I own two houses -- not by choice. My family and I recently moved from a country home (on 20 wooded acres) to a new home (on one acre) to be closer to my wife's work. In the meantime, the housing market went berserk, and now the first home, though gorgeous, won't sell.
Today, I went to my first home to do a bunch of yardwork. At 8 a.m., it already was at least 90 degrees, and by the time I finished it was past 100.
While I was picking up some debris in the front yard, I almost walked into a monster spiderweb that had been cast between the branches of a magnolia tree. Trapped within the web was a Monarch butterfly, still alive and struggling to escape. But a hideous spider, half as large as my fist, had the beautiful insect in its jaws. There was nothing I could do.
Or was there? As I reflect on it now, I'm not certain.
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About Me
- Jim Melvin
- Clemson, SC, United States
- I was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., but grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla. I graduated from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in 1979 with a B.A. in Journalism. I now live in South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains, a pleasant setting for writing, to say the least. I was an award-winning journalist at the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years and I currently work at the Charlotte Observer. I am married with five daughters.
The author
Jim Melvin, a veteran journalist, debuts as novelist.
4 comments:
I think you made the right choice but I am much like you and probably would have gone back out to 'remedy' the situation.
And what is it with spiders and magnolia bushes! Must be all that sweet fragrance.
I've seen some of the most magnificent spiderwebs on that tree, including one glistening beneath a full moon after a light rain.
I was raised in the deep south, sorta went to the mid west for awhile and then came to Japan. About a year ago I was walking around the neighborhood here and caught a whiff of that amazing magnolia fragrance. I stopped called over my husband and leaned in to take a closer sniff. He grabbed me and pulled me back pointing to an enormous spider that was camped out right where my face was going. *shiver*
PS Your series sounds really fascinating. I will definitely pick up a copy when the first one comes out this fall.
Deep south, midwest, and then Japan? What a journey! That would be awesome if you purchased any book of my series. I would be honored.
And it sounds like your spider experience was similar to mine. They are amazing insects in their own right, and for some reason I've never felt threatened by them.
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