Eye to Eye with a Spider
(Remembering some other critters )
I was on duty in our Infirmary from the 3:30-7:00 AM shift. It has its busy moments but there are stretches where I can sit down and do some reading. It was about 6 AM when I got my book and started to read. I was going along happily when suddenly I saw in front of my right eye a small, round, blurry ‘something’ slowly moving down. I have never had this happen before, and so I just watched to see what would happen. The object was turning slowly in circles, and then suddenly stopped! It kind of froze I believe. As I moved back a few inches I could see that it was a very tiny spider. I believe that when it turned around it saw my eye, which is about five times bigger than it was, and froze in a futile attempt not to be seen. I would think it would have found it terrifying. No need to worry little spider, I don’t eat insects, at least not on purpose. So I reached up and found the web string and carried the little guy over to a safe corner, hoping it would find a nice place to hunt. I don’t mind ‘critters’ in the house, since every building has it own ecosystem and these spiders keep other little ‘thingies’ under control. The only exception are Palmetto bugs…….they be dead if I see one. Though I do make an apology as I annihilated them, thinking, they really should stay outside!
When I was a novice, way back in the early ’70s, we got some rolls of plastic to place on the ground to keep the weeds from growing. As we were unrolling the plastic, we found some worms living in the plastic and there were some holes as if they were eating it. So I got the three of them and put them in a big bottle with some plastic and they lived that way for quite a long time. I could not understand how they could do that. I made the mistake of putting in some water for them, but it seemed that they did not get along with water and it killed them. I did not feel too good about that. Who knows how long they would have lived.
My pet snails are doing well. They keep the plant jars clean, and their droppings are really good for the plants. Once in a while, I will put in some lettuce, or perhaps a dead leaf. After a few days, they eat it up. Snails are very graceful and beautiful to watch when they move from stem to stem.
One day I may get one of the many scorpions that live out here. They are not dangerous for I have been stung by them a few times, not even a wasp sting. I will just be careful if I do get one or a dozen that they do not get out. Not sure some of the brothers would appreciate that.
I did have a baby snapping turtle for a few months, again in the early '70s. It started growing very fast. Whenever I entered my room it would try to climb out of the bowl and get to me. I thought it was affection, then realized it was trying to get to me to ‘eat’ me. So I thought it might be good to take it down to our lake and let it go. Br. Tom, of fond memory, had a fit when he found out. “They can get up to 50 lbs.! We don’t need anymore in the lake. So I told him to go and get it, it should not be too hard to find…….his response was not very nice. Later we laughed about it.
When I get very old, if I live that long, I will find out soon enough, if I do, I will perhaps relive my childhood and begin to have a zoo of sorts in my room. Snakes, and turtles, and spiders O my!—Br.MD
