Boating Buddies

This last trip to the lake, we came into contact with all kinds of critters. It seemed like we had an almost magnetic pull with certain creatures of the 8-legged sort. Fortunately, we survived... and so did they.

No creepy-crawlies were harmed in the process of jumping away in terror, and then rummaging through bags to find the camera.



The first subject was about 5 inches in diameter... and under my seat.

Since it escaped and was lying in wait hid out somewhere in the boat, I showed the pic to locals in the area, who assured me it's not poisonous, before I agreed to board again. If anyone has any information to the contrary, please let me know - I'm officially keeping track of my near-death experiences.

As spiders go, this one was truly a beauty.

That's not something I'm accustomed to saying in regards to arachnids - not to mention, the prettier ones are usually venomous - but this one had the neatest texture & coloring.

(I'm only a fan if they refrain from sudden movements and/or jumping. As long as they keep their urge to be near me in check, we can be buds... from afar.)

So, from where I sit [next to Miss Muffet, long after she ran away and met her buds at a local cafe to tell her tale] my guess is that it is a wood spider, due to the similar markings of trees in the area.





The second subject was very nearly a new glove/mask set, which still makes me hyperventilate slightly, just thinking about it...

This thing was in the dark, finishing off a meal on the deck of a houseboat that had some secret stash of bait, or something. All of the fishermen were stopping there on the way out, so I assume that's why we went there.

Are you picking up on a general lack of communication? Me, too.

Truthfully, my fright wiped my memory banks of the minutes surrounding the event of almost wearing this thing - which was more than big enough to make me look like Tom Hardy's Bane character in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises (the final film in the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman trilogy).

How did this happen, you ask?

Indeed.

As a last-ditch effort at catching something while out with my husband for some night fishing [aka stargazing], we stopped by the houseboat of secret-y stuff... As we docked, I stuck my hand out to brace my part of the boat (my vision limited by what little moonlight was coming through the nearby trees).

I felt a spider web.

I no longer cared if the boat hit anything (excluding, of course, a massive nest of spiders that might soon fill the boat, after ramming through and relocating their webby home right into our laps) quickly found my flashlight, only to discover it was literally in my face.

It was so big, the two guys on the boat couldn't believe it, either.

*Cough*

They screamed yelled, too!

I nearly did a limp backward roll into the water on the other side, but my fear of dark, murky water (infested with piranhas and such) kept me in place.

Upon review of this photo, [I can no longer relive the incident] I see a strong resemblance with the Grinch.

If you look closely at the head (and ignore the legs of some other creature hanging out of its mouth) I think you'll see a mini Grinch face that may or may not reflect a certain amount of animosity.

Let me know if I'm seeing things.

(To enlarge pics, right-click and open in a new window.)