Hideous and terrifying, my courage is put to the test
being in my garden in the company of this unwelcome guest.
© Julie Rehnelt 2014
~
I am so extremely terrified of spiders, it isn’t even funny, so taking this photo was no small feat for me. And I surely put my humble little camera’s zooming capabilities to the test in trying to stand as far away as possible while taking it. Not to mention my skin was crawling, my heart was racing, and I was shaking.
I know most spiders are harmless and are even beneficial in the garden, being the predators that they are of other insects. But even so, I am scared to death of them, so that makes them unwelcome guests in my garden.
One time a spider had spun a magnificent web in my garden, it truly was a stunning piece of art, but it was right in the way of my being able to get to my cucumbers which were ready to harvest, so it couldn’t stay. The only problem was that I am too frightened to go anywhere near spiders to do anything about it, so I called a friend of mine and she came over and rescued me from it. Standing like twenty feet away (did I mention the “can’t go anywhere near” part?), I watched as she gently coaxed the spider onto a sheet of paper and then walked across the street and deposited it onto a bush. Sharon = my hero!
The spider in the photo wasn’t “in” my garden, it was on a plant on my patio, so after taking its picture, I let it be. But now I’m a bit paranoid, not knowing where it has gone, afraid that it’s lurking somewhere, watching me with its eight eyes, plotting my demise.
Spiders are so creepy…
~
✿~Gardening is my therapy~✿
Ramblings From Jewels 
Wow! I am really PROUD of you for getting this picture. I know what fear can and does do. When you overcome your fears you feel 10 feet tall!!!! (((HUGS))) Amy
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Thanks Amy, I’m proud of me too! 😉
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[GRIN]
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It is probably wondering where you went and hope you don’t come back to frighten it…
My son is scared of spiders and would rather run out of a bathroom naked screaming for help than kill the spider himself, his wife has to go and rescue the spider and move it so he can continue with his shower…
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Hahaha! That scenario of your son sounds vaguely familiar to me (except with the roles reversed, of course). And I don’t blame him one bit, you guys probably have some dangerous and deadly spiders there in Africa. He’s brave just to live there… 😉
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I have been bitten twice by the violin spider that leaves a hole in the flesh, but I’m not sure how many deadly ones we have if any… I just like to avoid them just in case… but nobody said living in Africa was for sissies… and that’s why I love it…
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Yikes! Haha Africa definitely isn’t for sissies! The saying goes that Minnesota winters aren’t for sissies either, but I’d gladly take that over poisonous insects and your deadly Black Mamba snakes any day of the week! 😉
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I really hate the way they sit and wait until some poor bee gets tangled up in their web … so calculating!
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Right?! Downright diabolical they are… 😉
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I don’t think I could have held the camera still long enough for a photo 🙂
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It was a challenge for sure, but I was about six feet away. I think that’s a safe distance to be away from a jumping spider, right? 😉
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Aw! I kinda like spiders, but I understand, because of the bee-fear I experience in the garden — or really anywhere…
Just yesterday, we spotted the same jumping black spider on our porch, and Moo had a bit of a fit about it. When I find them in the house, I take them outside, because there’s nothing for jumping black spiders to do in a house. Once I told her that, she calmed down quite a bit 🙂
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Your fear of bees is understandable because you’re allergic, my fear of spiders is completely irrational. Although… maybe the heart racing, the shaking, and the sweating I experience around spiders could be considered an allergic reaction?. Yeah, I know, that’s pushing it. 😉 This one was a jumping spider too, but it was huge and hairy, so that made it extra disgusting…
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Poor Jewels!
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One of them got on me yesterday in my backyard. I know they’re helpful predators of garden insects, but still would have preferred for it to do its creepy-crawling somewhere else!
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Exactly… there’s a whole wide world outside where they can do their creepy crawling things. One time years ago, when I was cleaning up one of my flower beds in the spring, I thought I had a hair on my face and went to brush it away only to discover it was a spider. ON MY FACE! And then I noticed a dozen or so crawling on my arms and legs, it was like a horror movie! Took me a good, long while before I could muster the courage to go back into my garden and finish my work.
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I am proud of you for getting close enough to get a photo! (And a lovely photo it is for being of a spider!) I feel the same way about spiders, especially big ones or the creepy, completely repulsive type like that in your photo. We have some very small ones like that here, which I call zebra spiders because they are black and white striped, and I can’t relax if one of them is hopping around anywhere near me. They are just so gross and creepy!
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Thanks Trisha! It was really hard for me to take it, usually even looking at pictures of spiders makes my skin crawl, they’re so disgusting. I do like how my photo turned out though. 😉
Hope you’re doing alright, and that you had a nice weekend at the baseball tournament. 🙂
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amazingly, down here in sunny Florida, I don’t see hardly many spiders. No, we have roaches instead. My skin crawled as I wrote that…..
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Lucky that you don’t have many spiders down there, but omygosh roaches? Yeah, I don’t know, those might be worse. I am not a fan of insects of any sort, but some are definitely worse than others. We get centipedes inside the house and those gross me out more than spiders (all their legs, ew), but they’re not as scary to me. Spiders just seem, I don’t know, more like cold calculating killers. 😉
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Phobias are tough so good for you taking the steps to photograph then post. Baby steps will take you to the other side. I wish you strength and courage and deep understanding. 🙂
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Thanks, Eliza. 🙂
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I’m more of a snakes scare me kinda gal (wasn’t that Indiana Jones’ problem?) I (finally) made my peace with spiders since they are so beneficial but understand your nervousness around them. Just give each other a little space–you can do it!!!
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“Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” Snakes don’t bother me much, when I was little I used to play with the Gardener snakes we had in the yard. But I would probably feel differently if they bit or were poisonous types.
I haven’t made my peace with spiders (don’t think I ever will), but I do realize their benefits, and as long as I don’t see them, I’m fine… 😉
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You were brave Julie! I`m pretty much ok with spiders (although I don’t like them) but hate those flying daddy longlegs – just hate them!! 🙂
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“Flying” daddy long-legs?! Yikes! The idea of spiders flying is even more horrifying!
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I’m afraid of spiders, too–glad I’m not the only one! 🙂
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I am the opposite from you on this one, unless it is large and hairy, then I may get creeped out! I don’t mind bugs outside and always felt screaming about bees, got them buzzing closer. Bet that spider would let you be. Anyway, this was a fun and light hearted post!
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I am not a fan of any type of bug, but I love the outdoors, so I do my best to not let them bother me, but spiders are another matter entirely. 😉
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This little guy is a Jumping Spider. They won’t come anywhere near humans if possible.
Come look at the Crab Spider … also very cute.
https://attaleuntold.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/crab-spider-update/
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Yes, he was a bit “jumpy” which made me more nervous.
I’ll be right over…
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