Creepy Crawlies

Spiders fascinate me. If I'm lucky enough to happen upon a spider building a web, I stop to watch. I prefer capturing spiders inside and releasing them outside over killing them. And occasionally I'll let a spider crawl around on my hand so I can observe it up close.

But all those things are things that I do with an up-front awareness of them; if they startle me, I do sometimes scream.

This morning before I woke up I dreamt of a Fiji-sized spider. This spider I did not, in my dream, let live; I smashed it. While it was still crumpled up on the floor, my dream faded as I woke to Joseph tickling my shoulder with my hair. Only it didn't feel quite right. I opened my eyes and saw a reasonable-sized (but, still!) spider on my shoulder. Aaah! My squeal of surprise as I brushed the spider off elicited a "What's wrong?" from Joseph. I wasn't quite sure I had brushed it all the way off the bed, and I kept feeling ghostly spiders crawling on me. Ugh.

And a few days ago, I found a crumpled up spider next to Eldon's blanket. I didn't want to have it crumble to pieces in my fingers, so I went and got a tissue to pick it up with. I am so glad I did; it turned out to be alive and started moving as I was carrying it to the trash. It paid with its life for startling me.

I hope the arachnids stop harassing me.

No such luck. A couple of hours after posting the above, I found this on my baby's bed. I wonder if he's the same one from this morning.

I have to admit that he died. Since having a baby, I've not let them live like I used to.

Mosquito Lake

I don't remember if it is in the movies or only in the books, but at one point Anne and Diana are talking about names and how they used to like the name Josie but then Josie Pye spoiled it for them. Anne thought it was a good idea to live so that one's name became beautiful. Mosquito Lake has done that for me. I mean, most people would hear that name and want to steer clear of the place, while I, on the other hand, hear it and want to go and completely forget that there might be mosquitos on the way.

I have to thank Kaitlin for getting us out there. She came down to Bend from Portland to meet Eldon and while she was here she went to Mosquito Lake, which was catalyst enough for me to take Joseph. Joseph and I hiked from Little Cultus to Mosquito Lake and then rode with Kaitlin and Co. back from the lake to our car. And, wonderful husband that he is, he carried a watermelon 4 miles for me. :)

It was beautiful and lived up to my memories. Mosquito Lake is one of my favorite places on earth.