Me and Living Things

Due to comments about the freakiness of my amazing yellow spider (which found a new home or was eaten the day after I found him), I need to explain something: I have a degree in biology and I worked in field research on aquatic animals, including what I find to be the most grotesque and vicious living thing - dragonfly larva (they bite... hard). I have also lived in a home where a spider egg sac must have hatched on the kitchen table as I was reading and had a spider run across my bed while I was on the phone (bad landlord). Basically, I'm no stranger to close encounters of the creepy kind. And this was a truly beautiful spider.

I have developed a great appreciation for living things. I think I've always had it, but it has become more refined over time. For example, we've had some ants in our kitchen, and I wince every time I kill one. I know they shouldn't be there, but I can't help but feel their death is my own fault for my lazy uncleanliness. And in our house, we generally try to save spiders. If they are in a bedroom or too close to my kids, they die; I just can't run certain risks. I know a lot of people are scared of them, but ... have you ever watched a spider spin a web? It's one of the most beautiful, patient, and creative natural events I've ever seen.

I really love living things, but I must admit there is one creature that will never survive if it sets creepy feet in my home (if I see it, of course). That is a cockroach. I can stand dragonfly larvae, spiders, ants, worms, snakes, lizards, rats... but any cockroach I see is DOA. I recognize that cockroaches are amazing and resilient creatures that have a purpose and function in this world. I just don't want to see it and I don't want that purpose invading my territory. Luckily our new place doesn't have that issue.

So, what living creature really freaks you out? And what is the most inspiring natural scene you've experienced?

This is another spider we found in our yard. I believe it's one of the yellow agriopa species. It moved after a week or two to I don't know where. Or it was eaten. At first I was worried. But, after researching, I found out that agriopa build their nests so that they can be suspended in the middle in plain view, to deter larger animals from destroying their nests. And what decently intelligent animal wouldn't be wary of a 3-4" arachnid? They aren't horrifically poisonous. And since we could always see it, the girls knew to stay 4' plus away from it (thank goodness for instinct). I was almost sad to see it leave; I'm sure it kept a lot of pests away.

If you really want to see insects in a new way, see the season 1 Green Porno shorts on Sundance Channel. I cannot in good conscience 100% recommend them, 'cause while they may be about animals, hello, the name is Green Porno. Basically it is animal/insect sex explained/acted out. Some of them are very funny to me (the spider and the bee), and some are pretty mild (season 3 squid and sardine). But, if you're uncomfortable with the words penis and vagina, don't watch them. If you're uncomfortable with gender specific body suits, don't watch season 3 shrimp or season 1 snail. And do not watch the fly one unless you like horror!