Spider Fighter

I was recently invited to lunch by some of my camping girlfriends and after lunch one of the ladies invited us to go to her farm to see the new pool room she was having built. One thing led to another and soon we were on her Kubota mule riding the trails around her property. It was a beautiful mild fall day in the country and her ATV powered through bushes and woods, randomly catching spiders mid-web. Linda and I brushed them away if they got too close, and I thought nothing of it since I am a country girl myself. Soon it was time to say goodbye and go our separate ways.

I had reservations at the local Jellystone RV Park because I wanted to do a test run with my dog Stella to see how she would do camping, so I needed to get home, hook up, load up, and get to the campground before dark. When I got into my car to head home, I felt something on my face. When I brushed it off, I saw that it was a spider and I tried to wrap it up in my hand to kill it, but it got away. I didn’t want to take the time to stop the car and hunt for it, and besides, it looked pretty harmless so I drove on home.

Stella and I made it to the campground before dark and I discovered that she is a pretty good camper, although she asked to go out three times that night while I was trying to sleep. I decided that she won’t be going on my girl camping trips with me. It was like having a toddler along. It was all about her and when I camp with my friends I want freedom to visit or go shopping or gather for dinner. I will take her when I camp alone, though.

The next morning I had an appointment for lab work so I got up bright and early and headed for the dreaded needle stick. I was ushered into the the phlebotomist’s cubicle where I hung my jacket on a peg before sitting down in the chair. As I was waiting, a spider–THE spider–dropped down from my jacket. I cried out and clapped it between my hands, causing it to drop to the floor where it met its untimely death under my shoe.

Several of the technicians asked what was wrong and I told them I had an unwanted companion in my cubicle. I know it was the spider that I brought from Linda’s property. It had been in my vehicle for two whole days and had hitched a ride on my jacket as I was driving to the doctor’s office. I never had any symptoms of being bit, thank the Lord. And my lab work was a breeze after that. Just call me by my superhero name: Spider Fighter. I’m so glad it decided to make its appearance in the doctor’s office. If it had done so while I was driving, my story might have turned out very different.

What’s your spider story?

XOXO