March 20, 2015

White Dog was fascinated with the idea of a huge tarantula joining our family. She had heard stories of long before when I lived in Chicago and was MUCH younger, of Man, my red-kneed tarantula and how he would sit on my shoulder. Taiko was confused. "how is that spider different than the ones that Dad takes back outside or that we spray the house with citronella and peppermint to keep out?"

All the White Dog Army's eyes turned to Candace who had come in to announce that she had "done it again." Meaning rescued an abused creature.

She explained, "I was online looking for stuff for Izabella (the Bearded Dragon who recently came to live with us) and I saw this post about a pink-toed Tarantula. I always thought they were neat so I stopped to look. The poor thing was in a tiny cube with hardly any room to move. I HAD to do something about that."

Candace called and found out the spider was a child's pet and he had grown disinterested. The parent just wanted it gone. She agreed to meet at our favorite petstore to get the critter. Clark's, the pet emporium, is full of the most interesting characters who work there and who are quite knowledgeable about pets that don't fall into the run-of-the-mill category. They do a fair amount of exotic pet rescues so when Candace went inside and asked who knew anything about Tarantulas, Brandy came up to help.

Brandy has six spiders of her own and was able to check over Candace's rescue to pronounce it relatively health although dehydrated. She gave some getting started advice as well as the contact to the head of the local spider lovers group.

Candace showed the White Dog Army photos of her new "baby." Yo thought it was "creepy." Puff wondered how good it could taste being so hairy. No one shared Candace's delight with its "cute beady little eyes."

Zsofia thought the idea of a big spider that lived on the top of trees and jumped was kind of cool. "Sure, you think that while it is a baby but just wait until she is big enough to sit in the shady tree and pounce down on you!" Sachi teased her. "Will it?" "No, Itty Bitty Baby Girl, you will be safe and it will not live in our tree."

Candace went back to the Studio to do research on her new charge. Later, she came back in to say she talked with the spider expert and read LOTS of online information only to come to the conclusion that she did not have enough instinct or learning yet to take on nursing this Tarantula to thrive. She had agreed to meet the "Spider Man" (who has over 100 Tarantulas of all species including a bird eating tarantula...Bella shuddered thinking of the size it must be) and surrender her rescue to him. In return, he would help her learn more and when she was ready, he would give her a "sling" (a spiderling, a baby).

The White Dog Army politely agreed that her decision was a good one and best for all. When she left, WD turned to me and said, "I am kind of glad we won't have a monster spider living with our friends. I have seen those sci-fi movies where they grow to be like 20 feet tall...and those stories usually take place in the southwestern desert."