I live in a house near downtown Hattiesburg that was built in 1935, so you figure that it's pretty sturdy. The last big hurricane that came through here was Frederick, I think. Nope, that one was a long time ago. I can't remember the name offhand. Me and my boyfriend at the time decided to hunker down and ride it out here. So, he, I and the cat camped out in this little square hallway place in the center of the house. It was cozy, you could say.

I am a strange chick--I really like spiders. I have a corner of the back yard that I won't let anyone mow in order to provide a spider habitat. I am the person that people call to rescue them from marauding spiders. My ex was not so fond of arachnids and he is sure that any spider he sees is a brown recluse (icky picture warning). I am equally sure that I have never seen an actual brown recluse.

So, here we are in the tiny square room having a little hurricane party (meaning I am reading and he is thinking about music) when he slaps me on the back. I see legs flying. He has just "saved me" from a spider that was crawling on my shoulder. I'm like, damn! I had such a good relationship with the denizens of Spider-world up 'til now. Why'd you have to go and murdelize a wolf spider like that?

The spider was the only casualty of that hurricane in Hattiesburg, but we were out of power for forever. And you have never been as hot or smelly as the third day without power in the dismal humidity that is Southern Mississippi following a hurricane.

Here's hoping that D. (who now lives on the Coast) will have a safe and spider-free Dennis.