Brown Windows, Brown Widows

Fall means a yard full of spiders. Audrey found this harmless garden spider enjoying a mid-afternoon grasshopper when she went out to pick cherry tomatoes.

One time earlier in the summer we had to clear a jungle of spiders and fly specks off of our front porch. I decided we'd wash the windows at the same time. All went well until Rachel's arms flew in the air as she began to shriek about the largest spider she'd ever seen in her life. Would the girl with the vacuum please hustle over quickly to gobble it up? Erica did so, willingly. A few minutes of peace, and then another howl split the air. Rachel began fearfully pleading for my intervention, as these were the largest, and certainly the most poisonous spiders she'd ever seen. Her big brown eyes earnestly begged for me to come rescue this princess from the horrid villains, bound to attack at any moment. Then she played her trump...."They look like, just like..............like BROWN WIDOWS!!!"


I could not take this crisis very seriously.

Below are Nebraska's two poisonous spiders: Black Widow (left) and Brown Recluse. I have not seen either one hanging around our front porch. College princesses and houseguests may also rest assured that we have cleaned from our entryway all of the ferocious Brown Widows .