If a Spider Was a Southern Belle!

  Son and I are continuing our yard work/shed cleaning.  I shift from the yard and fence building to help him with the shed cleaning when he is not doing construction on the loft.  I have to admit that he and I are a pretty good team!  Together, we accomplish a lot each day.  By the end of the day, however, this old lady is exhausted...purely exhausted!

  It was during a bit of cleaning in the shed that we found our "friend of the day".  Son had called for my assistance in moving a large workbench so I stopped painting the fence and headed to lend a hand.  Once we pulled the workbench out from the wall, he squeezed behind it to retrieve items that had somehow fallen to the floor over the years.  While he was there, I noticed something black about six inches from his hand.  "Umm. that is a rather large spider." I said.  He looked up and agreed.  "Yup." was the only comment.  He kept working.  I decided that the spider deserved a little more attention so I grabbed the camera and took a few photos.  After Son wiggled back out from the cubbyhole, I found a small slat of about two inches wide by two feet long and tried to coax the spider onto it.  I knew we were going to be spraying for bugs in the shed and did not wish to harm our new friend.  The spider reluctantly climbed aboard and went for a ride.  She never attempted any getaway nor showed any aggression.   She acted the part of the perfect "Southern Belle"...very gracious, sweet and even tempered.   

  I moved the sweet spider to the canebrake where I hope she will be happy.  There are plenty of bugs there so she will find food easily.  I did, however, have a few guilt pangs about disrupting her life and wish I could have left her in the shed.  These spiders do a marvelous job at eating anything they can overpower.  While I am not up on my spiders, I believe this is a Southern Black House Spider and a well-fed one at that.  She would have easily filled my hand...if I were brave enough to hold her.