Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for November 05, 2012

I think she’s saying “GAK!” admiringly.

I thought she liked bugs.

Spiders are…different. And that isn’t little! GAK.

I can see the wheels turning. Her sister will get a good scare very soon!

When we were building our “dream house”, the builder tried to talk us into cathedral ceilings. My wife asked if she could call him at 2 AM to come kill the spider at the top of the ceiling. When he said no, she said “So, NO cathedral ceilings!”

She also says she’s made a deal with them. If they stay outside, she’ll leave them alone!

I’m on the “get ’em out alive” program… as long as they don’t make a fast move on me, my cat, or my dog. Then? All bets are off.

I know a family that has a 2 story celing in their living room and the smoke detector in the top has been beeping for 12 years. Seems no onne has a ladder that tall to get up there and remove it. They actually would need a small “cherry picker” in order to reach it.

Spider! Run!

I can handle most insects, but arachnids have just two more legs than I can deal with. Do. Not. Like.

Spent many a time after Halloween going after black spiders on the rugs only to discover I had again tried to kill a plastic spider ring

My husband has an aranileptic fit when he sees a spider. The “little woman” has to come rescue him. However, he can balance a checkbook, so it’s a good trade.

I’ve always been careful either to put spiders outdoors or leave them alone if it looks as though they have enough bugs to eat inside. (To catch and release one, put a glass over it, then slide some stiff paper or cardboard between the glass and the surface it’s on, then carry the whole concern outdoors.) As I tell my granddaughters (who will freak even at a microscopic-size one), they kill bad bugs.My mom’s Florida houses were inhabited by huge stripey-brown spiders. Leg span about 4". She named them all “Oscar.” They kept her company. I don’t recall seeing them in webs. Maybe they just crept around and did their work mano a mano.To see large spiders, go to Google, click on “Images,” and put large Florida spiders on the search bar.

It does seem that Holly would be a better candidate for freaking out over a spider – but even naturalists can have their limits.

We seemed to have more spiders in the house this fall. I even found one in my bowl of popcorn.

Yep it’s a real spider!

Hmm… that doesn’t seem like Alix. Doesn’t she have an insect collection in her bedroom?

That’s not a spider web, msowards, This is a spider web!

I have the same admiration for bugs as Alix, as long as they are outside! Inside my house… they are dead.

When a new subdivision (high end) opened near Columbus, my Mother wanted to go to the Parade of Homes. One of the houses had a 2-plus story atrium with a large window, complete with wide sill. My Mother asked how you would dust it. I said just spray the cat with Pledge and toss him up there. He’ll tell you when he wants to come down. We got some VERY nasty looks from the docent!

I thought Alix liked spiders…