Live and Let Die

WARNING: This post contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.

Living in the country as we do, and as recent posts have illustrated, we often see God's creatures of all shapes and sizes puttering about in or around our apartment. We have shared our space with ladybugs, hornets, moths . . . and share the space around our apartment with possums, rabbits, vultures, mice, etc. Generally, with all this life around us, we adopt a "Live and Let Live" policy. Even in the case of the hornets, we cohabited with them for quite some time, until finally transplanting them outside, where they could live fuller, richer lives.

This morning, however, there was one visitor who was quite unwelcome.


This, my dear ones, is a brown recluse--a.k.a. "fiddleback"--spider. I don't know if you know about them (they are native to the South), but they are interesting little dudes. They lurk in dark corners ("recluse," right?), have six eyes instead of eight, and, while not necessarily aggressive (again, "recluse"), pack a mean punch.

There is currently one residing in our kitchen, trapped under a tupperware container, where he will remain until he dies. This is cruel, I know, and cowardly. A braver man than I would face the spider mano a mano, and take him out with a shoe or something. I, on the other hand, choose to capture him, and let him die of "natural causes." I feel less guilty this way: I may have set the events in motion which ultimately led to his (or her) demise, but if I am not physically killing him, I can convince myself that I am not solely responsible for his death.

I hope you don't think less of me. It's merely a matter of self-preservation.

What would you do to a creature who could do this to you?


(When trying to identify the spider, the first thing I saw in a google image search is the picture of the rotting hand, above. If this doens't inspire cowardice, I don't know what will.)

My answer? Live and let die.