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The right attitude

This is a sweet story. Fiona Grayson saw a big funnel web spider taking up residence on her porch, and decided to make the spider welcome by decorating her place. So she made a tiny welcome mat, and put out little vases of flowers, and talked to the spider, who she named Cordelia.

“It was simply fun and wholesome, and in the process, I became very fond of her and excited to see her when she’d reveal herself at night,” Grayson said. “I tell her she’s beautiful and loved and thank her for her diligent pest control work. Any less would be just kinda rude and unneighborly.”

For the record, I like spiders, but I don’t quite go this far in appreciating them — I suspect the spider just sees the clutter as convenient anchor points for silk.

It’s still a nice idea.

Administrators are the enemy, you know » « You’re telling me police officers are people, too?

Comments

  1. Big Boppa says

    I built a fairy house for our yard a few years ago. My younger grandkids, true believers, make all kinds of little decorations to place on the front porch. The 7 year old recently made a doormat from a patch of moss ringed with twigs twisted together.
    I think I’ll have to make a teeny barbecue like the one in the photo for the next time they come by.

  6. birgerjohansson says

    I generally try to help animals any way I can, regardless of whether they look cute or not, so good work, Fiona Grayson.

    PS For some reason, spell check wants to alter the last name to “Jesus in”, which is what happens when you spend a lot of time commenting religious Youtube videos.
    PPS. Speaking of Youtube God Awful Movies added new content a few minutes ago. This must be a ‘Sign’ä
    (which is another god awful movie).

  7. birgerjohansson says

    Arachnids in need of food?
    Do they eat governors? There is one in NY and one in Florida that might be suitable.

  8. davidc1 says

    When you said Funnel Web ,I thought it was going to be one of them Australian bastards .
    That’s just an ordinary House Spider ,which are bad enough .

  9. robro says

    We haven’t named our spiders but we have plenty of spider friends in the house that we try to keep comfortable. They don’t seem particularly effective at snaring the big flies that get in the house, although they probably get a share (the sliding windows trap many of those).

  10. woozy says

    “@ woozy, #3: Good one!
    Also-I’m stealing that joke.”

    As you can see from the photo I didn’t come up with it.

  11. says

    I’m fine with the round-leggy-boys. I like the bright little disco spiders. I’m even okay with cellar spiders (those ones that just chill in the corner, keeping to themselves and eating bugs).

    But THAT is a big-ass NOPE.

  12. dangerousbeans says

    I also expected to see an Australian funnel web. I’m too far south for them to be common, haven’t even seen any of the really big huntsmen either :(

  13. birgerjohansson says

    This is interesting.
    Science: How daddy longlegs were were turned into daddy shortlegs (paywalled article).