Shared Spaces
I like to think I’m a good housekeeper—or in my case, a cabin -keeper. I do the usual things to keep up with it. And honestly, in such a small place, it’s not too hard. But then I saw him (her?). Nestled on the second-to-bottom log in the bathroom, he had created a very sweet, neatly netted web. Yes. A spider. And for my arachnid-phobic family members: you’ve been warned. When I leaned down to admire his craftsmanship, he instantly scuttled to the far side of the log—clearly aware of my reach and unimpressed by my curiosity. I tried to offer him an exit strategy. Outside. Fresh air. Freedom. He declined. So I wiped away his home on my side of the log. The next morning, he was back. He hadn’t rebuilt yet—just stood there, as if inspecting the damage. A quiet assessment. He darted away again before I could even attempt to introduce him to my waiting jar. So we’ve made a deal. He can stay on his side of the log, as long as he doesn’t build anything on my side. Boundaries, right? ...