Spider fright
I turned the heater on in my office this morning for the first time this year. It’s a reverse-cycle airconditioner and does a good job of heating and cooling.
Today though it groaned and rattled. I thought it probably had a leaf stuck in it and didn’t pay much attention. It continued, and when I turned around for a look I saw this massive great hunstman spider emerging reluctantly from the vent.
I know it’s irrational to fear these creatures, but I can’t stand them. They’re supposedly harmless, but anything that ugly has to be a menace that should be destroyed.
They devour bugs and their bite isn’t venomous, apparently, so I should leave them alone and be thankful that they’re eating other spiders. But I can’t.
Usually I smack them with my cricket bat, signed by the Zimbabwe tourists in 2001 including Heath Streak and Andy Flower.
Today’s spider escaped after one bash, minus three legs. I’ve observed that you only get one crack at them. They remain still until attacked, then they’re off like a rocket. It disappeared behind the filing cabinet. I’m sure we’ll meet again.
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
