The Willies

I was out and about dumping the trash this morning when I came across something that not only made me jump but shudder as well.

I had tossed the trash into the dumpster and was making my way back to the trailer through the pine trees when I noticed something on the ground directly in my path. From a distance it looked brown and hairy and I jerked my knee up and sidestepped over whatever it was in a choppy sort of motion so as not to step on it. I walked a few more feet before curiousity got the best of me and I had to know what it was. I retraced my steps and peered down at the brown thing. My fears were confirmed. I was staring at the biggest and hairiest brown spider I've seen in Texas yet. Aughhhh!

I leaned down for a closer look and the spider didn't move. His hairy, long legs were outstretched and I didn't know if it was alive or playing dead so as to catch an unsuspecting grasshopper. I fearfully swallowed and grabbed for a stick nearby. The first one I picked up was only about 6 inches long and that was not enough for me. Heaven only knew if that spider was a jumping spider and I didn't want it jumping on me! I traded in the runt of a stick for a longer one and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. (AKA-plan my escape route in case he came running after me.)

I got as close as I dared and gently touched the spiders leg. No movement. I poked his abdomen with the tip of the stick and still nothing. While I moved the stick around the spider trying to get a reaction I was a nervous wreck on the inside. My heart was ready to seize up with fear, waiting for the spider to jump to life and scare me silly.

After moving him around with the stick and leaning in as close as I dared I came to the conclusion that he was very much alive. My heart jumped to a fast paced rythem as I threw down the stick and got my feet in motion for home. I shuddered as I thought about that spider and how he was probably laughing at how scared I was......gives me the willies!

As I made my way down the road towards the trailer I was so preoccupied with freaked out frantic thoughts of that spider that when I noticed a shadow on the ground coming towards me I nearly jumped out of my skin. I jerked my whole body from left to right in one swift motion and wound up clear on the other side of the road.

Never has a butterfly scared me so much. HA!

Hopefully the people nearby didn't see my display of jerky body movements. They no doubt were unable to see the insects I was dealing with that would stir such a reaction in somebody and probably thought I was going into convulsions or on my way to a seizure.

Heaven help the spider that finds its way into my trailer.