EEK! a Spider

This morning was very cool out. In the 70's. I decided to read the paper and do the crossword puzzle out on the patio. About half way through I glanced over by the corner wall where I have this lovely pedestal and look what I found. A black widow spider.

She is a perfect specimen. The "violin" pattern is the best I have ever seen. Unfortunately, my camera did not pick up how red the pattern appears to the naked eye. She was quite docile and let me get my camera about three inches away from her. I think the cool weather had something to do with that. Unfortunate for her, we did have to go separate paths for my families safety.

The black widow's bite is quite painful. It feels like someone has ground out a cigarette on your body for several minutes. I have had the unpleasant experience of having been bit by one. She came in some new furniture we had bought. Instead of cleaning it out well - it was new - I just lined the drawers and put the clothes in. Several months later I popped on my bathing suit and went out to get some rays. As soon as I laid down on the lounge chair I felt this hot pain right below my belly button. I could not get that suit off fast enough. I felt like Goldie Hawn in that movie "Bird on a Wire" and she is in the shower and the cockroach falls on her. You sort of get the picture.

Sure enough there was a very small black widow. She liked the lining in my suit. The wound were she bit me swelled up with a blister in the center. You could actually see the two little fang marks the skin was so swelled. It was pretty nasty. I had to take antibiotics and keep a very close eye on it. I actually was very lucky. It took about three or four weeks before a seat belt even felt comfortable. I do have a small discoloration where I was bit and a small scar where the bite was. Two minute holes.

p.s. My bug guy is coming to spray tomorrow.