Tarantula!!!

This evening I had to go repair the fence where Harley has literally knocked off boards trying to get at Wilson-the-dog, that none of the neighborhood dogs like. (Poor Wilson!) While I was out there wielding my power drill the Pickerings came walking by with their little dog, Cooper (who also hates poor Wilson). We got to chatting and pretty soon Cooper starts growling and barking at something. I assumed it was another dog!

NOPE...

It was this bad boy! Walking Stalking across the street, bold as you please!  You know me!  I whipped out my MPC!



What the heck? I'd heard that tarantulas lived in Utah but didn't expect to see one in my neighborhood! This is the first one I've seen in seven and half years.

I've been told that tarantulas don't bite humans (I even let one climb on Tadhg's arm several years ago when we found it in YLP! Yeah, great Grammie behavior!)

I wanted to give my viewers a size comparison so I stuck my foot down by him.  He was ok until I accidentally touched his little furry leg... then he was in attack mode! I could practically hear him hiss!



And even though I read that tarantulas have been kept in captivity for 30 years I wasn't interested in testing that theory! Luckily I had a stray BYU bucket in the backyard from fruit picking (he was making quick getaway for the grass) so I yoinked it up, got a long iris leaf to use as a prod and got this furry creature into the bucket. He, on the other hand, wasn't too excited about this idea! He was determined to crawl out of said bucket and try his fangs at human-bites! (YIKES! Was my adrenaline ever flowing!)

But since he is *just one of God's little creatures* I speedy-quick got a lid so I could safely carry him to the field not too far from my house (read- far enough away that he won't come back for a visit!) and liberate him.



Boy, oh boy, will he ever have a story to tell the other tarantulas!