ALIVE!

Begin Part II of II – Wednesday evening, 8 October, 2014

It was about nine o’clock and completely dark outside.

Inside I turned on my radio and began listening to Clyde Lewis’ Ground Zero program.

Before I settled in to hear this stimulating mix of government conspiracies, world domination plots, UFO sightings and numerology, I went back outside to see how Dos/PigPen was doing, or if she was doing.

She was gone!

By the light of the spotlights outside over the door I looked everywhere. Where was she?

I looked down thinking that the spider decided to give up, fell and either limped off into the grass to die or was consumed by a nocturnal creature – a frog perhaps.

What frog?

I hadn’t seen my neighbor, resident toads – the ‘da toad family – in over two weeks. Where had they disappeared to? Maybe a natural predator got them?

No.

There were two of them on the ground just below the dangling strand that Pig Pen abandoned.

How ironic it would be if the toads and spider had had an interaction, ending in an evening buffet for the toads?

As is their natural defense, the ‘da toads initially froze under my presence and the spotlights. One quickly darted under the foundations’ overhang, the other stayed immobile.

Happy that they remain tenants I took one last look around the door frame and GUESS WHAT?

There she was!

PIG PEN LIVES!

She returned to the highest point above the door ensconced between the spotlights. The glare had made it very difficult to see her.

It looks like my resident arachnid decided to fight and live for another day.

Who would ever believe this story?

Back inside one more time I went. Remember, the Lewis program was on the radio.

Why would I digress from a spider tale to Clyde Lewis?

The answer is very creepy.

As is his habit Lewis brings facts, thoughts or theories that at first mention might seem unrelated to the topic.

Here is the Divine Providence or other-worldly facts he mentioned that coincided with my attempt to resurrect Argiope aurantia:

• According to the Ground Zero host during the plagues of antiquity there was practiced something called “thaumaturgy”. A quick look in my old dictionary (page 1333), and quote as follows:

“thaumaturgy”: The working of miracles or wonders; magic.” (According to Lewis this included turning water to blood.)

• Wednesday evening was also a night of the Blood Moon.
• And finally, it was the Jewish holiday Succoth. [“A Jewish harvest festival celebrated for nine days….”]

These clues don’t do much to provide a restful night’s sleep. Are these facts and the spider resurrection related? Or do they have nothing to do with each other? That’s also possible.

Amazingly what I do know is that as of early Thursday morning spider Dos has resumed webbing, sunning herself and patiently awaiting the next meal, as if nothing has happened.

What lies ahead in this incredible journey is all unknown. All I know is, this spider had four out of eight legs in the grave, and she’s alive and well again.