Storytime With Darman: Shelob the Skinny

[Darman]

I thought I was alone. After taking a boat tour of the Everglades, the guide suggested a few places to check out for some good photo opportunities. One of those places being a trail that was down a long dirt road next to the canal that brings you to the start of an abandoned old canal. I jumped in my car and made my way up the dirt road. At the end of the road I parked my car and started to make my way on the trail along the old canal. Being in the Everglades I put on a unhealthy amount of bug repellent in hope I would not be eaten alive by the mosquitos and black flies. For the most part, that plan was working.

 

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As I wandered about on the trail I realized I needed to get some more time of me in front of the camera. Nature had a different plan in that moment. I hear the rustling of some leaves and the sound of a slow slither. Right away I thought it was a cottonmouth snake, which is still a concern, but all the ones I had run into so far seemed more scared of me. Either way I looked to confirm the creature's location and direction. Only to learn I was very wrong about the size and type of snake that was lurking in the trail only a few meters away. Turns out I had disturbed a Burmese python. a fairly large one to boot.  I estimate that it was about as thick as my head. Now I'm not scared of snake, but I certainly didn't want to stick around as I couldn't even see the whole body of the python. I thought that would be the most exciting part of my day.

 

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After I was a safe distance from the python, I decided to bust out my GoPro and record my reaction since I didn't actually take a photo or video of the python. As I finished up recording my reaction as I was walking, I noticed a nice view to the left of me. I finished off the recording while looking at the view to the side of the trail. I started to turn back to the trail as I tucked the GoPro into my pocket and my eyes started to focus back on the trail ahead of me. That's when I froze in my tracks. I almost went face first into a huge spider web with the spider (which was about the size of my hand) front and center staring back at me. The spider remained motionless. I backed up with haste. I didn't know how to fully function at that moment as I struggle with a fear of spiders and the web covered the whole way across the trail with only a little clear space about waist level. What was I supposed to do? I'm not Frodo traveling to Mordor with my pal Sam to come save me from this massive spider. I was just some lone dude in the middle of the Everglades on a trail with no real destination. I considered just turning back. I looked at the map and saw I was almost to the end. I couldn't give up now. What if there was something amazing at the end of the trail and I missed it because I was afraid of a spider that I already knew wasn't really an issue for humans? It may have been harmless, but it looked like something out of my nightmares. After a few minutes the panic started to settle, I grabbed a long stick and slowly tried to relocate the spider so I could pass underneath the web without worry. Did I fully conquer my fear? No. Did I make myself proud for passing this challenge? Yes.

 

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Edited June 26, 2022 by Darman