Adventures,  Fashion

The Field of Nightmares

26 March, 2012 /

Today’s pictures come with a possibly disturbing story. If you are particularly queasy about spiders, I’d suggest you skip the text and just look at the pretty pictures, and don’t– I repeat don’t— even be tempted to read the story behind these pictures! I promise, I’m doing you a service by warning you.

Although you do probably want to know that my family is moving again, which is how these pictures came about.

This field– or rather, swampy land– is just down the road from the house that my parents and I are moving into. Mr. Owl and I were on a walk to find a good place for outfit pictures when we spotted these posts in the middle of swampland, and we both decided that it looked like such a wonderful, warm place to take pictures!

So we made our way down the slight incline off the road, meticulously stepping through a few stickerbushes, and jumped onto the slightly mushy ground. I was distracted by a few ducks in a pond nearby momentarily, but then I took a few steps further into the field, and I looked down.

And that is when I saw them. With every step. Hundreds upon hundreds of them, skittering in twenties every time I moved.

Spiders. Little, fast, scurrying, creepy, black spiders. Everywhere.

That is me, hurrying through the field in hopes that wetter land would be the death of the spiders. And realizing that these spiders seemed to particularly like wet land. And hoping that I didn’t have an emotional meltdown in the field full of spiders. And wondering if they were going to start crawling up my legs and kill me. And generally… just freaking out.

I am not exaggerating at all when I say that there was nowhere I stepped that did not arouse at least ten spiders. I have never seen so many spiders in one place!

So, I have not-so-affectionately dubbed this place “The Field of Nightmares.” Do I even have to explain that one? I didn’t want to stand still for fear that they’d latch onto me and scurry up my legs, yet I didn’t want to keep moving because every step upset more of them.

In attempts to get away from the field full of spiders, I made my way closer to the mud-and-water portion of the land.

The wetter land, while putting an end to the spiders, was not much better. Because instead of spiders, there were hundreds of flies that sprang up as I walked, not to mention the mud that kind of sort of sucked off my shoes.

For a little while, there were bricks to walk on, but then the inevitable happened: the mud tried to steal my shoe, so I took it off and squished through what was most likely mud, clay, and duck poop. And also water.

And I have to admit, I wasn’t really grossed out by the mud squishing between my toes, because by that time I was too relieved to be away from The Field of Nightmares. And I always have liked playing in the mud. Even if it might have duck poop and who knows what else in it.

Once we finally got out of the field/swamp/mud, we headed to a nearby park wherein there is a stream, because my feet looked like this:

But after a little wash in the stream, the shoes (and my feet) were good as new!

I was a little traumatized… or am… but not too much worse for wear. No spiders got me, I lived, I didn’t slip and fall in the mud as I am prone to doing.

And we managed to get a few good pictures in the dappled forest light. I should mention that this park/forest is very near the new house, and may just be my new favorite place!

So, moral of the story?

Never wander into innocent-looking fields, especially if they’re swampy. They might be full of spiders.

And also, I hate spiders.  As a side note, because I’ve read and heard so many people say it’s irrational to fear spiders: they’re small, they’re fast, I can’t control where they go or predict where they go, and some of them are actually deadly. So I don’t think it’s irrational at all. Seriously, one of those little eight-legged freaks might kill me!

On that wonderful note, I hope you all have a beautiful Monday!

I’m going to have nightmares for weeks.

 

I don’t remember how much any of this was, except for my shoes which were $14 from Target. 


21 Comments

  • Juli Hoffman

    26 March, 2012 at 10:14 am

    OMG!!!!!!!!!! When my son was just an infant, I took him outside, and set him on the grass. It was a beautiful day. I wanted my son to experience fresh grass for the first time. All of a sudden, spiders came out of a little hole in the ground, inches away from my baby!!!!!!!! They were everywhere!!!!!!!! Thankfully, they did NOT get on my son or me, but it was VERY traumatic. Eight years later, it STILL gives my the creeps, just thinking about it.

    Pretty pics, BTW!

    • Mara

      26 March, 2012 at 10:30 pm

      Oh, that’s terrible!Just thinking about it gives me the shudders! I’m so glad the spiders didn’t get your baby. That would have been horrible!
      I think I will be traumatized for life from that field. I’ll never want to wander into a field again.

  • Salazar

    26 March, 2012 at 11:14 am

    First up, I love red + blue so I love your outfit.

    Second, I have no problem with spiders whatsoever so I’m not creeped out at all. Well, at least you got some lovely pictures! (Although, generally it’s a good idea not to wander into swamps, no matter now pretty they look ;))

    • Mara

      26 March, 2012 at 10:31 pm

      Haha, thank you! I love red and blue together, too. I have been wearing a lot of red and blue (and white) lately without even trying. It’s a good combination!

      That is probably very true. Swamps are generally somewhat tricky places. 😀

  • Emily

    26 March, 2012 at 11:39 am

    Gorgeous pictures, but terrifying story! I’ve always found the feeling of walking barefoot in mud really enjoyable – as long as, as you say, you don’t think about what the mud might be made out of.

    • Mara

      26 March, 2012 at 10:32 pm

      I love walking in the mud. There’s something very…I don’t know… almost relaxing about feeling it squish. (Or is that just me?) And really, feet can always be washed, so… I didn’t care what was in the water so long as it didn’t kill me. Hehe. 😀

    • Mara

      26 March, 2012 at 10:37 pm

      Oh, darling, I’m so sorry! I hope this post doesn’t traumatize you for too long! I’ve never seen you say so little, either! Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure that the spiders were localized to that swamp area and they didn’t seem too dangerous.

      • Demy

        27 March, 2012 at 11:05 am

        Hhahahahha I’m really really afraid of spiders! Yeah, I said so little… How unusual hahaha! I’m feeling better now thanks to endless quantities of chocolate and I’ll go back to my too talkative self 😛

  • tiallarising

    26 March, 2012 at 1:31 pm

    I can see the headlines now – “Death by Spiders”. And I would totally believe it! XD I can completely relate with you… I have arachnidphobia. (I think that’s how you spell it!)

    You are so photogenic. Even with bazillions of spiders crawling underneath your feet, you still look like you’re enjoying yourself. Without the story, I never guessed there were little creepytures on the ground. 😉

    -Tia

    • Mara

      26 March, 2012 at 10:41 pm

      I think it’s arachnophobia. (I had to check the dictionary.) I hate spiders. I throw books at them if they’re in my room. Bleh! But the visualization of the headline made me laugh! 😀

      I was laughing because I was afraid. It was sort of… more a grossed-out reaction with a little actual fear mixed in. I mean, I knew they wouldn’t really kill me, and Mr. Owl was with me so I knew he was taking pictures and my instinct is to smile/make a face if there’s a camera, but if they’d started crawling up my legs I may have started screaming bloody murder. Yucky.

  • Loren

    26 March, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    Ugh, I am not an arachnophobe but dozens of them everywhere you stepped? I would have run off too. I can’t stand the thought of bugs crawling up my legs, no matter what kind they are.
    You look really pretty though, I’m glad the stream cleaned off your shoes too. That bridge shot is kind of amazing, how cool that you will get to live nearby & take more photos there 🙂

    • Mara

      26 March, 2012 at 10:45 pm

      Yeah, I’m not afraid of other bugs, but if they crawl on me… I get the jitters! If it had been any other bug, I probably would have been just as uncomfortable!
      Thank you! I’m really excited about that park; it has the most amazing pathways and benches, and of course the bridge!

  • rob

    26 November, 2014 at 10:09 pm

    Hey Mara, nice story! And frightening for those with arachnophobia! Do you still have those red flats by chance? Please let me know!

  • batonik

    26 December, 2014 at 10:04 am

    Next time try with sandals or heels with peep toes 🙂 Wet peep toe heel are sexy. The best shoes for rain weather imo.