Prey

words and images by Warren Wilson

Years ago Jim Stafford reminded me in a song that “I don’t like spiders and snakes.”  Not much has changed since then. I still find them to be creepy creatures with a tenacity in finding me. Spider webs seem to find my face as I’m walking down the driveway. Snakes find me in the yard, the woods, and even in my house!

I suppose as a boy that it was fun to go out searching for snakes hidden under logs in the forest. There was no just cause to hunt them down; they certainly weren’t bothering me. But, those days are gone. The farther they stay away from me, the more secure I feel.

Of course, I still find a fascination with them. Do you remember the 1990 horror movie Arachnophobia? I attended opening night. Watching the movie in a packed theater with everyone screaming throughout most of the movie is something I’m sure I’ll never forget. I think we all like to be creeped out, even for just a little bit! But then we settle back to reality, the reality of “we don’t like spiders or snakes”.

Snakes in the HouseLeft: A 6-foot Black Snake found its way into my house and decided to hang out on the blinds. Right: A self-portrait of 'The Snake Charmer'. They say that spiders are good to have in the house. They seek out the bugs we don’t want in the house and eat them. I don’t know about all that….after all, a bug is a bug is a bug. To me, each one is as creepy as the other. I always keep a can of bug spray in each room, with plenty of spares in the pantry. My motto remains “Not a bug passes my way without a spray”. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA