I don't know form where Elizabeth came from, but in one of the basement window we got two year ago the blessing of a spider, after some research we found out it was a Marbel Orb Weaver, and we were a kind of scare because the black widow belongs to that family. But we showed the spider to some friend of ours and they told us it was not a black widow, well I took care of her, I remove any babies so Elizabet wont get competition I never destroyed them , my kids were not allowed to bother her, and we fed her during winter even when at times seemed dormant she did eat some wingless flies I bought in a pet shop. Well two day ago I came to visit her and she was dead. We all are going to miss her. We cleaned the window this morning for the first time in two years and we placed her in the garden close to the Tulips bed. I wonder if people realized how important the spiders are for us, i don't know how many hundred of insect Elizabeth had in her web during this two years, one of Elizabeth mistery was, how she mated, we never saw another spider, I search a picture in the net and I think I found one very similar... What a shame we never took a picture of her... Is anyone out there is keeping a spider, not an exotic one bought in the pet shop, a regular one, one that chose you to live with.. I just wonder. I attached a picture
Great story, greenboy. Elizabeth was one lucky spider. Her story (and yours) would make a great kid's book. The tale itself is gentle, touching, meaningful, and simple, and it would lend itself to illustration. I work in a library and shelve carts of books of all descriptions every day...this is one book I would pull out and look at, and I think lots of other folks would too. I do not keep spiders as pets, but allow them to roam around my house. (OK...the ones that descend a half-inch from my nose when I'm in the shower...well, I won't go into that.) There is a pale house spider who currently lives in the bathroom nightlight. Spiders are fascinating. The more you learn about 'em the more impressed you are by 'em. ---Last summer had a BIG garden spider who built her web between 2 of our carport uprights---her work was gorgeous, especially when embellished with mist. She would sit in the exact center of her web, awaiting developments. I got so I would look for her when I went outside or got home from work. ---Back when my kids were little we had an orb-weaver build her web under the patio roof. I went and got the plant mister bottle and misted the web---brought the kids out and showed them arachnid architecture. D'you know, they still remember that. I recommend this book: A Spider Might, written and illustrated by Tom Walther (1978) Sierra Club Books/Charles Scribner's Sons ISBN 0-684-15588-5 0-684-15592-3 (pbk.) Thanks for your story, greenboy! You have a knack for noticing what many others overlook.
I've had a few spiders as companions. I have to admit my favorite one indoors was a Phidippus regius. I could hand feed her live mosquitoes with tweezers. Also had a black widow, several of them actually, in a rented storage space. That was a weird time. I just didn't want to kill them, but was afraid relocating them would be dangerous for them. I think there were three, but I thought of the one nearest the door as the mother. The most common spiders near me now are all over the exterior of the house and on foundation plantings. They are called Mabel Orchard spiders. They're a kind of dusty graygreen, with a bright orange flash on the back. Very small, web spiders.
My old pick up trucks always had one or 2 that had their webs up in the corners. They were around for years. Not sure what they were but largish and black. Probably one of our poisonous ones but it never bothered me. Can I ask why "Elizabeth" Liz
I love History, specially England, and American History, first I called her Winston, Because Winston Churchill is my hero, and he always will, And Patton in the American History just to add this detail. But when she had babies, I Changed her name, even when queen Elizabeth of England never had any children she was very flamboyant like this Spider, so I called her Elizabeth.
So she is Liz the ist. The 2nd one had 4 kids. :))))))))) Liz [as in the queen but actualy named after a Hungarian one who later became a saint :0 which Iam not]
Thanks for your comments actually I am working on a book, of short stories, but not even short very short stories, because i know the attention span of the regular fellow in our times is about 10minutes max. Let's see how it comes, I already have 17 short stories in my book. Here is one. title: Charley I took a 3cc syringes from the Pyxis machine, and .4mg of morphine, I think this was enough to take care of the business. I walked down the hallway to the cage where the specimen HZ23345 was playing with his toys, he was 7 years old and very active. I came to open the cage like every day with some fruits and Candies, Charley loved Candies. But today I had none. "Come Charley" I called offering a piece of mango He looked at me with his yellowish eyes and showing his almost human smile. Today he really looked like my neighbor's kids, I thought .His always trusting eyes made me think if he had a human soul. "Hi doctor Hernel, what are we doing today?' he asked in that trusty way only seeing in 7 years olds but Charley was not a child I answered to myself, he is not a child I repeat to my inner voices, I took the syringe out of my pocket and I placed it on the table. Charley was playing with the toys I bought for him just two days ago, he really looked like a child at play. I remember the order on my desk termination for HZ23345 should be completed today at 1400 . I dropped the syringe on the floor. Charley looked a the floor and stated "that hurt Dr. Henley" looking at the syringe, "that hurt" the words bounced inside my brain and I remembered my own son Richard when he said the same thing years ago, "That Hurt" in the pediatrician's office I looked at his beautiful yellowish eyes so much like a child, just a couple of proteins away and the Law made the difference between a human child and Charley, I was not doing it , Charley was a child, and termination was going to be wrong in front of GOD! I opened the cage, I took Charley left hand, and I took him our of the cage,"were are we going Dr. Henley?' Charley asked. We are going home Charley, we are going Home! . The airport was busy, that morning and the security points very complicated, no one payed attention to the tall thin but handsome man walking down the hallway he was elegant and wearing a nice Italian hand made gray suit. " I need your passport" the lady at the counter asked, : are you coming for pleasure or business Dr. Henley ? I am coming to see my father Dr. Henley" Charles stated. I was close enough the counter to hear the conversation, and themy inner voice stated again, too much like a real child, well he is my real child, looking at the handsome young man waiving at me in front of the airport gate, with a broad beautiful smile. Yes no doubts Charley was human and he was my. No editing I am tire.... I hope you liked it. GB
