A Spider Story

I have had an odd fascination with spiders this summer. Ever since I learned to recognize a female wolf spider that is carrying babies on her back before trying to kill it, I've become a bit obsessed. (By the way, trying to kill a wolf spider with babies on her back without realizing it is probably one the most terrifying experiences ever. You're just harmlessly smashing a spider when all of a sudden a whole cloud of baby spiders starts spreading like wildfire in a circle around what you thought was just one spider. It was enough to make me scream the first time it happened to me.) I know now what to look for and have been on the lookout for them all summer, although I've only seen two.

However, our bedroom window has provided a whole new experience. This window is right next to my computer, so I spend a good deal of time looking at it. A few weeks ago, I noticed a spider between the glass of the window and the screen. It didn't really bother me too much, it just meant I couldn't open the window. And the seals on the inside are much tighter than between the screen and outside, so I wasn't concerned about it getting into the house.

After a few days, I noticed an egg sac in the top corner of the inside frame. Now I was really hooked. Every time I came into the bedroom, I'd have to peek in the window to see what was happening. It took about two weeks before the babies came out. They are still all clustered around the egg sac. (I'm not even sure if this is the right word, but it makes sense to me, so I'm sticking with it.) Frankly, I'm fascinated with them.

Eric finds this whole fascination a little odd. I suppose it is. But what else can I do? They are high enough up in the corner that I couldn't get to them even with the window opened all the way. And the mama stays pretty close to them too. I kind of feel like since we're stuck with them, why not enjoy it a little? Plus, they provide a nice distraction when I'm trying to write a blog post that is going nowhere fast.