10.03.2008

Unwelcome Visitor

I spent some time trying to weed out grass from one of my plants. This was no easy task, because I had Cedar's full attention. He thought he should be involved in what I was doing.

At one point, I looked up at Cedar for a second when something caught the corner of my eye. Less than two inches from my hand, there was the biggest tarantula-size spider I have ever seen in my life (see terrible, horrible, scary photo at left).

I grabbed Cedar away and proceeded to dump the entire can of spider spray on that horrible, horrible creature before it began to shrivel up and die.

I ran in the house trembling.

On second thought, that grass looks perfectly lovely in the middle of my plant. I have a feeling it will be there for a while.

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, you poor thing! I HATE Spiders! EEOOOWWWWEEEE!

It's amazing how some things just change our mind about must-have ideas!

You might get a kick out of one of my nature stories:
http://bluecottonmemory.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/mystery-of-the-missing-turtle-head/

Have a wonderful Holiday weekend!

Angelica Bays, TygrLilies.blogspot.com said...

AAAAA!!!
Oh, Yuck! ::brrrr::
Undeniably creepy!
I have a blogfriend in Africa who has to put up with "camel spiders" Eeeek! Naaaassstyyyy!
Glad you survived!
;o)

Rocio @ Casa Haus said...

Is that the actual spider picture? I would be afraid of a tarantula, but I love bugs (except for cockroaches), and I love taking close up pictures before getting rid of them!

Just Lisa said...

Oh my Lord! You have to move. Today. I would never go outside! And what if one gets in the house??? Oh, no!

Anonymous said...

*shudders* Horrible, horrible creatures! I hate 'scary' bugs. Let me find a ladybug, a butterfly, a caterpillar less than two inches from my hand, but heaven forbid a spider THAT big.

I read this and then teased hubby about when he goes overseas that I hope he runs into a camel spider. He's not big on them either. Infact, I witnessed him scream like a girl once... But that's a story I promise him not to tell. :)

--- Visiting From SITS

Rachel Cotterill said...

When I was a teenager I woke up one morning & there was a spider about an inch from my nose. I don't mind them except when they surprise me like that!

Formerly known as Frau said...

Yikes I hate spiders! I'm all itchy now!

Elizabeth D. said...

Yikes, I can't imagine running into that thing! Not to mention having the presence of mind then to grab the camera to take a picture of it! I positively hate spiders!!

Anonymous said...

I think that's possibly the most gianormous non-tarantula spider I've ever seen! And I've seen a ton.
I live in the country too, w/lot's of stuff crawling and running around. We get an exterminator in every year to keep the creepy-crawlies to a minimum. He goes around the whole house outside/inside/under/above....LOL. Just to be sure that the tribe I saw when we first moved in knows that the eviction still stands. LMAO. You should consider it!

The Mommyologist said...

That thing is HUGE! Ick!

Queenie Jeannie said...

My oldest daughter would have had a heart attack! She hates spiders like I hate snakes!!!!

Good job killing it!! LOL!

Sandy said...

That is one BIG spider. I'm not particular afraid of spiders but how can you not be afraid of that monster?! They have spray especially designed for spiders? Who knew?

Anonymous said...

Euuuuw! I got chills looking at it. You were brave to take a picture! What we wouldn't do for a blog post, right?!

Have a super SITS day!

Unknown said...

leaping lizards! that sucker is ginormous! you're lucky you didn't end up being it's last meal. came by from SITS

Jenn said...

Oooohhkay. That is so gross. *breathe* That spider looks huge!
Please tell me it's the camera angle. It's the angle right? Right?!

Unknown said...

Ohhh...wow...that is one terrible looking spider!! Happy Sits Day!!

leigh hewett said...

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. I HATE SPIDERS!!! I love your Blog though. Happy SITS day!

Rachel Lundy said...

Wow. That is really gross!

Anonymous said...

Gross - thank god we don't get spiders that big in Sussex!

Angelia (Texas) said...

That is giving me the heebie geebies just looking at the picture. Ahhh!

Rhiannon Bosse said...

OH my gosh. I would move. Seriously. Move far far away where there are no spiders that big!! You poor thing.

Holly @ Domestic Dork said...

GAAAAAAAAH! That picture should be below the fold with a big WARNING LABEL above for us arachnophobes! *shudder*

Jenn Erickson said...

Whoah! Hopefully his "Daddy" doesn't come around seeking revenge :)

Sherri said...

OMG...I just got the biggest chill down my spine! That is HUGE! We had a big one like that in a hole in a tree in our yard a few years ago. My husband was poking at it with a stick and it grabbed the stick out of his hand! Yes, we ran like babies! We swear he had eaten the squirrel that had lived in that hole:)

Sandy said...

Oh my Lord! That thing is gross!

Alex Fitzpatrick aka Ma What's 4 Dinner said...

Ahhhh! I hate spiders. They terrify me. I'm convinced each and every one of them is poisonous and trying to kill me. This year on Halloween I found a big ol' black widow on my light post in my yard...fitting huh?

maya said...

That's a monster!!

Laura said...

Sorry I had to speed past that post & picture. I have nightmares about spider.

becca said...

Ok, honestly, that would have been the END of me. That picture was almost the end of me. I'd like to know where you live so i know not to visit...

Working Mommy said...

SPIDERS...EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!! I had a guest post the other day about moths...take a peak :)

~Working Mommy

KimMalk said...

That's hideous! I can't believe you even had the presence of mind to take a picture!
@cheapchichome.blogspot.com

Jen said...

I totally feel your pain of this. We too live in the woods and I have seen some scary spiders that look like they are going to eat my foot.

Holly said...

omg, i think i feel them crawling on me now... i know that we should respect them, but they just creep me out... EWWHHH....

Becky @ Babes in Hairland said...

OH MY HECK. I hate hate hate spiders. As soon as I saw the picture on here I had to cover my monitor up w/my hand so I could just read your words! Ack. I would have been sooooo freaking out. I hate even little spiders & my girls know it, so they purposely check out books at the library about spiders, or draw pictures of them just to get my goat! *shudder*! Glad the thing didn't crawl on you. Happy SITS Day to you!

~ Noelle said...

I hear ya!
We have Lizards really bad...
and they don't run away from you... they sometimes run to you.
I am not a fan of those creatures either!

Claudya Martinez said...

Horrifying!

Nicole @ WhenDidIBecomeMyMom.com said...

The joys of nature...

I have a parrot and he sleeps in a cage in my patio. The other morning we woke up to feed him and found...

a SNAKE

curled up on top of his cage. He was tiny (about 9 inches long) and non-venomous but still.
So freaking scary.

Anonymous said...

Oh ew!

Mimi and Tilly said...

Good Gordon, that spider is enormous. A few weeks ago I was lying in bed when my cat started singing at the ceiling. I told him to be quiet. He carried on. I put down my book to find a spider as big as my head (not really but it was massive) walking across the ceiling. I tried to hit it with a rolled up paper, but missed and it fell behind my bed. I slept on the sofa downstairs that night and never did find the spider! Happy SITS day. Your blog is lovely.

Unknown said...

Oh how I can relate! My husband killed a spider for me last night (not very big) and I ACTED like it was a tarantula. :-)

By the way, your baby girl is gorgeous and I know she is an amazing blessing to you and your husband.

Congrats on being a SITS-er.

Cara said...

OMG I would have died on the spot! And you took a picture? Event though I think it was dead...still! aaah!
Happy Sits day...your daughter is adorable! I love the name Grace too!
Cara

Margarita Bloom said...

Eeeeeeeeeeekkkkk!! Oh, ugh! I can not stand bugs...nope, not one!! I think I feel faint! lol.. Happy SITS to you!!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

EEEEEEEEEEK, I'm still shuddering. You poor thing!

Holly Lefevre said...

EEEK! We have black widows here...thankfully I have not encountered one...yet!

foxy said...

Okay, that gave me the willies just reading about it! I do not mix well with spiders, bees... okay, insects in general.

Michelle said...

THAT is one nasty looking spider

Marie said...

I am freaked out by that story and picture too.

Just the other day I left the patio door open like I always do when eating lunch so my dog can go in and out, I was just about to close the door and right at the thresh hold was a tarantula, I FREAKED OUT!

Meg said...

I would never stick around long enough to take that picture. Just looking at it on my screen gives me the heebie-jeebies. Yikes. I'm also not entirely certain I would have killed it myself, although spider spray sounds like something I should invest in.