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June
17th, 2004 - thursday
So
I have this neighbor that lives next to my car. It's a very large
Black Widow spider. The biggest I think I've ever seen. Every
night, it comes out of its little corner and sets up shop just
under a storage unit about 3 feet in front of my car. It's really
a nice spot for a spider to make its home. Plenty of room, a light
nearby that attracts a number of flies in the night, and the warmth
of the parked car's engine nearby. When I first spotted the spider,
I immediately thought to smash it, but seeing how fast it moved
and how impressively large it was, I thought a better game plan
was in order. It must have sensed my intent to smash it when I
went up to my apartment, since after I returned with a large cardboard
poster tube in hand, it was gone. Since then, I just decided to
leave it be.
Every
night, it would come out of the little corner at about sundown
and set up shop in the middle of that space. I would watch for
about a minute, wondering if I should just go ahead and crush
it, but I always end up admiring it. Ever seen a Black Widow?
Unlike many of its nasty little cousins, the Black Widow is an
elegant creature. It's also fun to throw stuff into its web and
watch as it carefully inspects the debris and tosses it out.
It's
been nearly a month now, and the spider is enormous. It must be
catching plenty of the fruitflies that hang out by the nearby
avocado tree. So, I ask you guys, what do you think I should do?
Should I leave it be to live its life or should I end it and sleep
a little better? Of course, I might miss watching its progress
as it grows and spawns a small army of poisonous spiders next
to my car. I'm at a crossroads here. Should I smash it, spray
it, or leave it be? Let
me know what you think...
By
the way, I can't get The Wrens or Iron and Wine
out of my head. Their music's buried in there now. I love it.