Creepy Creatures Crawling Out (10-25-10)

Tonight, Julia mentioned to me that she had seen a very scary-looking spider inside the window over the kitchen sink when she got up during the night. I tried to get her to give a description of what she saw, but all she could tell me was that it was a really scary-looking spider. I asked her if it perhaps could have been one of the Mondo spiders. No, and it wasn't a sort-of-cutish (!) one, like those we have in the yard (that would be, the huge garden spiders that have been spinning webs all over the front porch). She said the spider climbed back to a hiding place inside the opening for the window weights. As it turns out, shortly telling me about this, she called out urgently. There was the spider, dark, ominous, shiny and hourglass-shaped. All the commotion was too much for the beast; it retreated inside the window frame. I checked the web, and it was crinkly as I expected: a bona fide black widow. Crap. All we need.

Then, a few minutes later, Julia pointed out what seemed to be a small carpenter ant on the kitchen floor. Crap again.

Unrelated, Valérie called and asked if we had seen any Mondo spiders inside the house lately. I answered that we hadn't, and we both agreed that this was very suspicious.

A few hours later still, as Gary and I were sitting on the couch in the family room, checking out some garden lanterns I bought at the Goodwill Bins, which I thought would be perfect for Halloween, as I tried to wipe off one of those cloudy white spider egg sacks, a gazillion tiny eggs fell out and rolled all over the coffee table...

Aaaarrrgh!

Tree Work: Part 1 (04-19-10)

Lots of activity today. The tree service people showed up late and didn’t get started until 9:00 AM. I’ve tried to take it in stride, but couldn’t help feel irritated when I saw that some tree limbs had been dropped on my rhododendron bushes across from the carport. The same thing happened with the boxwood shrubs on the front left side of the house. Also, they were supposed to leave us some of the wood, but they let the logs right on top of the new sod the roofer placed over the spot where he damaged the front lawn.

Gary did it all today: he tore down more shelving out of the shed, swept the inside of the shed (you don't wanna know), sprayed carpenter ant poison, dug up the old carpets that were buried behind the shed (I guess, that's an innovative way to dispose of them...), carried boulders, organized the tool stuff under the carport, broke moving boxes down, swept the carport, killed Mondo Spiders...

Speaking of spiders, I got bit by something, probably when I was pulling ivy behind the shed. I’ve got fifteen red itchy welts on my lower legs. A hot shower gave only passing relief. I hope it doesn't get worse.

"Mondo" Spider Sightings (04-19-10)

Here is a photo of a "Mondo" spider that was hiding behind a dumpy cupboard under the carport.
Since we moved, this is the fifth time we've run into of this type of spider. We apparently are a central gathering place for these little critters...

"Mondo" Spider Sighting (04-04-10)

While I was explaining something to Valérie and her friend Meghan, Meghan started pointing at something behind me: there was a giant spider on the kitchen door frame. I ran out of the house screaming. Meghan apparently caught the spider because she walked out of the house carefully holding a paper towel. From my safe spot behind my car, I ordered her to KILL IT!, but she shook her head and walked to the edge of the property. She came back assuring me that she had made sure that the spider took off in the direction away from our house.

Gary and I went to Ikea to buy furniture for his office. I settled on a red bookcase with glass doors and a three-drawer dresser for my closet. I still wonder if that’s not a bit extreme, but I can still think it over until the boxes get opened.