Spider Report for 2006

Black Widow Spider

Latrodectus mactans

Photo - Clemson University - USDA Coop. Ext. Slide Series

UGA 1236024

My day was most unusual as it ended.
This was the last photo and story I posted tonight on my photo site. This is not my photo, but I was looking up info on Wikipedia.

Today Klaus and I worked at the Medieval Garden. Spent most of the time weeding tons of oak seedlings from all the beds on our hands and knees. . Then we sowed some perennial grass seed on a couple of areas and used some old hay(year old) to cover seed on some of the bare spots. We finished and were headed for MIG'S for lunch.Klaus remarked that he must have gotten into some fire ants as his stomach was itching. While driving he pulled up his t-shirt and a black bug fell out. He knocked it to the floor. Immediately he started having a reaction. Pain going up into his shoulder. Started driving faster and said he was going to the outpatient medical clinic for Self Memorial Hospital. He dropped me off and I jumped in my car and took off after him. When we were going into the emergency place he said now the pain was going down into his leg. I had to sign him in and they took him in right away. First they were going to just put him on intravenous for a few hours and let go. Then in about hour they decided to send him to the emergency room because of his age and some history to observe him for 24 hours. Finally decided they would keep him at the hospital until Friday Morning. I'm glad I told him to bring the spider into the outpatient clinic as doctor knew right away that he got bit by a black widow spider. Everyone else at Self Memorial Hospital was also delighted to see the spider. When the spider fell onto the car seat I noticed a red spot then, but figured it was Klaus' blood as could see the red area were he was bit, but, of course, I had no idea then what a black widow looked like or that they usually have this hour glass red mark. It will take me a while to get over this experience, that's for sure.

Big Oak trees grow from little acorns. It was seedlings produced from acorns likr this that we pulled out of the flower gardens

Klaus called his wife Carol from the outpatient Clinic. When she got there I came home and had lunch. They took him to the hospital by ambulance. She left the hospital to put gas in her car and get him supplies like toothbrush, etc. I met her at the Outpatient Clinic and drove Klaus's truck to his house and Carol drove me back to the outpatient clinic to my car. That was one weird experience. After all that I didn't feel like cooking supper so drove over to MIGS and picked up a Pizza and then came home and scrubbed myself down good. Not sure where that spider came from and how it crawled under his t-shirt as tucked into his pants. We think probably when he was handling that rotten old bale of straw that he picked up and put in his truck and then spread over the grass seed. I didn't handle too much of that as I was raking the grass seed into the soil. I was amazed at how quick the reaction to that bite occured. The Dr said the reaction to that bite is pain in various parts of the body, not necessarily where the insect bit and lasts for 24 hours. Some people can handle the pain, but others have to go to the hospital. I read in Wikipedia that people don't usually die from their bite as it is a small amount of toxin injected into the body. Only about 50 deaths because of such a bite have been recorded - I won't tell Klaus any of that as don't expect it would give anyone comfort to know. That is s0 creepy. I'll probably be paranoid about spiders now. You wouldn't think things like this would happen at the church - like Klaus always says when we work there - "we are doing the lord's work."

One of the flower, a Dahlia, in the bed of flowers in front of the Outpatient Emergency Clinic of Self Memorial hospital where I paced while waiting to hear of Klaus prognosis.

I remember years ago my Mom got bit by a spider. She went on vacation with my sister and brother-in-law to the boondocks of northern Vermont. When they were putting my niece and nephew to bed in the same room she was occupyong, she saw a spider on one of the pillows, brushed it off, but then couldn't find it. When she got bit later on as she went to bed, she summoned my sister to help her to the bathroom. My Mom was a tiny lady, under 5 feet and under 100 lbs. She fainted before she could get there. My sister who was much bigger and a strong girl and my brother-in-law could hardly pick her up to get her back into bed. Fortunately the wife of the owner of the cabins who resided on premises was also a nurse. She asked my Mom if she could take a very strong cup of Tea. That revived her and then they drove her to a French Doctor about 50 miles away up near the Canadian border. He treated her but said" We have no poisonous spiders in Vermont." My Mom begged my sister to put her on a train so she could come home but they refused and all came home together. At home my Mom visited our family Doctor and he said if the symptoms returned in two weeks it was a spider that bit her. Sure enough two weeks to the date the symptoms returned. I remember she had a rash. I don't remember whether it itched or pained, maybe both, but she was very uncomfortable. When she recovered she was never bothered by that again.

I believe that must have been the same time my father, two brothers and I were left at home to fend for ourselves. I must have started working that summer as otherwise I'm sure I would have gone with them. Of course, my Pop was in charge. He arranged for him and my brother Herb to cook the meal the first night and my oldest brother Gus and I would wash and dry the dishes. Then the next night we were supposed to reverse the rolls. It never got to the next night as then he decided we would all meet at the same time at a restaurant next to the Little Club on Main St,, where he frequented. That must have been okay with all of us as I don't remember anyone complaining. For me at that time, no matter where it was, it was a real treat for me to eat out.

Being of Swedish descent, this word to me means the salutation people give to each other when lifting their drinks and clinking glasses, like others might say cheers or salut! For most others nowadays I'm sure it just refers to a certain type of tobacco. Saw this tin on the street and took picture. Skoal!

My Pop was not much of an indoor cook or cleaner. He did clambakes for years for large groups like the Moose and Fireman. Then eventually he gave all his equipment to his brother, my Uncle Carl, who then carried it on for some years. I remember my brothers Gus and Herb would help Uncle Carl sometimes. Pop also liked in my early years to go on picnics after work to Croton Point and another beach, both on the Hudson River, and he would cook the supper on the outdoor grills. I only remember him cooking indoors once a year - a ritual he had, but don't know why. He cooked up goulash. As a spoiled kid I would never eat anything like that, but I do remember it smelling so good. So now I thought in my senior years I would really enjoy it. Checked with brother Gus but he said he had tried to duplicate Pop's recipe several times but could never come up to it. So I wound up buying a frozen already prepared Hungarian goulash that wasn't bad and price was right. My niece then gave me her recope but think I'll wait for the annual anniversary before I try goulash again.

Pop didn't go too much for the indoor washing and cleaning chores either. I remember on those few occassions he may have been called to do the dishes he wouldn't use the lux detergent or other soap my Mom may have had there at the time for that purpose. He would grab a big bar of brown Kirkman's soap. Mom always had that around , too, but I think she used it on awfully soiled clothes or something else. It was real strong and after using it on the dishes, even after rinsing, I could smell that strong soap and swear it must have lasted through another whole meal where I could taste or smell that soap with every bite. When it came to cleaning the floors, we had carpeting in the living room, but other rooms were either bare wood or linoleum, he would use this powerful strong smelling pine soap. That was some kind of industrial soap that they used to wash down the hallways of the six family apartment building where I grew up and my folks cared for. That carried some powerful scent for a long time, too. We paid the same rent as the rest of the families, but for the services we provided we had two more bedrooms than their apartments had.

I didn't go to see Klaus at the hospital today. His wife called this morning and said he wasn't feeling well and didn't want any company. I don't blame him. Said he had a better night after they started pumping morphine into him starting at about 11PM when he was in so much pain. As of this morning that had given him 3 doses. So instead I went out shopping. Went to some stores in Greenwood looking for a Spiderman's mask to give Klaus, but the closest I could find was a little kids costume and wasn't going to spend what they wanted just to get the mask. I saw the Spiderman movie and in the beginning the character gets bitten by a spider and that is what gives him his super human abilities so maybe Klaus will come out of this the next Superman. I saw this Mum at WalMart. More expensive than any of the other Mums, but I liked the color and "spoon" petals so much, I figure I can plant outdoors and propagate next spring to make a whole border of them,

Until next time, Stay Well and Have a Happy, Dave