Overcoming Arachnaphobia...

One tiny spider at a time.

I am a life-long arachnaphobe - the kind who runs screaming from a room when confronted with a pea sized spider. I am embarrassed to confess that I have stomped, sprayed and otherwise killed many, MANY spiders in my 57 years. And yet, now I find myself coming to an uneasy peace with them. And it's all because of Blip and the extraordinary photographers like Vodkaman and many others here who have posted photos and written fascinating journal entries about arachnids. I am the sort of person who takes comfort in knowledge, so part of my waning fear has to do with the knowledge that so many folks on Blip have shared. Thank you.

Now, all of that being said, I will still tell you that I am a bit freaked out by spiders and the ones I like best are the ones who stay perfectly still like this one. I took this shot with my little Nikon P510 from a distance of about 3/4 of an inch. Okay, let's all say it together - YIKES! My skin is still crawling but I am proud of myself. This isn't the best shot of a spider, but it's MY best shot and it represents progress. By the way, this spider is really, really small - not much bigger than a green pea.

Lots of work out in the garden today - it was chilly but sunny so as long as I kept moving, it was comfortable. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and I am hoping that maybe, finally, our cherry trees will bloom. One of my best friends, Peggy, is coming for a visit tomorrow. She lives in China, so we don't get to see each other very often, but when we get together, the years fall away and it's like we are still two single women living in NYC, tripping the light fantastic!

Hubs and I are getting ready to have a martini to cap off the weekend. As I write this, two cardinals (Mr and Mrs) are on the shrub right outside my window, not even 10 feet from where I sit. Life is pretty darned good.

Thank you for sending my bright bee to the spotlight - that will probably end up being one of my personal favorite shots - just something about it that speaks to me.

If you'd like to see a few other shots from today, I have posted three on Flickr - some tulips, a "flying" squirrel, and a pensive chipping sparrow.

xxoo
Debbi