In the dead of winter, in a northern lumber camp, I reached in the big box of Chiquita bananas. Never felt a thing. Getting ready to go on the bus to be foreman for wood cutting.Can't get my glove on. Arm starts to swell. Ambulance 60 miles to the hospital.

New doctor in Smooth Rock Falls. East Indian. He says in a thick accent. "This shall be veddy odd. Ah yes, puncture wounds...", he's holding a loupe. " But you've not been to a banana plantation my man".

I say, "well I did get 2 bananas." They called the camp on the radio phone, sure enough, big spider in the box. Doc treated me with an IV and 2 bags of stuff and I was back to work after lunch.

My doc told me he would never have figured it out, but probably would have given me an antihistamine and antibiotic and steroid, but the other doc told him the antibiotic would be useless.

The spiders in the house I leave, but the wife deals with them...
The best is my son's cat, plays with them until they are deceased. Hilarious. But it can take an hour. Almost as much fun as watching a warbler eat each leg off a daddy long-legs.

John Conley
Musica est vita