Spider
My strongest emotional reaction in a long time? Finding out someone stepped on my spider.
There was an enormous spiderweb outside of my porch. It spanned across several bushes, and the spider has been steadily growing since I arrived. It was so noticeable people would come by my apartment and stare at the web for several minutes before leaving. Some reacted with disgust, some with fascination, and some probably contemplated knocking it down.
It was absolutely beautiful, watching her spin her webs. She was so meticulous, so focused on anchoring it in multiple places and establishing a multi layered, strong web. Shed work on it all night, and it was a joy to watch her work. It was a portion of nature I could admire in its joy. I kept telling myself I was going to take pictures of her one of these days. But I'd been lazy and not done so, assuming it would always be there tomorrow.
Today as I was walking back to my apartment from lunch I noticed she wasn't in her usual spot. I thought it odd, but she leaves her web every once and a while to lay foundations elsewhere so I didn't question it much. As I was walking out a few minutes ago I noticed her squashed on the concrete, and ants eating her body. I might have stepped on her. I don't even know. Why was she on the ground? Her web was intact. Theres no reason she should have been down there.
I feel like I've lost a lifelong pet or something, even though I've only been around her for two months. I don't know what to do with the web, and my digital camera doesn't have any batteries.
Goddamnit. This is one of the lamest things that could have happened today.
There was an enormous spiderweb outside of my porch. It spanned across several bushes, and the spider has been steadily growing since I arrived. It was so noticeable people would come by my apartment and stare at the web for several minutes before leaving. Some reacted with disgust, some with fascination, and some probably contemplated knocking it down.
It was absolutely beautiful, watching her spin her webs. She was so meticulous, so focused on anchoring it in multiple places and establishing a multi layered, strong web. Shed work on it all night, and it was a joy to watch her work. It was a portion of nature I could admire in its joy. I kept telling myself I was going to take pictures of her one of these days. But I'd been lazy and not done so, assuming it would always be there tomorrow.
Today as I was walking back to my apartment from lunch I noticed she wasn't in her usual spot. I thought it odd, but she leaves her web every once and a while to lay foundations elsewhere so I didn't question it much. As I was walking out a few minutes ago I noticed her squashed on the concrete, and ants eating her body. I might have stepped on her. I don't even know. Why was she on the ground? Her web was intact. Theres no reason she should have been down there.
I feel like I've lost a lifelong pet or something, even though I've only been around her for two months. I don't know what to do with the web, and my digital camera doesn't have any batteries.
Goddamnit. This is one of the lamest things that could have happened today.