Comments on: Arachnophilia…not http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/ "Hitch your wagon to a star." —Ralph Waldo Emerson Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:33:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Ben http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-55472 Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:34:28 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-55472 Sherry: Sounds like Ireland. :P I lived in a basement for my last few years at home, so I was accustomed to seeing (and smashing) them, too, but even that didn't overcome the heebie-jeebies I get whenever I see them. I have nightmares on a somewhat regular basis (well, once every three or four months :)) where my floor is littered with spiders, evil red ones with translucent sacs. ~shiver~ Emily: :) There really is beauty in death, honestly. (And no, I don't hunt, and I dislike killing things. Even spiders, though I still kill them because I prefer them dead. But I don't like actually doing the killing.) Rikker: Wow. Wow. :) Donna: Snakes don't bother me, actually. Most bugs and vermin don't -- just spiders. And while I know that they eat other bugs, I'd frankly rather have the other bugs, thank you very much. As for the photography, I'm thinking about upgrading to a DSLR pretty soon. If only they weren't so darn expensive... Sherry: Sounds like Ireland. :P I lived in a basement for my last few years at home, so I was accustomed to seeing (and smashing) them, too, but even that didn’t overcome the heebie-jeebies I get whenever I see them. I have nightmares on a somewhat regular basis (well, once every three or four months :)) where my floor is littered with spiders, evil red ones with translucent sacs. ~shiver~

Emily: :) There really is beauty in death, honestly. (And no, I don’t hunt, and I dislike killing things. Even spiders, though I still kill them because I prefer them dead. But I don’t like actually doing the killing.)

Rikker: Wow. Wow. :)

Donna: Snakes don’t bother me, actually. Most bugs and vermin don’t — just spiders. And while I know that they eat other bugs, I’d frankly rather have the other bugs, thank you very much. As for the photography, I’m thinking about upgrading to a DSLR pretty soon. If only they weren’t so darn expensive…

]]> by: Donna http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53927 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:25:55 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53927 I don't like spiders and snakes... I grew up in Hawaii where there are no snakes of any kind. That made back packing and camping a wonderful pass time of the summers of my youth. However, the summer of my junior year I was camping and nearly had a heart attack. We had finished lunch and cleaned up, we had some free time. We had been building this huge nature trail through the brush. I was exhausted. I went to my pup tent and stretched out on my cot for a few winks. Suddenly I woke with a start. I felt like someone was watching me. It was quite creepy. I opened my eyes and just above my face about 12 inches was a huge can spider. At first, I opened my mouth to scream and nothing happened. Then I screamed and I am sure the hills reverberated. Friends came running, grabbed my shoulders and yanked me out of my tent. After a moment I was able to convey my terror. A friend she would take care of it. Soon I was told I could safely return. I thanked her and went to my cot, shut my eyes and tried to rest again. Again I felt someone staring at me. I opened my eyes. The spider was back, but I thought my friend had killed it. Again I screamed. Again I was pulled from my tent. When I told my friend, "I thought you killed it." She replied, "No, I am Buddhist and the spider did not hurt you." Again she chased the spider from my tent. This time she drove it far away. It took hours to calm my nerves. I guess I should be grateful for cane spiders as they check the cock roach population in Hawaii, eating about 10 a day. Time to be thankful in all things... I like Charlotte Mason's idea of Nature notebooks. I have a Canon Ftb I bought in college so I could do nature photography. It lets me take high speed photos, as well as timed exposures. I do not have patience for pocket cameras. I don’t like spiders and snakes…

I grew up in Hawaii where there are no snakes of any kind. That made back packing and camping a wonderful pass time of the summers of my youth.

However, the summer of my junior year I was camping and nearly had a heart attack. We had finished lunch and cleaned up, we had some free time. We had been building this huge nature trail through the brush. I was exhausted. I went to my pup tent and stretched out on my cot for a few winks. Suddenly I woke with a start. I felt like someone was watching me. It was quite creepy. I opened my eyes and just above my face about 12 inches was a huge can spider. At first, I opened my mouth to scream and nothing happened. Then I screamed and I am sure the hills reverberated. Friends came running, grabbed my shoulders and yanked me out of my tent.

After a moment I was able to convey my terror. A friend she would take care of it. Soon I was told I could safely return. I thanked her and went to my cot, shut my eyes and tried to rest again. Again I felt someone staring at me. I opened my eyes. The spider was back, but I thought my friend had killed it. Again I screamed. Again I was pulled from my tent. When I told my friend, “I thought you killed it.” She replied, “No, I am Buddhist and the spider did not hurt you.” Again she chased the spider from my tent. This time she drove it far away. It took hours to calm my nerves.

I guess I should be grateful for cane spiders as they check the cock roach population in Hawaii, eating about 10 a day. Time to be thankful in all things…

I like Charlotte Mason’s idea of Nature notebooks. I have a Canon Ftb I bought in college so I could do nature photography. It lets me take high speed photos, as well as timed exposures. I do not have patience for pocket cameras.

]]> by: rikker http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53861 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:56:35 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53861 The whole easier-to-photograph thing is probably why <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladislas_Starevich" rel="nofollow">Starevich</a> used dead bugs for his pioneering stop-motion animation in the 1910s. :) (For example, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIC0Sb6pLvI" rel="nofollow">this</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH79Btd8bys" rel="nofollow">this</a>. Great stuff.) The whole easier-to-photograph thing is probably why Starevich used dead bugs for his pioneering stop-motion animation in the 1910s. :)

(For example, this or this. Great stuff.)

]]> by: Emily http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53851 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 04:59:07 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53851 The spider is my creepy nemesis, too. I shudder every time I think of one. It's funny about your dead animal photos. When my husband was on his mission in Russia he began a collection of dead animal pictures. He would see some poor thing in the snow and out came the camera! It became a game for him. He's not morbid, really. Really. The spider is my creepy nemesis, too. I shudder every time I think of one.
It’s funny about your dead animal photos. When my husband was on his mission in Russia he began a collection of dead animal pictures. He would see some poor thing in the snow and out came the camera! It became a game for him. He’s not morbid, really. Really.

]]> by: Sherry http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53795 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:14:10 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2007/11/11/arachnophilianot/#comment-53795 One of the things I like best about moving to New Zealand is that there are NO poisonous spiders. None. I don't hate spiders as much as you do. I've been living in basements for the last 2 1/2 years, so I've gotten pretty accustomed to smashing them when I see them. However, I am utterly terrified of snakes. I have nightmares, and I've had some scary experiences. And do you know what? NO snakes in New Zealand. NONE! None! Hooray! One of the things I like best about moving to New Zealand is that there are NO poisonous spiders. None. I don’t hate spiders as much as you do. I’ve been living in basements for the last 2 1/2 years, so I’ve gotten pretty accustomed to smashing them when I see them.

However, I am utterly terrified of snakes. I have nightmares, and I’ve had some scary experiences. And do you know what? NO snakes in New Zealand. NONE! None! Hooray!

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