I don't know about you, but my house seems to be crawling with spiders at the moment, sorry for those of you that are a bit squeamish, or terrified of these eight legged creatures, PLEASE LOOK NO FURTHER!
I don't mind them that much, I like them better than flies anyway, and this little lady, or should I say big mamma, has taken up residence in the window next to me, beside my newly potted window box, but outside I should add, not inside, that would be really freaky!
She is about 1.5" big, and at the moment she is just a subject of fascination for me and Ella. Although Danny has completely wrecked her web several times while cleaning the windows, everytime, she builds a bigger and better one. Yesterday I saw a large fly get caught in her web, and in no time at all she was bandaging it up in a wide net of silk, a lot different from the thin stuff the web is made out of, then she tucked into dinner!
Today, I also found this sucker in the sink
Two weeks ago, I had a dinner party, when I opened the door to let my guests in we all laughed as a spider dashed in out of the cold, before anyone could even get a foot over the threashold! I thought that it was just a one off, but this tuesday, exactly the same thing happened, with a surprisingly similar looking spider, was it the same one do you think? Has this happened to you? It wasn't even like I had left the door open and it just wandered in, it charged in as soon as I opened the dooor, exactly like the last time, like it had been waiting for me to open it!
Sorry if I've completely put you all off reading my blog ever again, but I promise I'll never post anymore pictures of spiders again!
On a slightly different subject, something that really makes me squeamish! It's Ella's 4th Birthday party on sunday, ARHHH!
I'm doing the kids, and parents lunch, and then we are heading off to our local open farm (Boydells Dairy Farm in Wethersfield, Essex) that makes cheese from ewes milk for Waitroise. They're open to the public during the spring to summer months, and close the last week of september, but they said we can come on sunday, and they will save a lamb for us to feed. The kids get to feed all the animals, and the lambs with a bottle, have a go on the donkey and cart and milk a cow, and the farmer takes us round the farm to visit all the other animals, with a 'talk' that's funny even for the adults, so all fun and games!
It was that or a trip to a play barn, which sounds like sheer hell to me, and they want to charge £10 a head for a load of deep fried junk food!
This time last year my sister Liberty came round the day before to help me out, but the night before we went out for a drink, and we were making cupcakes with a hangover at 7pm the next morning, not the best start to the day.
But this year, I found some very sweet looking cupcakes at sainsburys only 99p for 4, so I've got 24 on order. So that's one less thing I have to worry about.
I put the bunting for the party up today, to see how it fits, I bought a 5 metre length on ebay, because it was very pretty, and frankly it was cheap enough for me think 'sod fiddling about with all that cutting out!' but it really needed a bit extra, so this afternoon, I set about making an extention (at least I didn't have to make it from scratch!) and I'm really quite pleased with the end result, be it a joint effort (photos next week).
Oh, I've just remembered, Lib's (sister) just got a job as 'design assistant' for two episodes of "60 Minute Makeover" well done sis! I think it will be on tv next year, so I'll keep you posted as to when to look out for her.
She started today, and I spoke to her this afternoon, apparently it really does happen in an hour, oh and Terri Dwyer (presenter) got blue paint all over the face and in her eyes when someone was doing a 'jackson pollock-esque' piece of art, with a water pistol, that should be a laugh!
Anyway, wish me luck for sunday, and I'll be back next week with some photos of the 'happy' day xx
Hi Jess,
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Ella. I hope you have a fantastic family day out!
On the spider front, there are just too many around for my liking, we had a funny five minutes with one a few weeks back, that one was clever too, it hid on Jeremy's foot while he was busy hunting for it, only when we looked at where he was standing did we spot the beast...it didnt make it. I don't mind garden spiders though :)
Take care.
xFaye
Great, spooky, pre-Hallowe'en spider pics Jess! My mum always say that this time of year is Spider Time, when the garden spiders do just what yours did and scuttle inside to find a warm place to hole up for the winter, thus becominng house spiders. The females are all madly spinning too (hedgerows look fab on a misty morning cloaked in them) and I think (but better look it up in a wildlife book) that maybe this is when they lay egg sacs in the warmth to hatch out next year?
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to Ella, 4 is a serious brithday isn't it. Barney is just 4 too and suddenly seems like such a grown-up chap, where does the time go? Enjoy the farm and especially the lamb feeidng - how lovley. Much better idea than playbarn hell, what a lovely mum you are! Look forward to seeing the bunting and enjoy all those cupcakes.
Stephx
oops, sorry for all the typos - Fridayitis!
ReplyDeleteStephx
Have fun with the party & Happy Birthday Ella!
ReplyDeleteeeeeekkkkk...UGH! I do not like spiders. But spooky for Halloween...Happy Birthday to dear Ella. Looking forward to seeing the usual loveliness here next time ;o) Happy weekend to you all ((HUGS))
ReplyDeleteMy house is crawling with spiders too, at the moment. Hubby hates them (6 foot of quivering jelly)and I can't tell him that, when I stripped the bed this morning, a HUGE one was under the duvet! What makes it worse is that I had to go in the spare room at 1am because I was in so much pain, so he was in bed with that monster all on his own. He'll leave home if he finds out! I had to tell you when I read your blog!!!!
ReplyDeleteHope the party went well - looking forward to the photos (hopefully prettier than the spider ones!). We have a spider that lives in the wing mirror on our car, and no matter how windy it is she (or he) hangs on for dear life! Not quite as impressive as your huge beasties though.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Garden spiders are OK as long as they saty - in the garden.....the one in the sink is truly awful and if I came across it I would be hysterical for months.....however I may have the answer.....recently I have had a rodent problem and ended up buying a sonic rodent repeller.....it also works on crawling insects and spiders:)
ReplyDeleteSince it's been plugged in I haven't found any big hairy monsters.