Garden Surprises

Am wishing I didn't promise an end to the sick posts. But, because I did promise, I now can't explain to you why I was home from work yet again today. Nor can I, in good conscience, tell you that the antibiotics and I did not get along. Nor can I tell you that I was up all last night suffering through a living hell. Nope. Can't tell you any of that. Darn.

What I CAN tell you is that late this afternoon, I decided to venture outside to try to do some weeding in my sorely neglected veggie garden. I mentioned a long time ago that I love planting and eating veggies, but that I hate weeding. This might help explain why.

So, there I am, bending over the 2nd row of pole beans, reaching in between two lovely looking bean plants (no beans yet, of course) to yank the weeds that are threatening to choke them out. And, out of the corner of my eye, I see one of our tiny little pool frogs hop in my direction. So, I turn to look, but now can't see it any longer. I part the weeds where I last saw the little froggy hop. And find myself staring into the many eyes of THIS. Well, not EXACTLY this, becuase I don't usually carry my camera with me when I weed my garden. Maybe I ought to, though.

I had to fight a primordial urge to crush the mass of writhing creepiness underfoot - one of the things that stopped me from doing so was the certain knowledge that, as I was wearing sandals, some of the babies would surely escape and scamper up my big toe for a snack. No lie, the body, covered with the carpet-made-of-babies was the size of a golf ball. Mom's legs could nearly span the width of my hand - that is, if she ever were to BE on my hand. Which, please God, will just never, ever, ever happen.

I forced myself to finish that row, keeping one eye constantly on the mother and young. I turned to start down the next row - and noticed a different type of spider sitting on the bare top of my left foot. That was it. I did not scream. I may have started crying and speaking to myself incoherently. I don't know.

I was out of the garden in 2 seconds flat and heading back to the house. WIth a vow to never, never, never again weed a garden wearing anything less than full body armour. I will have nightmares tonight, I think.

The damn veggies are on their own.