Man that was a big spider! About a week ago (some time after the boy had gone back to college for the second time), I glanced across the room and there was a huge spider scurrying from beside the MacBox over towards the stereo. I estimated its leg span to be over 3 inches, easily. I mean, come on, it was big enough that I could see it easily from about 9 feet away. It wasn't one of those grass spiders with the tiny body and the long, spindly legs either. This was a spider that made me very glad it was over there and I was over here. A mental note was made to be very, very careful the next time I needed to go over by the shelves of CDs.

But that was then, and this is now. And just now, I looked down and here's the giganta-spider again, only this time, it's right beside my chair, less than 12 inches away. That will wake you up, in a hurry. AND distract you from the critique that you're supposed to be writing for class, you can bet.

Thanks to a postcard that had been conveniently left on the floor and a custard dish that had been holding tea bags*, the spider is now claiming new territory outside by the lamp post. Hopefully the kitties have enough sense not to go hunting there, but I don't think they sleep in that part of the periwinkle. I'll just have to make sure that I wear gloves and good shoes the next time I'm pruning over there.....

* proving that neatness is highly overrated