Spidey

We've actually had some rain this week, about a half an inch. Funny how obsessed we are with rain in the desert, the flip side of being obsessed with rain in Puget Sound.  Here it's new. There it's old.

Little critters come out with the rain. This little tarantula was hanging around the pillows of the bed/sofa in our backyard. I've also seen them working in the yard.  I was working; they were moving out of the way.

They move quite deliberately. I tried to shoo this one away by slapping pillows near it and blowing on it, but it simply climbed on the wall and hung around the window. Not even camera flashes bothered it.

Early morning light & Mexican bird of paradise flowers

They live longer than most dogs. Male tarantulas live ten to twelve years; females double that. Anything that lives so many years has to have some smarts. They eat bugs and small lizards, so they are welcome.

But spidey is not so welcome in the heap of pillows on our outside sofa. After my refreshing swim in the cement pond (86 deg.), spidey was still sitting by the window  —  quite calmly to all appearances. Time for the broom, I thought, but gently. Spidey hardly moved, then climbed aboard. Daddy took him over the wall and dropped Spidey outside. Happy ending!