My how I’ve changed

In my laundry room just above the wash trough, where the bottom of the timber window frame ends, lives a large black spider.  Most of the time it stays hidden from view, or with just the tips of her feet in view.  I know it’s a female, as one day a plethora of tiny new hatchings set forth from there.  In general terms, I respect spiders and don’t interfere with them as they live their lives.  In the garden spiders are a wonderful asset as a bug predator and I try not to disturb them.

The red-backed spider I treat differently.  It has a lethal bite and has a habit of occupying places that bring it into contact with either myself or my pets.  In the summer time, I’ll go out in the evening and do the ‘spider patrol’ and kill any in the outside region of the house.  One day I may change my behaviour, but for now that is what I do.  The only other spider I have an aversion to is a black thickset spider, and it will inhabit places that also bring it into contact with me.

Just like the spider in my laundry.

When I first noticed her over a year ago, I tried to kill her but she evaded my efforts and retreated into a gap out of my reach.  I even resorted to using insect spray – something I rarely do – but that had no effect on her.  So I put it into the ‘difficult to deal with right now basket’ and kept a close eye on her when I was using the trough.  Over time, I became accustomed to her presence until the day came when  she was not to be seen.  My first reaction surprised me.  I was actually missing her!  I couldn’t believe it, but there it was.  I had bonded with a spider I had tried to kill.  A moment or so later, she appeared and I was relieved.

Now there’s an acceptance that she can live there, I’ll leave her be.  Oh my, how I’ve changed…..

Trust

Walking out in the hills, away from roads and tracks, is pure joy for me, especially if I’m accompanied by my four-legged friends.  Sometimes we meet up with others on our travels – feral deer, grey kangaroos, and various species of birds.  None of these am I able to get very close to generally, but I did have a close encounter of a different sort this weekend.  A grasshopper jumped at my feet, and when I stretched my hand down to it, it sat on my hand while I lifted it up for a closer look.  We shared a little time together, and then I placed it in the protective shelter of a tussock of grass and continued with our walk.   More often these days I have encounters such as this with tiny creatures, and the trust they have astounds me.  Cynics may say the insects have no intelligence and therefore no capacity to trust, but time and again I am shown that this is not the case.  Later on that morning, as we were heading towards home after quite a long walk, my ginger cat Mickey wanted a shady spot to catch his breath, and sat in the shade cast by the horse.  Trusting the horse not to step on him.  Sally is a very gentle horse and kind natured, yet so large in comparison to the cat and most would think it a foolhardy position to be in.  All was well however, and after a little rest Mickey was happy to continue, while I still pondered what I’d seen with amazement.  I think I’m being shown a few lessons in trust…..

Rainbows

Late this afternoon, I stood on my front verandah and watched a rainbow  appearing to be quite close by stretched over the sky. It was a case of double joy, as not only could I enjoy the rainbow, but also the rain that was falling.   Rain is very welcome in my district at present as the ground is still quite dry down below the surface and newly sown crops are in great need of a decent downpour.  Every little bit helps.

I wonder why rainbows arouse emotions?  There are numerous songs about rainbows and photos of rainbows abound. Information about rainbows can tell us about them in technical terms, but fail to convey the magic associated with them. Children in particular get excited about rainbows – maybe because they are still closer to their feelings than many adults.  So here’s a little bit of magic for your inner child.  Enjoy.