I looked out yesterday morning and saw these rose-ringed parakeets on our bird feeder. I was surprised they were so brave, as Mr. Russia was up on the terrace banging around again. They must have been hungry.
They reminded me of two parentheses -- or of that line in Sandra Cisneros's book "The House on Mango Street," about the man whose little dogs were always jumping in mid-air, looking like an apostrophe and a comma.
Or maybe a pair of synchronized divers?
Yesterday was dreary, food-wise: An egg and a white roll in the morning, some cheese toast for lunch, and then nothing else. Plus the whole cleansing thing in the evening. This morning I can't have coffee (the worst bit of all this so far) and shortly I'll be off to the hospital to receive the sacrament of the capsule. Why do I believe it will be glowing when they hand it to me, the light shining upward into all our faces, as angels sing?
At lunchtime I'm supposed to be able to eat a light meal, and by dinner I'll be back to my normal dietary habits. And none too soon.
(Trigger alert: Stop reading now if you are an arachnophobe!)
When I got up this morning, I went to open the back door to let Olga out. Then I went to get my glasses, which were on my bedside table, so I could blog. And I saw this:
I had pretty much the same expression as that owl.
Where that gigantic thing came from and what it's doing on my bedside lamp I'll never know. I imagine I disturbed it with all my cleaning on Saturday. I just left it alone. Maybe it will go back where it came from. The question is, will I ever be able to sleep soundly in my bed again?
Oh, I would definitely NOT be sleeping. However, I think it’s just a garden spider (orb weaver).
ReplyDeleteIt's what's known as a house spider in the UK -- completely harmless but intimidating-looking!
DeleteBeing allergic to bee stungs and having a more intense reaction to insect bites, I’ll keep my distance. They do bite. A normal person might have a mild, itchy reaction. I tend to have worse reactions from spider bites, mosquito bites, etc. I was once told by a zoo keeper, while she held a tarantula in her hand, tarantulas weren’t dangerous. “They’re bite is simply like a bee sting.” Um, good-bye!
DeleteI would have put him back outside pretty quickly and barricaded the doors!!
ReplyDeleteHa! I couldn't put it outside, though, because we're about to have freezing temps. I'm sure it's indoors for a reason!
DeleteFeathered punctuation!!
ReplyDeleteHope your procedure goes smoothly.
She is busy eating flies!! She is a beauty..ever looked at a spider through a magnifying glass?
I've looked at them through my macro lens, which I should really use on this one!
DeletePosing beautifully on the lamp! What always worries me when I find a huge spider in the house is where was it before I saw it......and where might it go if I take my eyes off it to go and fetch a husband or a spider removing device?
ReplyDeleteHope all goes well with the camera today.
Yeah, the "where it might go" question is always foremost in my mind!
DeleteSwap sides in the bed!!!
ReplyDeleteHa! That spider needs its own side!
DeleteI wish you good luck as the mini-Starship Enterprise investigates the darkest realms of your inner universe. Will your blog visitors get to see images of its journey and its high pressure return into the light?...“The mission of the Starship Enterprise is to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before”.
ReplyDeleteOh my. So many possible comments. I'll just say that no, blog visitors will not be subjected to any of this. :)
DeleteI know those birds as Indian Ringneck parrots. There was a time in my life when I worked with parrots, and almost kept one of those as a pet. Gorgeous birds. I wish we had them at our feeders, even with the noise and mess!
ReplyDeleteYeah, ring-neck parrots (or parakeets) is another name for them. I have a feeling I've used that name before too. I'm not consistent! They ARE beautiful, but so noisy!
DeleteBeautiful spider, probably has a mate somewhere nearby and hidden.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the holy capsule, may the gods of gastroenterology watch over you.
I think it may be roaming around searching for a mate, which is apparently a thing at this time of year.
DeleteYour other readers are such good-hearted folks, admiring the spider’s beauty and fly-catching abilities. Having grown up in the south where bugs are large and numerous, that eight-legged fella would have been squished in seconds (after much dancing and gasping on my part) in seconds.
ReplyDeleteHope the journey to the center of Steve goes well.
Ha! I can't kill it, partly because squishing something that big would be really disgusting. But not only that -- the spider is just doing its thing!
DeleteNope. That spider would have been dust for having the nerve to come near me!
ReplyDeleteHa! I don't think it would be dry enough to be dust. Not at first anyway.
DeleteYOU LEFT IT ALONE????!!!!!! Okay, this is carrying the whole "Steve Reed zen" thing just a little too far...
ReplyDeleteHa! Hey, I can live with it, as long as it keeps more or less out of sight and doesn't touch me.
DeleteI think I might have killed the spider. I would not be fond of thinking about it when I went to bed the next night. Good luck with your test.
ReplyDeleteKilling it would be so gross, though. Unless I vacuumed it up.
DeleteI would have left the spider alone too, but mostly because I wouldn't have wanted to try to get close enough to move it. And I would have no trouble sleeping because by the time I went to bed I would have forgotten about it. Ha! Hope everything went well this morning!
ReplyDeleteI think it will go away somewhere. It doesn't want to be around me any more than I want to be around it.
DeleteI would not sleep knowing a big spider was in the bedroom. It would have to be caught and placed outside. I've also been known to vacuum a spider like that.
ReplyDeleteThe parrots are beautiful, and they love your feeder.
Good luck with the capsule test today.
If it were summer or early fall I'd put it outside, but right now that would be consigning it to certain death.
DeleteThose parakeets crack me up. They are somehow so pretty and so silly.
ReplyDeleteI swear- we had the brother/mother/sister/aunt to that spider on our bedroom wall a few weeks ago. That thing was BIG! Mr. Moon had to come and remove him to the outdoors for me. He was halfway up to the ceiling. It is a little creepy to think of all the critters that really could join us in our beds.
Oh, there ARE critters in our beds. They're just too small for us to see them. (In most cases.)
DeleteReally good capture of the parakeets! As for the spider, Yikes. It's so big you'd almost have to pull out a gun and shoot it.
ReplyDeleteHa! But that would destroy my lamp!
DeleteI had the same reaction as Debby! I could never leave it there.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your camera capsule. I guess by now it has worked its way through much of you. Reminds me of those Magic School Bus adventures! Do you know that kids' series? Hope the camera finds no troubles at all, Steve.
Ha! I hadn't thought of the "Magic School Bus," but it is very similar to the old "Fantastic Voyage" movie.
Deletelooks like a wolf spider. they like to live in human habitats. I had one living in the corner of a window when I lived in the city. I left it alone figuring it was doing me a service taking care of mosquitos and flies.
ReplyDeleteI think it's actually a house spider, at least that's what the British call them -- a little less bulky than a wolf spider. We've had them in the living room before but never on my bedside lamp!
DeleteI like animal life and generally have a live and let live policy but that spider would be either dead or having safely beaten a hasty retreat by now.
ReplyDeleteIt is awfully lackadaisical for a spider, I must say. Doesn't seem particularly motivated to go anywhere quickly.
DeleteYikes! That spider is huge. I hope it appreciates that you left it alone and goes away. I love the parakeets. Good luck with the procedure.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's not aware of me at all, except as some big shadowy shape!
DeleteYou get up early. The clock says 5:59. I don't have a problem with spiders. I just don't want them in my house.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I usually get up anywhere between 5:30 and 6 a.m.
DeleteLooks like a wolf spider very pretty! I feel lucky when they come into the house- I do carry them outside though- not a great sleeping partner.
ReplyDeleteI would take it outside if it were warmer, but we're about to get hit by a spider-killing arctic blast!
DeleteI love spiders, and like their eating other critters in the house. I think that big one might get a ride outside. It's possible Mr Russia's antics have disturbed a few of these, so you may want to check again.
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't even think of that, but you're right!
DeleteI'm pretty sure it's a wolf spider and it won't hurt you. I hope all is going well today!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a house spider (Tergenaria, or something like that). Thanks for the good wishes!
DeleteWait, you didn't capture the spider or dispose of it? You need to evacuate, Steve! I'm glad that the end (see what I did there?) is in sight for your procedure. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa! No evacuation jokes, please. :)
DeleteYikes! I would have captured that spider and put it outside. I hope it doesn't have babies.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I am a little concerned about the baby issue, I must admit!
DeleteBeautiful picture of the ringnecks, they really are gorgeous birds. That's a big spider.
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful but they are so loud, especially in big, squabbly groups. (The birds, not the spiders. :) )
DeleteI would probably let the spider live ONCE I ascertained it wasn't a poisonous one (I'm in Australia. Lots of things out to kill you!).
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely not poisonous. We do have some poisonous spiders in the UK, apparently, but that's not one of them!
DeleteYes, you will be able to sleep soundly again, after a period of nightly checking every corner of the romm, including inside the lamp and under your pillows.
ReplyDeleteCute birds.
Yeah, I'm kind of in that position now. I kept watching for it last night!
DeleteI would have caught that spider and sent it outside! Far away from the house! Reading backwards. I like the idea of a glowing capsule.
ReplyDelete