9/28/09

My World - a close shave!

Above is your common Garden Spider in the UK, not too exotic looking, can get pretty large, but not terribly scary. I do have arachnaphobia in a big way, but I have been used to these all my life and so may not like them, but can tolerate at a distance.

But on Saturday I came very close to making a scary error of judgement! There I was wandering around a local state park taking pictures, when I spotted this above an information board.

It was so big, bright and plastic looking that I just didn't really believe it was real. It was also positioned in such a widely trod area that I just assumed someone was playing a joke. So I got up close and personal peering at it, certain it was plastic.

Another couple came along, I pointed it out and they informed me it was real. The Hubster came up and I told him I didn't believe it was real, just a bad joke, but they were taking pictures so I did too.

Then the other man blew on it carefully and guess what...IT MOVED! Well his partner and I both freaked, as this was one big exotic scary looking spider, even he backed up. The body on this spider was easily an inch long!

So tonight we googled it as the Hubster didn't know what it was. And guess what....it's the US female Garden Spider equivalent, same name, of course larger, but actually harmless!

I am so happy I didn't reach out to touch it, a thought that did cross my mind. I'd have screamed the place down and probably been a gibbering wreck for a few hours - it was a close shave!

To join in the fun go to My World Tuesday

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

That'll teach ya!

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Yes, that's the Argiope spider, it weaves it's web in a zig zag pattern.
Harmless, and quite beautiful with their yellow and black coloring, but if you have a phobia about spiders, I would say not too beautiful.
Glad you didn't touch...I'd say you'd still be running ;)

Jill of All Trades said...

Ick!

Sandy said...

*shudder*

spiders...on a Monday morning..not good.

I can recall the first time I saw that yellow spider. I was so creeped out by it but kept watching it. ick..

Sandi McBride said...

I go out in the morning with the Mindylou girl and am constantly walking into their webs and the neighbors see my cartwheeling and screeching trying to get the webs out of my face and make sure there are no hitchhikers in my hair...I'm sure they think I'm crazy...that's the part of this time of year that I dislike the most...it's so DARK out at 7 am when I'm taking our girl on her constitutional! Great photo by the way!
Sandi

Expat mum said...

For some reason I have spider webs all over my house at the moment, but I haven't seen any spiders. I'd have to move if I saw one that big!

Sherri said...

I don't like spiders that much either! Their webs are very interesting and wonderful to photograph, but for the most part I stay away from them. NC has some pretty big, ugly and horrible spiders. Many more than what we had when we lived in NJ. Glad you didn't touch it!

Jo, a retired teacher said...

I also have a thing about spiders, but I've never seen one of those in my neck of the woods. I wonder what would happen if it got together with your UK version.

Peggy said...

Wow Nelly;

I hopefully have learned a lssion here. Always beleive that it's real first.

gigi-hawaii said...

I feel the same away about spiders. Once there was a huge one behind my bedroom door when I was a kid. I screamed. Dad turned around and slapped me soundly. An experience I'll never forget!

Kay said...

Are you sure you have arachniphobia? I can't even look at the picture of it. Yuuuuuck!

Lynn said...

I've seen quite a few of those around my place. You're going to think I'm weird but I sort of like spiders, in a way. I don't want to touch them but I think they're sort of cool. We used to have lots of wolf spiders (about the size of my hand) but I haven't seen one of those in years.

Anonymous said...

I don't particularly like spiders and I'm hate those that get in the house, but I love these. I had a big web around my front door recently with one of these hanging in the middle. I just kept going in and out and she/he just hung there! I was hoping they would catch mosquitoes in the web and keep them from coming in the house. Unfortunately, a repairman came one day and knocked the web down. I guess he thought it would scare me!!! LOL!

Mare said...

I really don't like any bugs, insects, spiders, etc. I have to say though that I have marveled at many amazing webs that those spiders have woven!

Gaelyn said...

They are both beautiful spiders and you got a great macro. I don't usually go around handling spiders but love to watch them weave a web. Now who would put a plastic spider at a campground? LOL

Lew said...

Great shot of the spider! I used to see a lt of them when I was growing up in the south - Didn't like to be surprised by them either. They like to build big webs between trees at about head heighth, so if you are running and not looking you get a face full of web! We also had black widows, but they liked to hide in dark places.

TR Ryan said...

Google Argiope and hummingbird and then prepare to scream. They are known to take the occasional bird that wanders into their web.