I have a little something there

[venta]

Being the only female working on the ground floor here, in the ordinary run of things I'm the only person who uses the downstairs ladies' toilets. So I'm possibly the only person who knows about the resident spider there. Certainly it seems the cleaner never does anything so controversial as venturing into corners :)

About three inches off the floor, a spider has spun its web across one corner of the room. The spider's tiny body and long legs show up clearly, contrasting with the alarmingly bright yellow of the wall tiles.

I first noticed him (despite hanging around in ladies' toilets, I imagine the spider to be male) months ago, and remember thinking it wasn't a terribly good choice of web site. Recently, it dawned on me that the spider had actually been in the same position for months, and as such was presumably dead, hanging suspended in the web. I crouched down on the floor, looking at him - no movement. I blew gently on the web - no movement. Definitely dead then. Reaching out and touching the spider caused him to scuttle up the wall in alarm. Ah - probably not dead then.

About this time I began wondering how long spiders live, how often they need to eat. I don't imagine that, being practically on the floor, in a corner, the web gets much passing trade from flies and such. I've never seen a caught fly there. So what does the spider eat ? Why does he spend months just sitting in a profitless web ?

I'd been vaguely intending to post this for some time, when I noticed last week that the spider was gone. The cleaner had finally worked their destruction with a vacuum cleaner ? A quick crawl across the floor proved that the web was still there but the spider had gone.

While sad to see him go, I agreed with his final decision that he'd be better off elsewhere. The following day, however, he was back in his web again, in exactly the same position.

I asked him where he'd been off to - in search of food, a constitutional stroll, or a summer holiday ? He declined to answer, which is fair enough since we've never been properly introduced. He doesn't seem inclined to stir again, just sitting quietly in the centre of his web.

Sometimes I wonder how long he actually has been there. It seems like months and months, but judging time with no timeframe is difficult. So I'm setting it down here: July 19th, and he's already been here for some time.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/elle_/]

So what does the spider eat ?

... People with an injudicious sense of caution. In fact, your friend is only Junior Spider. You know how there's one loo door that's Never Open?... well, Big Daddy Spider is in there, and next time you're crawling around on the floor he might just sneak up on you.

I'd be careful, if I were you.

[stegzy.livejournal.com]

Probably related to the little spidermonster that lives in the wing mirror of my little green car. He/she cadges a lift into work with me every morning.

My mum, who used to own the car 3 years before me claims that he has been there since she bought the car. I think my mums been at the aluminium pans again...

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Ah, but what have you decided to name the spider?

All the spiders in my flat have names. They all have the same name though because I'm not very imaginative ;-)

[triskellian]

<screwing up my courage in both hands to read>

Spiders seem nicer in your world - they're charming eccentrics. In my world, they're mean and sinister, and plotting to take over the bathroom. No wonder I'm scared of them, and you're not!

What does it eat?

[chron-job.livejournal.com]

Your spider is obviously one of those hip, with-it, Vegan Spiders.

A few of the kinder hearted of the Spider clan happened to be spinning webs in a movie theater back in 1958 when they overheard the classic version of "The Fly". We can only assume the plaintive cries of "Heeeeeelp Meeeeee" effected them deeply.

Since then, there has been a new movement within the spider community, to shift from Fly catching and eating, to minimal impact web farming.

You probably just stumbled upon one of his little mildew farms, for which placement in a bathroom would be ideal.

When he was away, he was probably off checking another web farm... perhaps an Algae web or two.

Hiya

[gothstew.livejournal.com]

I seem to keep bumping into you every now and then so I thought I would add you to my friends.