Today’s #bloganuary post asks about a conquered fear.
I think it’s probably pretty obvious from the title what I was afraid of ( in case it isn’t, I was terrified of spiders).
But when you garden, particularly if you garden organically, spiders are one of the “good guys,” or a garden helper. So it’s not useful to be terrified.
How did I conquer my fear? In the usual way, of course, by becoming familiar with what I am most afraid of. I just watched and studied the numerous spiders in the garden and gradually I became fascinated and not fearful.
Even indoors now, I generally just let them be unless they are in a totally unsuitable place (running around the bedroom qualifies, for example. I have found a spider bite on my face in the morning. Most unwelcome!)
Otherwise, there are now very few spiders that I am afraid of–and for those, there’s a handy organic product called “spiders away ” that works if I need it!
Gardendaze 
Oh my, you might find this to be amusing. https://tonytomeo.com/2017/11/11/arachnophobia/
That is a riot! I hope Brent has outgrown his fear by now–or maybe he has “people ” on spider patrol? Does that spider you pictured live year-round by you? It doesn’t by us. It gets killed by frost. But they can be get quite large before they die. They were one of the ones that I used to dread. Now I watch them spinning webs. They’re actually quite cool.
Brent is about as afraid of spiders now as he was back then, . . . but I live about four hundred miles away, so can not come to eliminate them. He sometimes brags to me about not panicking when he finds a spider at work or even at home, as if it is commendable. Spiders are here all year, although I do not know how particular species behave through the seasons. A particular tarantula has inhabited the same water meter box for several years, and tries to chase off anyone who must open the lid to read the meter.
Wow, I am not sure if I could acclimate to tarantulas but maybe. I know people keep them as pets.
People are just funny about what they don’t like. I have heard big burly contractor types scream like a woman at the sight of a rat–and those don’t bother me in the least. So I guess everyone has a phobia.
Well, I used to work for fearless arborists who had no problem contending with vicious dogs, raccoons or tree huggers, but were terrified of a single hummingbird.
People are funny, aren’t they?
Yes, but hummingbirds are not to be messed with!
I guess no bird is if you are near its nest! I wouldn’t want to be in a tree being harrassed by a bird. I have seen those crows harassing hawks often enough!
Pigeons do not seem to care about their babies. You know, I drove between a momma turkey and some of her chicks once, and she chased some innocent pedestrian off into the distance, with here separated chicks running after. It was weirdly funny. Turkeys do not live in trees though.