Kitchen Garden Forum

Going through my to do list so thought I'd tackle the greenhouse today!

Went in & straight into a spiders web, then taking out my onions to sort & a big long legged spider looked me in the eye just as I was going through the door - threw them out! Screamed for Mr Westi to collect them off the lawn & went to clean the car!

Car is clean & deal is made! Mr Westi will take everything out, I'll hose off the window wash & pull the weeds, & generally tidy up & sort the stored veg. Then as much as I'd like to nuke every chemical into there before I take stuff back in - Mr Westi is on that duty! So Spiders are my nemesis - I'm sure they are all harmless, but best not take any chances! (Mind my adder at the lottie made me run a bit more).

What makes you run, have a fright attack or jump back?

Westi

If I disturb a frog then I'm out of there like shot.....and don't mention snakes.......

I once almost trod on a large grass snake that was basking in the sun down at our meadow fields..I didn't get a clear look at it but it was away down the bank like shot...and so was I back to my car....a few years ago now but it totally freaked me out....

We mentioned the sighting to the neighbour who then owned my former grandparents farm house and he was excited to see if he could sight it too...when he did he was suddenly not so sure of snakes himself as he confirmed its size........

I have in recent years come across smaller grass snakes at work, one was seemingly feigning dead after having met up with a cat, upon checking a short while later it had slithered safely on its way ok. Last year I was about to pick up a stick from the cherry walk lawn only to have it move off towards the fence, again a small grass snake which because I could stand back and watch it as it went on its way i was not so alarmed but all the same wary of the area now...as it will have grown a bit in a year...

Last night, perhaps under the influence of a cold and having partaken of a cold "remedy" too, I woke suddenly from a very real dream of a large snake on our pond at work...I even leapt out of bed.!!

Clive.

Quite happy with spiders, frogs, toads, snakes, even rats and mice, but put a wasp near me and I really panic. That's a legacy from being stung on an eyelid by one at my first girl guide camp. My whole face swelled up. I had to be taken to hospital and spent a very miserable week under canvas with a face like a balloon as a result.

I know most people HATE rats but we once had an acquaintance who bred fancy rats, mostly white and light coloured ones. They were tame, gentle, used to being handled and highly intelligent, so somehow every time I see a ferral one i can't help thinking of its domesticated cousins which were delightful little creatures. Stroking and playing with a tame rat is actually quite a liberating experience, believe it or not!

Daddy long legs .... Completely freak out knowing they're in the room.... I know they won't hurt me but even the thought.... My in laws don't appreciate this issue and there are always some in the room we sleep in arrhyreaaahhreahh.........

Oh, And custard.....

Pawty

Pawty wrote:Daddy long legs .... Completely freak out knowing they're in the room.... I know they won't hurt me but even the thought.... My in laws don't appreciate this issue and there are always some in the room we sleep in arrhyreaaahhreahh.........

Oh, And custard.....

Pawty

Daddy longlegs and custard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Odd combination and a sticky situation for the insect......................makes them legless

I like rhubarb with my custard

I'm not scared of anything except the fatty bits in chops.

Diane wrote:I'm not scared of anything except the fatty bits in chops.

I'm not even scared of that!
And if it turns out to be a bit chewy it's saved for my pet seagull's breakfast the next day

Snakes I'm a wimp…Talking to neighbour after moving in was told next door was cutting back hedge/bush and found a snake. I hope this wont happen to me.

Regards wasps, whilst working in garden this summer when we got settled down to sorting the soil in one particular place we got attacked by lone wasp or honey bee. Wife & I got stung a couple of times. Seem it waited till we got settled down before the attacked.

Another one on snakes…Whilst taking the dog for a walk along footpath over sand dunes to beech I saw an adder. I stopped dead with the dog the other side of the snake. Fortunately the snake went into the long grass. No open toe flip flops for a while.

The only thing I have a phobia about are the tax and vat men

Mine is, plates of immaculately presented food, of miniscule proportions.....looks good, but no good to man or beast...i am either of those two...

Needles of the medical syringe variety.
But I'm improving with age and the number of operations I've had.
Last year imanaged to face down a blood test unaccompanied!

Hi Clive,
You'll love this.
When i was a nipper I used to take a grass snake wrapped around my middle under my shirt to school!
JB.

As a child I had absolutely terrifying nightmares about snakes. The kind that make you wake up, if not screaming, close to it.
I'm not worried about them in Europe but many of the venomous ones certainly inspire fear. I don't think I would handle any of them.

I hope you didn't watch David Attenborough last night.