I went to The Little Woods this past weekend. And my hubby came with me. We spent several hours on Saturday doing more of the same….picking up sticks and pulling weeds. However, we had our new rake and hoe to make the job a little easier. It’s AMAZING what a couple of basic tools can do for you.
The more time I spend in The Little Woods the more I like it. With temps in the mid-90’s this shady space was very comfortable and inviting. The birds were twittering and darting overhead, enjoying the feeders. The sunshine flickered off the ground as it peeked through the leaves on the trees. I could feel that sense of peace that comes from being in nature…until Billy saw the spider.
It was HUGE and BLACK and SCARY. Now I know that being in the woods brings the risk of critter encounters, but I get really jumpy when I see anything slithery or crawly. I can handle lizards and normal insects, but big black spiders give me the cold shivers. Snakes, well, I can’t even! (I could NEVER survive on Naked and Afraid!) Billy dispatched it immediately, though it put up a good fight.
All that said, I really don’t like killing things. I’m trying to teach my three year old grandson that every bug he encounters does not need to be immediately squished with his little stomping feet. At my wise old age of 60 I’ve learned that everything has its place in God’s creation. I’m trying to be a little more “live and let live” in my approach to the outdoors. That big spider has reminded me that when I go to the woods I am in his territory and need to be more mindful of where I put my feet and hands. And to wear my gloves and socks and shoes. No raking in flip flops.
After our hearts settled back down, and we had made sure Mr. Spider didn’t have any reinforcements, we got quite a lot accomplished. Most of the sticks have been raked into piles, and about 75% of the weeds pulled. I’ve decided to leave the teepee for the grandboys enjoyment for the time being. And I actually bought a few ferns and hostas, though they aren’t planted yet. Such a good feeling of accomplishment after a hard morning’s work, but I had to laugh when my hubby said he was glad it was just a little woods.
The Little Woods 