So I'm out in the backyard, caring for the chickens. A handful of feed, a pint of fresh water. Then I stretch the tarp over their tractor to give them shade throughout the day. I toss it over and there--right there--not two inches where my hand just was is the largest spider I have seen outside of Texas.She was huge. As big around as the back of my hand. Up her front legs went in a defensive position, and though I was already nowhere near close enough to get bitten by the time I even saw her, I jumped and screamed, just for good measure.
That, of course, brought the children running. Somehow, my son always has a stick, or several, so I commandeered it and poked the spider. Up she went again. I poked her again and she jumped off the tarp and started to scurry. I poked her again and she decided to head the other way at a full run.
I lifted the corner of the tractor and in went the spider. She barely had time to raise up those legs before she was in four pieces and being paraded about by clucking chickens.
