Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Unwelcome Widow

This year I planted proper garden for the first time.
100% organic
I spent countless hours wrestling the weeds back from my veggies
while Elsie stomped through the rows collecting shiny rocks,
and bringing me the plant markers of things I'd just set out.
(Resulting in me having to play a lot of Guess-That-Gourd!)
Unfortunately, my gardening efforts brought not only blossoms and bell peppers
but also an assortment of small animals,
none of which were very scared of my goofy "guard" dog.

Then, one day a few weeks, as I collected the outpouring of banana peppers I spotted something I hadn't seen since I moved here.
A shiny black thorax
emblazoned with a tell-tale red hour glass.
I scooped up Elsie and headed inside
where I traded my shorts and tank top for jeans, with tall socks and boots, and a long sleeve shirt, and rubber coated gloves.
Back outside I was death incarnate.
With a vengeance I pulled up the straggly remains of butternut vines I'd allowed to list in the late Summer sun. I banished everything which no longer was bearing fruit, then coated everything that was left in a fine coat of seven dust- the most powerful poison I'd allowed myself to buy when I first started the gardening endeavor. I boiled water and poured it into the ant hills I'd uncovered.
I left no leaf unchecked.
No weed unpulled.
No venomous arachnid alive.

Still, every time I play out back with Elsie I can't help but imagine her tiny hands plucking a shiny black spider from the grass.  It makes my blood run cold, and makes the indoors seem instantly more appealing.
Thankfully Winter is coming
and the weather will finish what I started.

(Black Widow TDDP #Halloween $25)

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