Sunday, September 23, 2007

Autumn Equinox

The days are on the slippery slope getting shorter at their quickest towards winter. We've had some fairly cold nights, and the spiders and woodlice are letting us know it's chilly outside by coming in and setting up home by the fireplace. I'm not especially scared of spiders, thanks to my Mum (whom I have a picture of somewhere holding a tarantula) but I won't pick them up (having seen my Mum's finger swell up and go numb after being bit by a spider that she was rescuing from the dog's water bowl) so we have plastic pots and pieces of card handy for taking them outside. Some of them have been monsters! Spiders may be hairy and scary, but they are useful little creatures who help reduce the number of insects in the world and I would urge you to put them out rather than squash them (you only end up having to deal with a dead spider instead of a live one, which is worse, in my opinion, as you have to move it yourself). Woodlice that come inside die very soon from dehydration, so if you like the teeny armadillo lookylikeys you should put them out too before they succumb to the Sahara-like conditions of your carpet.

So another weekend has gone, but it was fairly productive.
I painted the front window, which now looks white and glossy and makes all the others look twice as bad. I uploaded my latest photos to the online gallery (there is a link over on the left if anyone wants to see more of our walks and days out - although there has been shamefully less walking this year than there should have been). I did some baking and some knitting. I managed to ignore the untactful utterings of my MIL without laughing in her face or poking her with a paintbrush. Job well done.

10 comments:

Linda said...

Well done on not poking MIL!!! I didn't know woodlouse died inside, I will endeavour to put them out.

Hawkesley said...

I always use a see through container and a piece of magazine or card to capture the spiders that make it all the way up to my flat! I would never squash them as that's just gross!! It sounds like you had a most productive weekend :-)

artyfartykat said...

Sounds like a good weekend, despite the MIL! Maybe an accidental 'splash' of paint would have helped! ;)
I love spiders, not in a touchy way though! I couldn't kill one and even feel guilty putting them out in the cold!

gilraen said...

MiL and paint don't mix, well done on the restraint, mind you there are times a restraining order would be preferable! :)

I agree about the demise of summer, we are missing autumn and going straight into winter here............

florencemary said...

I wish I could share your sentiments about autumnal insects and their use, Helen. I can cope with woodlice, but I certainly can't cope with huge house/harvest spiders. When they come to visit, then I move out! To me, huge spiders that visit my home are envoys of Lucifer that need to be exterminated with a flamethrower.

Piglottie said...

We have had some huge spiders in the house lately and unfortunately I'm with Clarabelle on the whole envoys of Lucifer thing.

Glad you resisted doing injury upon your MIL.

Fiona Reynolds said...

Well done on dealing with the MIL. I prefer the card approach for spiders. A friend uses CDs.

Kath said...

I'm getting better with my spider fear (I blame having 'The Hobbit' as a bedtime story as a child!) and couldn't kill them even when I really, really didn't like them. I think our house is damp enough for woodlice to survive in there always seems to be loads of them. Love the scenic shots as always and look forward to the grand unveiling of the lace!

Auntie Noo said...

*WAVES BACK * - finally!!!! - I defintely reckon action to be most proud of is not poking MiL!!! - Way to go you!!!

TutleyMutley said...

I do NOT like spiders but I wouldn't squah them. once used a tea towel to grab one then chucked it outside and left it there for months!
I didn't know that about woodlice either.