Spider Wall Art

The recent warming of our weather appears to have called some spiders out of their much appreciated slumber. Today I had to kill 2 "jumping" spiders, and although small they are still enough of a sight to startle me. Which brings to mind the OTHER spider that I had killed this winter. This is one of those times when I REALLY wish I had a digital camera, as words alone are inadequate to describe what remains on the garage wall. (Oh yeah, like you clean up spider guts if you don't have to!)

One morning I was loading up Simon and Lucy to take Simon to pre (I mean "pretty") school. I had to go back into the house for something, and since we were in the garage, door closed, car not yet running, I left them in the car. I flicked on the garage light, and that's when I saw an impressively huge Black Widow sitting on the wall next to the door. My initial thought was to run away, but I knew that the kids often walked along that wall to the car while running their hands against it, or we do as we blindly feel for the light switch or garage door opener. So the bravado of my "mother protecting her offspring" kicked in, and I decided that it was the appointed time for this creepy crawler to meet its creator. What to use? A shoe would have left me too close. (What if it jumps? Or splatters?) So, I wisely settled for the garden spade hanging on the wall. To show how smart I am, I even carefully considered the amount of force I would need to sufficiently smush the disgusting thing WITHOUT endangering my marriage by putting a hole in the garage. I'm pleased to say that what remains now is a dark stain and one (inch long) leg. Not even a dent in the wall! I haven't had to deal with spiders of that size since the jungle in Thailand! EWWWWWW!