know you can see them. Then you squish them with the pliers. One night my mom was asleep in bed and she felt something crawl across her cheek. She brushed it off and got freaked and turned on the bed light and it was a black widow which was on the sheet next to her. Well, after she got down off the ceiling fan she captured it and put it in the freezer in a shot glass. It was in there for months. She couldn’t sleep at all the rest of the night. The next day she built a contraption out of PVC pipe and sheer curtains that she sewed together and hung from the ceiling with chain. It covered her entire bed and it was tucked under the mattress all the way around. After she got into bed she would tuck it in on the side. She slept that way the rest of the time we lived in that old house. She wasn’t going to have a spider in bed with her a second time, for sure. Also, I think I remember that you can’t spray pesticide for them because they are immune to it or something. I may not be correct on that part. But, you can certainly tell a black widow spider web because it is very strong and thick compared to other spider webs so if you run into a thick web BACK OFF quickly. Note where it is, then come back at night when they come out and smash it! They like dark, dry small spaces, under furniture, in sheds, lower cabinets, around old wood and old plumbing etc. Hope that helps. Not sure I would trade you for the scorpions. They’re both gross!
Bleh! That story made me cringe just sitting here! Great, now I wont sleep a wink tonight! 🙂 Thanks for sharing that story, pretty great!!
OMG, Caroline! I’m new to this whole black widow issue. I am not sure I’ll ever get used to it. Thankfully, I don’t have to make sure I have shoes on at night so I don’t step on a scorpion like I did in Texas. LOL! You should do what we used to and get a black light. We would have a dinner party then go scorpion hunting. They glow under a black light. It’s hilarious. (and sounds SO HICK!) We would just put them in a huge cup in the freezer. I can’t stand to squish any bug… too gross!
You don’t remember but that’s exactly what we did the one time Jeff and I came over to your house in Las Lomas. I learned from you about the black light and went out and bought one and have taken my California relatives out scorpion hunting. We, too, put them in a cup in the freezer because that’s what you did. I remember you used to call it scorpion salsa. LOL.
LOLOLOLOLOL!!! I actually remembered that you did that with us right after I replied to your post. Wow.. that seems like a million years ago. I put the dead scorpions in a candle holder (not sure if I had it when you came over.) I ended giving it as a Christmas gift to someone. They were AMAZED at how many we had!!! Gross… just gross. I’m super thankful we don’t have scorpions here in Colorado!!!
Ewwwww!!! No more pictures of spiders please! I was on my phone and now looking at this site on my laptop, the pictures are MUCH bigger and I am creeped out! Love your blog though (and the picture of Gus!) 🙂 xo
Thanks Tina, now I don’t feel quite as bad. Taking pictures of them is the worst … I just KNOW they are going to spring at the lense, attack and suck my brains out. 😛
I love the precious photo of Gus! NEVER too many doggie pictures! More, please.
He is a total camera hound (pun intended), so definitely more to come! 🙂 Thanks for reading along! We saw that you got your precious JennyPenny!! We are super excited and happy for you! She is super cute!