Manuel is back!

Manuel, the friendly tarantula,  is back visiting in New River. Many folks have been holding their breath, wondering if “our little spider” would show up this year. To tell the  story properly, let me start in the beginning.

How tolerant are you of house guests? Imagine if they come unannounced (at the same time each year), want the run of the house, and have eight legs. You might recall, that my friend and New River resident, Diane Wilson, has had a tarantula, fondly named Manuel, who has been visiting her home since 1990. It all started one July day, seventeen years ago, when Diane noticed something big and hairy walking into her house through an open door (no, it wasn’t her neighbor). A spider of the biggest, furriest kind was strutting around her kitchen.

From that moment on, a  tradition (or migration pattern) was started. Each year, the tarantula arrives at the end of July or beginning of August, hanging around until the end of September or October. He leaves the same way he came, quietly and without any fanfare. He makes the perfect houseguest, since he finds his own food, doesn’t demand too much attention and pretty much goes about his routine, not getting in anyone’s way.  Manuel walks around the house, on the counters, on the ceilings–he’s everywhere!

Consider the kind heart and calm disposition that it takes to open your home to a big, fat spider. Not a pet, not a companion, just a little creature of God that sauntered innocently in through an open door. After checking out the premises and the occupant, this tarantula liked what he found. He’s been coming back annually, with pretty much the same behaviors and habits. Like an old friend, he just likes to “hang around.”

Diane keeps her eyes open this time of year for her hairy friend, never sure when and where he’ll turn up. Imagine her shock and heart‑pounding surprise when one morning she grabbed her bag of Velcro curlers, reached into the bag and found Manuel sitting in the midst of pink rollers.  That must have been one hair‑raising scream, because even the dogs came running to see what the ruckus was all about. Yes, Dear Readers, Manuel is back.

The arachnid specialist at the Phoenix Zoo speculates that this tarantula has an established migration path each year to include Diane Wilson’s home in New River. What does   Manuel do at Diane’s house? Well, he just strolls around, sometimes he can be seen on a wall, or sitting on the back of her sofa, watching television. He   just seems to “fit in” and mostly keeps to himself. Except, for now, he has a particular liking to those pink Velcro curlers. He can be found snoozing in her curler bag at any given time. (If you notice that Diane’s hair is a bit straighter than usual, it’s because she hates to disturb Manuel.)

 Dear Readers, we can all rest easy, the world is spinning on its proper axis and the stars are lined up just right. Life is good, because one big, happy spider, seems to have found his way back “home.”