Moon Over Mt Fuji

Ah...Honeymoon Days...we had fun..Tom owned a Volkswagon Beetle and we toured Osaka, shrines, castles...the Golden Pavilion .. all the while it was April...Cherry blossoms blooming in marvelous profusion throughout our travels, accenting the beauty of the land.

Tom worked for a Japanese Trading Company called Okura & Co., I think it was the 12th largest trading house in Japan.  Anyway, they owned several large homes throughout vacation area's in Japan.  We were lucky enough to be able to secure one that was on a lake near the bottom of Mt. Fuji.  The sight of that mountain, in the morning light, with mist rising around it at the top it was breathtaking to say the least. 

We shared the house with several other vacating couples and the oka-san of the house served us all dinner in a traditional Japanese tatami room.  We were seated on the floor with cushions at a small square table, four to a table.  The room was very Japanese with sliding shoji doors and on the walls about 12" from the top a wooden railing ran the entire length and width of the room stopping only for the sliding doors. 

The Japanese use the rail to hang pictures on the wall..so there is a gap of about 2" away from the wall.  Well, there I sit, admiring the artwork and all of a sudden I see a HUGE furry looking arm swing over the edge of the rail...well, I gasped - poked Tom - he looked said "Don't worry it won't bother you". 

No sooner did that statement leave his mouth then this THING heaves the rest of itself over the rail...I swear it was mouthing..

"coming to get you, coming to get you"... I realized my knight in shinning armor was not going to save me....with that I DIVED under the table.   The other people didn't have a clue as to what the crazy gaigen was doing or why! 

My poor Tom never realized that our marriage vows definitely included...to have and to hold and to kill any ugly bug that comes anywhere near her .. I do so promise.

After, the commotion died down, table righted, food retrieved, frazzeled nerves quieted ,Tom told me that it really was the biggest damm spider he had ever seen too.   We both just had to laugh.