Well, I have been a resident of the Sonoran Desert now for almost exactly 20 months. I have to admit that I had a lot of ideas about the scary wildlife that I would be encountering on a daily basis when we first moved out here. However...I have had almost none (thankfully). Now....because I publish this thought in writing, on a blog, for all the world to see, I surely will see a rapid and immediate increase in my own personal wildlife encounters! But to date, in almost two years of desert living, I have not crossed paths with a rattlesnake (which is my all time biggest fear and worry), a gila monster, a mountain lion, a live scorpion or anything else too terribly scary or poisonous. We did however have a visitor yesterday morning. A tarantula. My first in my time here. I have heard that they are abundant here...but I have never witnessed one. Chris gave me the heads up yesterday morning on this one as he pulled out of the driveway for work. I was helping the kids get breakfast when the phone rang and it was Chris telling me this little guy had been under his car and he saw him when he backed out. I happen not to be afraid of big hairy spiders that I am capable of moving faster than...so I, of course, jump at the chance to see this new desert creature on my own turf. Now, I should mention here, that I am still in my nightgown. A simple, shortish, gray t-shirt with snaps at the neck and a little bit of shape kind of get up. I figure this is not an issue....I'm just stepping out on the front porch for a minute and I'm sure I won't encounter the public eye too much. So I snatch up my camera (since I'm a picture junkie!) and streak on out the front door toward said spider. And wouldn't you know it...our elderly neighbors are out front...and not just in their garage, like usual, but all out in their driveway which is only about 2 feet from MY driveway. So there I am, facsinated by this tarantula, thinking what a great picture this could be, but hiding there beside the corner of my garage so I am out of sight in my lovely night wear. Finally, I can take it no more and I just kind of slip out from the corner and get down on the ground to get the picture (thinking that if I am quiet I won't draw too much attention to myself). No sooner do I get all crouched down on my knees with my camera braced and my butt in the air, my neighbor notices me and immediately comes to save me from said spider. OK....so now it is SOOOO obvious that I am outside in my nightie on my knees, and there is just WAY too much attention coming my way. I just want this guy to go away and let me take my picture already. But no...he offers to get rid of it and proceeds to tell me how it won't really hurt me, but could hurt Clara (as if my dainty one would even think of approaching the creepy crawly!). I try to get up off the ground as gracefully as I can. I thank him for his helpfulness and then I retreat BACK around the corner to my original post of peeking out and hoping Mr. Tarantula will crawl close enough for me to get the picture I want. Well, I got his picture. Is it my dream tarantula picture (if one of those exists)? No....but it's the best I can do in my nightie with neighbors! He was way cool in a kind of creepy way. I am relieved that I did not freak out. You may be asking yourself if I will grab my camera and run out for pictures when I find the rattlesnake on my front porch. I can assure you, NOT! I will be inside, dialing 911 and packing for a trip far far away in a land where you most certainly will NOT find rattlers curled up on your steps! I still pray a daily prayer to God to put a forcefield around my home that repels all belly crawling critters. So far it has worked!
