I had zero plans to garden this year. Three Sydney Funnelwebs have been found on this property since Autumn. For those of you not familiar with this creature, it is extremely venomous and quite aggressive. Never fear, there are no spider images here. I would not do that to you! Arachnophobes know better than to post certain pics as a surprise to other people.
But then, I saw these gorgeous gloves at Aldi, and I re-thought my zero gardening plan. Maybe I would feel more comfortable wearing a pair of substantial gloves. We tried them on – The Other Half got large ones, my hands fit perfectly into medium.
My zero plans were quadrupled into “no *#@!&*%$ way am I gardening this year” when two absolute nitwits posted images on a local community group of Sydney Funnelwebs they had found out and about after the floods. UNSUBSCRIBE ME URGENTLY! I left both groups. Life is way too short for spider images on my Facebook feed. The damage was done, though. My skin crawled for an entire week. Not cool at all!
These people had put these creatures into plastic containers with sawdust, which implies keeping the creature long term. That freaks me out. Plus I feel like it is a bit cruel to the spiders. Not quite as cruel as what my chickens do to them which is dead them and eat them. But if they are found on my property, I’m backing the chickens 100% – dead them and eat them, girls!
Gardening this year was back on my agenda despite the images, because the chooks have been getting plenty of free range time and they have been spending a lot of it in the garden bed. I’ve compromised with a – sort of – gardening plan.
I decided to put some baby spinach, silverbeet, and brussel sprouts into the large planter box. I’m not sure how it will go because last year the kale was a massive failure in there – many moths laid eggs on it and they never grew the way they should have. I might end up screening this planter box in, if that happens again this year.
Into the large garden bed, I planted two Nasturtium plants. There is already one Nasturtium down the back and when the chooks are in the garden bed they mostly leave it alone. There are bugs to dig for, ain’t no chook got time to be eating plants! If I pull some out and throw it into the chook pen they gobble it up with great glee, because they have usually already eaten all the bugs in there before midday. I will buy any new varieties that I see of this plant because I love the flowers *and* humans and the chooks can eat it.
The chooks are on the lay again – on average I am getting 3-4 eggs a day. When I make my snacks, I sometimes mix a Manning Valley egg in with the girls small eggs, which are the largest ones they sell.
If I were *not* an Arachnophobe, I would post a picture of this little orb weaver which I see every single day when I check the chook coop for eggs. It has found a tiny home in a small screw hole on the chook pen and every day when the sun rises, it folds itself into this teeny spot.
I’m ok with certain kinds of spider making a home around the chook pen – they help with catching mosquitos and flies. Once I know where the web is, I am not likely to walk into it by mistake. The only thing that spider has to worry about is the chooks, who will eat any spider they see. Luckily they cannot reach where it is, nor could they see it unless he moved. It is well camouflaged. My little friend will find many tasty treats this spring and summer.
If I see one of those scary aggressive venomous creatures, I’m probably going to want to be on the next flight to Antarctica. I’m certainly not going to be putting it into a plastic container, nor will I be trying to kill it myself, and there will be a lot of screaming.. You’ll hear it, wherever you are.. :)
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Weekly Wrap Up –
Loads of goings on here at home, but nothing especially exciting that has not already been turned into a future blog post. My readers who have zero interest in Mr Robot can skip this next bit because it is a Mr Robot Finale Festival! ;)
The Mr Robot finale was awesome in some ways, but also slightly disappointing in some ways. I think the extra week of waiting meant that my expectations were very high..
Alan Sepinwall said “What a fascinating, off-kilter, 100% “Mr. Robot” way to end this season” and on reflection I have to agree with that concept. I have not re-watched it yet purely because I did not feel ready to – I’m letting it sink in first. One thing I do know, that scene in Times Square was an enormous explosion of colour in a usually quite muted show colour palette.
I’ve collected up a roundup of interviews and linkage for you. SPOILER ALERT – there are spoilers in these interviews. You do not want to click unless you have seen the entire 10 episodes of Mr Robot.
Interviews with Rami Malek
‘Mr. Robot’ Star Rami Malek on the ‘Emotional’ Season Finale (SPOILERS)
Rami Malek of USA’s ‘Mr. Robot’ | ‘The Andy Greenwald Podcast’ – This interview is older but was deeply excellent. Grantland has a lot of Mr Robot content – Grantland – Mr Robot
Rami & Twin Sami on Jimmy Kimmel – Having a twin is a great way to figure out what you would look like with a beard and a different hairstyle.
Interviews with Christian Slater –
Christian Slater weighs in on Mr. Robot twist and season finale
Mr. Robot Speaks: Christian Slater on ‘Mr. Robot’s’ Shocking, Roanoke-Delayed Finale and Season 2
Interview with BD Wong –
BD Wong on Why Mr. Robot’s Portrayal of a Transgender Character Is Radical
Interviews with Sam Esmail –
Sam Esmail Joins Andy Greenwald To Discuss ‘Mr. Robot’ First Season This is an hour long video interview – it was brilliant
Mr. Robot’s creator ‘did everything in my power’ to telegraph the big twist
Mr. Robot finale: Creator Sam Esmail answers burning questions
‘Mr. Robot’ Boss Talks Finale and Season 2: Elliot “Is Past the Point of No Return”
Mr. Robot Creator Sam Esmail on His Plans for Season Two and What the Show Is Really All About
‘Mr. Robot’ Finale: Series Creator On White Rose, The Wellicks & Elliot’s Memory Dump In Season 2
So… what did you think? – Sam Esmail asked what people thought over on Reddit and he also replied to a few of the comments.
Opinion re the finale –
How the Mr. Robot Finale Tumbled Backward into Its Most Piercing Social Message Yet
How Mr. Robot Killed the Centerpiece of Prestige Television: Capitalism
How Mr. Robot Became One of TV’s Most Visually Striking Shows
Mr. Robot had a perfect season on Rotten Tomatoes
About the mail program Elliot uses –
Over To You –
Anything interesting happening in your world? :)
I am actually quite fond of spiders. Not funnel webs but spiders in general. I am the spider catcher for the family and I remove all sorts from screaming men. **Chuckle**
Most ppl in my circle will catch the male funnel web for its venom and send it to the reptile park near Gosford for milking. interestingly.. if its reared up and fangs extended, it can’t put its font legs down as its fangs are too long and will pierce the ground. Stupid really.
Your chook will protect you. Use your garden for and no hands in holes!!
I’m sorry if my spider photos on my blog/FB upset you. :( Not my intention xoxox
Before I lived in Sydney, I had watched a documentary on them and I coped quite well with that. However since knowing they are living near by, seeing a photo of one makes two things happen – my skin crawls and any dark things on the floor tend to cause my mind to think one is right there. It isn’t logical or normal, it is completely a fear based reaction. I know the best way to get rid of a fear is to educate myself on the object I am fearing, but unfortunately all the websites have photos which causes the skin crawling and it is most unpleasant.
I had the other half go and find out some facts to help me, because he can handle the photos. :)
I learned to love snakes, and I have learned to live with probably 85% of spiders without totally losing my marbles 24/7. I can deal with a redback no trouble. Huntsmen and funnelwebs – I don’t like the big ones. I probably could get past this fear given some time and working on it with my psychologist but we have other work to do first. :)
Really all I ask is that people give a warning before posting photos so that people can choose to look away or prepare themselves for what they are going to see. When a surprise factor is combined with the fear.. it just makes it a tiny bit worse. :)
I’ve got a FB friend who likes to post “funny” pictures of spiders and @ them to the people she knows hate spiders. One more time and I will have to let her go. I use FB to stay in touch with a few people. I don’t use it for political tirades, whining or people who deliberately want to freak other people out.
Good on the chooks! I wish I had a place for chickens around here. Fresh eggs and someone to eat the bugs? Great!
Zazzy – I would have not lasted very long with that person! ;)
Chooks are awesome creatures. I’m so glad we got them. It has been a most educational experience. :)
Love your eggs. And your chooks.
I am the spider catcher in this house. I usher them outside. Himself drowns them in flyspray. Or any other spray if there is no fly spray around.
We got 4 eggs today, the girls have been very busy! :)
Love your chooks and would also suggest screening off the veggie box before the moths find the seedlings, take the screen off when the veggies are big enough to handle a bit of bug chewing. I lost a lot of leaves on a few succulents to the woolly bear caterpillars. Now I’ll remember to plant new things after August each year.
Spiders don’t bother me much, I’ll watch out for the bitey ones but otherwise ignore them. I love the orb weavers, their webs are so pretty.
I’m going to have to wait till next weekend for the screening, fingers crossed the moths are not out and about yet. It is still quite cool here.. :)
I don’t mind spiders, but funnel web ones may keep me from ever visiting Australia. Seriously! Thank you for not sharing any photos; I’ve seen some in a magazine article once and I still get the creepy crawlies when I think about them. *skin crawling* Hope the garden grows!!
It was bad enough that I saw those pics on the Facebook, the second one is stuck in my memory and usually appears in my mind at bedtime as an unpleasant surprise. :(
Right now the chooks have been locked in their area since Saturday because they were out when I was planting the large planter and they were totally eyeing it off. Once I screen it – next weekend – they’ll be allowed back out again. :)
Mr Robot blew me away. Especially the portrayal of D.I.D, it’s so spot on. I have a client with this disorder, so loving the way Rami plays it.
I also love that there are more questions than answers at this point, and I need to go back and view the episodes again with the knowledge I now have. Can’t wait for next season!
I’m going to do a blog about Mr Robot – similar to my Rewatch Breaking Bad blog. :) I just started setting it up today.. :)
Rami is amazing in the show and also in everything else I’ve seen him in.. :)
Thank you for not posting any spider photos! I am a big wuss. I’m learning to deal with small spiders and not freaking out if they’re in the house, as long as they’re corner spiders and not I’m-going-to-run-across-the-living-room-at-80-miles-per-hour spiders. :) Spiders who make me jump are not my favourite thing. I would be a big mess of emotions in head to toe armour in Aus knowing there are spiders there who are as big as my fist (or bigger!) Ugh!
I did think a suit of armor might be best for gardening this year. :) A little difficult to wear, but it seems like the Funnelweb is not very good at climbing things like stainless steel and metal, given two got trapped in the man cave sink as a surprise to themselves. :)