Of the people who are close to you, who is the person most unlike you? What makes it possible for you to get along?
I do not do people, it is too personal for a blog that thousands (perhaps) might read. This is not the best corner of my kitchen, it is the cat’s corner. Their bowls of dried vitamin pellets, with the remains of the tuna fish are on the ground, together with a constant supply of water. But wait, there is something else, hanging in the corner, can you see them?
“Morning Fred, Morning Mabel”
“Morning Mrs. Angloswiss.”
“Anything happen in the night spiders?”
“No, it was quite peaceful. We were just hanging around in our web keeping an eye of things. We are sure that your furry friends are glad to have no suspicious movements in their food bowls.”
“True Fred, you can never be too careful at this time of the year. All sorts of insects wandering into the kitchen from the cold outdoors. Something like spiders huh?”
“Come on Mrs. Angloswiss you are glad that me and Mabel arrived and are looking after things in this corner. Any other subordinate human would have sucked us up in the vacuum cleaner after we arrived, but you have seen the advantages of having your very own spiders in problem places.”
“Yes you are right Fred and I was glad you found a nice corner in the kitchen to keep an eye on things, although I don’t remember me inviting Mabel as well. I just wanted one spider’s web to catch any small intruders, I did not invite the family.”
“Mrs. Angloswiss, even spiders like a partner, someone to talk to.”
“One spider is OK, but two, male and female? I did not intend to have a spider family corner, just a spider to keep things under control.”
“No worry Mrs. Angloswiss. It is almost Winter and spiders do not have family feelings in the cold seson. By the time Mabel and I decide to manufacture a family of 100 little babies, we will be long gone. We will hang our family cradle in the garden cupboard where we will have peace and quiet to look after the offspring. In the meanwhile we are both grateful for you allowing us to spend the Winter in the kitchen corner, aren’t we Mabel?”
“Oh yes Fred, it is so peaceful here and a lovely place to hang around. Plenty to eat as well.”
“Plenty to eat? But I never see anything hanging in the web Fred.”
“No Mrs. Angloswiss, we eat them straight away and they would be too small for you to see. Don’t worry, it is just the course of a natural spider life. We are the cleaners of the insect world. When we are in the garden, we make little parcels and plan our meals carefully. You can’t eat a complete fly in thirty seconds. That needs more time, but those little fruit flies that buzz around a banana or apple are not worth waiting for. They are gone before you can say arachnophobia.”
“Fred, keep up the good work and remember, do not wander into the bedroom or the living room. You keep to your little corner and we will get on fine together.”
“Just a minute Mrs. Angloswiss.”
and Fred jumped to the bottom corner of his web, followed by Mabel.
“Did you see, we got them: a pair of fruit flies, they were just leaving the grapes and on their way to the apples and got stuck in our web.”
“Well done Fred, well done Mabel. Have fun and see you later on today. I will be cleaning the kitchen floor, but don’t worry, I will leave your little corner in peace. I hope the noise will not disturb you.”
“No problem, we might be hanging around having a sleep. We usually sleep with two eyes open to keep our eyes on things. A spiders life is a busy life. Look Mabel, see it?”
“Got it Fred. Do you want some as well. You could have one wing and two legs and I will take the rest.”
“No Mabel go ahead, you can eat it all. You need to build up strength for the nursery in summer.”
You just have to love the spiders. They are such socially gifted creatures, friendly and generous and they cost nothing. They find their own food and build their own house. Yes arachnophobia is a non-existent word in this house. Can you see Fred and Mabel waving one of their legs goodbye. Yes, a home is not a home without a spider - or two.
I very much agree with you!! I have my own friendly house-spider, called Sid. He often waves one or two legs to me as he wanders past when I'm sitting at the computer. He may have a partner, but I've not yet seen her.
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