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Over The Weekend

Monday, July 12, 2010

Before I even get started with this post, I HAVE TO WARN YOU-

...did that get everyones attention? The large font highlighted in bold?

I'm serious, folks. I don't want to lose any friends/family/followers over this. And I know that even with my posting large letters in bold... some of you still won't get the hint.

If you have arachnophobia, maybe even just a little bit... leave this post, and leave it NOW.

Go. Run. HURRY!


...alright, I don't think I can do much better than that. If you somehow missed the warning, its your own fault, haha.

Now. On with the post!

***********************************


The weather was excellent this past weekend. Cloudy overcast conditions, cool temperatures (but of course, with awful humidity). We spent as much time outside as possible...



We baked a fresh loaf of delicious gluten free bread (recipe soon to come). Maybe we'll use it to make some french toast?



And then here is the part that I warned you about. The part of our weekend that literally had me screaming.

If you've known me for awhile, then you'd know that 4 years ago, before we moved to Texas, never in a million years would I have been able to witness something like this and come up for air. I would have literally had a heart attack right there on the spot, and died.

But, this being our 5th Texas summer (I know, what?)- there was minimal screaming, and I was able to get close enough to the beast to actually take pictures.

Who am I?



Right now half of you are clutching your hearts and trying to catch your breath.

I warned you, didn't I?

I'm sorry. But, I had to post it. Just like I had to post about when I killed the scorpion (I am woman, roar!), and just like I had to post about the baby rattlesnake caught in our yard (ok that one I didn't kill, not-so-roar).

You ok?
Still breathing?

...I saw my neighbor and her husband dancing all crazy-like across the street. Her, waving her arms around, him, holding a Tupperware and a giant stick. I decided to go outside to "check the mail" (we've all done it, right?), in the nosiest of ways, and- yeah, that guy was hanging out on their porch causing a big stink.

The best part, was when the dang thing started running around while they were trying to catch it, I screamed at the top of my lungs and nearly banged myself up against their truck, which happens to have a large black spider sticker on it, which made me scream again, because I thought it was a real giant black spider, and their kids who were just on the other side of the wall both burst into tears, absolutely terrified of the unknown that was happening outside.

A Texas Brown Tarantula, they call those things.
...now we've seen it all.

Well I can't leave you with that image, so, I'll leave you with how we said goodbye to our weekend. A beautiful sunset...



See. Texas isn't all that bad after all.

35 comments:

Sarah July 12, 2010 at 4:04 PM  

HEEELLLLLLLLL FUUUCCKIIINNNGG NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!'n

Bg;yryir£^^+?$@/368$chsjxfdbwk!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chana@ Mamma Town July 12, 2010 at 4:06 PM  

HOLYMOTHEROFGODALMIGHTYLORD!!!

That thing has crawled straight out of HELL! Oh my HECK! I'm so glad I didn't see any of his buddies when I was in Texas last week! If I EVER complain about another winter here in MN, Tia....I want you to email me those pics again and remind me that when it's 40 below zero out, creatures like that beast can not survive and I should be outside doing a happy dance for that fact. I hate him. I hate him so much I could cry.

Stormy Seaworthy July 12, 2010 at 4:09 PM  

Oh my gosh!!!! That is the meat of nightmares for me!!!

Jess Craig July 12, 2010 at 4:26 PM  

holy SHIT BALLS! okay, i would pretty much die. but! texas is still da bomb. i have always wanted to live there.

Anonymous,  July 12, 2010 at 4:27 PM  

no freaking way!!! the sunset is very nice...but I'll take the photo you took of it instead! holy chills up my spine. Could. NOT. Do. It. I wouldn't sleep for a year, or at least til I got myself on an airplane!
xoxo natalea

Anonymous,  July 12, 2010 at 4:27 PM  

no freaking way!!! the sunset is very nice...but I'll take the photo you took of it instead! holy chills up my spine. Could. NOT. Do. It. I wouldn't sleep for a year, or at least til I got myself on an airplane!
xoxo natalea

Megan July 12, 2010 at 4:46 PM  

Spiders don't bother me but that one is freaking huge!

On the other hand, what a *gorgeous* sunset.

Allison July 12, 2010 at 4:51 PM  

It's wrong that I laughed. I know its wrong. But I still laughed.

I haven't had the baby rattle snake happen during my time in texas... although my uncle was bitten by the grownup version. I made my husband kill the giant trantula when THAT happened. I can't tell you what kind it was other than flat. And I sprayed the scorpion with hornet spray until I'm fairly sure it drowned from 15 feet away.

All you have left is the giant hornet. Then you can say you've triumphed over all of Texas's nature.

April July 12, 2010 at 5:00 PM  

That's a freakin HUGE spider! YIKES!

R Montalban July 12, 2010 at 5:03 PM  

I have a healthy respect for these creatures! I am not frightened of them, but yep, I would be taken aback if I saw that one! That said, I have held large ones in my hand, but that is under supervision of people who have known what type of spider it was and that I would be ok having it sit on my hand!

Seeing your blog, and writing this brings back a memory of me holding one in Belize which was amazing, scary at first, but then just amazing!

You are a very brave pregnant lady, and hope you are feeling a little better now, sounds like you are if you are managing to catch this big boy (or maybe girl!).

The Girl Made From Color July 12, 2010 at 5:11 PM  

Maybe I'm the weird, but I'm really wondering. They don't have venom do they, because if not, I'd love to pet one. lol

beka July 12, 2010 at 5:26 PM  

Well, now. I'm thinking I don't have it all too awful for the case of arachno-whatever. ....I mean, my breath didn't hitch too bad when your pictures appeared.
I can handle it if they're in something, but if it had been a picture of a big ugly spider sitting on your pretty shoulder and you, you woman-roaring-thing you, smiling at the camera like the next St Francis of Assisi, I would have started hyperventilating.
(or thinking it was a fake...)
But thank goodness. For Tupperware.
I would dare with that, I *think*...let's not ponder it too much though, shall we? ;)
Eleanore's dress is SO cute. I think my lil sis, Lyd, has one just like it.

Chelsey - The Paper Mama July 12, 2010 at 6:16 PM  

You warned me... but, I still looked! Why? Tell me don't look... then I have to look!

This is why I can never leave the Northwest...

TexasBobbi July 12, 2010 at 6:19 PM  

Holy heck that is so scary stuff.

Colleen July 12, 2010 at 6:53 PM  

Heck NO!!!!!!!!!
Oh, man... I'm a recovered aracnophobe, but sometimes they still give me the willies! blehhh...

Lacey July 12, 2010 at 7:37 PM  

HOLY FUCKIN' SNAKETANK! That has death written all over it's nasty little self.

I'm so glad you're alive to tell the tale.

Lisa@goodknits July 12, 2010 at 8:36 PM  

I am sooooooo not looking forward to the day that I see a spider bigger than a quarter. Being in Texas, I just KNOW it's coming! And I hope my husband is close by when it happens because I'll probably faint.

Adriana July 12, 2010 at 8:43 PM  

ok the sunset? totally made up for the spider..soo beautiful!

Rogue Wild July 12, 2010 at 9:35 PM  

omg no no no no no nononononononononononononono and NO lol

part of that cracked me up and part made my skin crawl bleck

this weekend I found a baby scorpion in our master bathroom inside the toilet paper package ... he was just hanging out on top of a roll of tp ... uhm NO I yelled for my husband and he was all "what?! no way" when he walked in he was like OMG and grabbed the package and took it outside and, well, he smashed it thankfully ... now I'm terrified to walk around barefoot

Giggly July 12, 2010 at 9:52 PM  

I would cry if I saw that in real life near my home. :0

Love all these pics! The kids are growing up so fast! I know the bean is too. :)

I hope you are doing well, sounds like you're doing good, after that awful day (the past post that had me in tears). Thinking of you often.

XOXOXOX

Shalyn July 12, 2010 at 10:54 PM  

I'm gonna skip over the topic of the nasty spider and compliment on those rad ass sunset pictures. Also, I have an award for you at http://thereijustsaidit.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-got-blog-award.html

krissilugbill July 13, 2010 at 12:56 AM  

oh my word, i hate spiders, but i had to keep reading...why!? yuck, i dont know how you did that! great sunset photos

Oh Mandie July 13, 2010 at 3:15 AM  

totally wishing that I would have listened to your warning right about now ....

thanks for the heebeejeebees!

Mommy Elephant Sarah July 13, 2010 at 4:32 AM  

I guess things really ARE bigger in Texas! I can tell you that I can appreciate this photo because now when I see you tweet about a big old spider, I'll know you really do mean a big ole spider. My gawd those are awful. At this time, I'm pretty glad I live in Southern California.

Beautiful sunset photos. Looks like the sky is on fire!

Devon July 13, 2010 at 7:27 AM  

i hope they killed it... and then i hope you all sprayed around your houses with repellent! ACK!!!

Renee July 13, 2010 at 7:30 AM  

Oh nonono!!! I have to get my 5 year old son to capture/kill the little tiny spiders that like to appear in our tub! That thing is a monster, I would have ran away screaming and locked myself inside far far away, lol! Great pics though!!

Alyssa S. July 13, 2010 at 7:53 AM  

NOOOO WAAAAYYYYY! I totally didn't know we had tarantulas here. Of course now I'm going to Google it to see if we have them in Houston! I'm still not recovered from the second summer in a row of black widows. I would say your crawly is a beautiful example of one, but I SO would not want to see it any place outside of maybe a zoo. ICK. As far as seeing everything, I've still yet to see a rattlesnake or copperhead or water moccasin...and I hope I never do!

Christina July 13, 2010 at 7:59 AM  

Spiders don't really bother me to look at. Of course I don't want one, especially not that big, in my house. I would freak if it were inside. Roaches make me feel much more uncomfortable than spiders.

Beautiful sunset!!

emily July 13, 2010 at 9:05 AM  

my heart just did something weird. i don't even know what to say!! two inch wolf spiders make me die a little. can't imagine running into THIS...

Unknown July 13, 2010 at 9:32 AM  

oh my god! that's the scariest thing... EVER! and if there's one... there's more... I didn't even know they lived in the US... I thought they were from some other country FARRRR Far away. Tarantula's just look so weird! and wow. just. wow!

Anonymous,  July 13, 2010 at 9:54 AM  

I know you warned me & it's my own fault... but I'll be having nightmares. :( Ickkkkkkkkkkkk.

Angel July 14, 2010 at 9:14 AM  

I should have listened to the warning. My PB&J nearly came back up. This is my first summer in Texas and the baby spiders are already freaking me out, I would've died. Kudos to you.

Jessica July 14, 2010 at 10:00 AM  

Holy... well, that sunset is awesome!

Danielle @ We Have It All July 15, 2010 at 11:25 PM  

OMG! OMG! OMG! I just showed your spider to my hubby & HE IS FREAKING OUT!! I can't believe you have those things there, yuk!

Memoirs of a Mental Mind July 20, 2010 at 2:32 PM  

Ok yes I seriously read ur post and the warnings... and I am still having heart palpitations as I write this....I HATE spiders!! Especially Tarantulas!..and anything that is poisonous like those scorpions and rattle snakes u mentioned!! I don't think this ex-military brat could've survived in TX!! Thank God my dad got stationed in CA!! Haha ;) oh and the car sticker screaming thing is hilarious!! :)

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