October 30, 2011

    I suppose I'm still in the Halloween spirit, but this little gal really was a Halloween surprise! I had moved some plants inside to save them from a freeze, and perhaps she came from one of those, or perhaps she had gotten on me somehow when I moved some empty pots around by the front door in preparation for little trick or treaters, but at any rate when I came inside and carried a bowl of candy to the front door, I leaned over to set it down and suddenly there she was! 
    She ran scramble-zip across the table top toward the bowl. Now would you expect a spider to go for candy? I threw all of the candy on the floor except one package I used as a tool to scoop her into the bowl and keep her corralled down at the bottom until I found a small jar and got some rubbing alcohol into it - then plop. Poor lady - pickled. 
    Today I got her out and stretched her out onto a paper to draw. As you might expect, she's really rather lovely; sort of a velvety glossy black. She had a light red bit on her back and a rather under-developed hour-glass on her underside, but I know my widows and this is one. 
    We have had a bit of a population boom in widows in the yard this past summer, in fact. Most have been more decorative; with full blood red hour-glasses and red, yellow and white markings on their backs (Northern Black Widows). My "favorite" ones have white markings just like the ribs of a skeleton on their backs... so appropriate! In this case "favorite" is still something I'd gladly do without!