Originally posted in 2005 at www.rivenrock.com
Local lore has it that when we see tarantulas in the summertime, the fall rains are within six weeks from falling. This has proven true by my reckoning before, but this is the earliest I’ve ever seen the tarantulas. And I am sure it will not be raining in the middle of August. I’ve never seen it rain in August here; in fact we usually go without rain from April to November. August is just not a month we can hope for rain without getting our hopes dashed. Don’t hope for any unlikely event.
But why are the tarantulas running around already?
The Male tarantulas are the ones we are likely to see, they are off searching for a nice girl spider to raise a family with. The girl spiders stay in their home saving their energy waiting for a nice boy spider to ‘come a’callin”. When he does they have a short courtship ritual during which she will see if he possesses the proper skills and attributes she would want passed on to her own progeny. If he passes the test, she will submit to his advances, then after mating if he is not quick enough she will jump onto him (she is much larger) and she will bite him and kill and eat him. This will give her enough food reserves to sustain her growing eggs.
Now, this explains why the tarantulas roam six weeks before the Fall rains, they wish to have the eggs developing before the rains come, the young will be hatching in the first rains, and will roam off into the greening lush chaparral to start their own lives in the cooler moister time of easy living on the Central Coast.
There are many things the old-tyme country folk use to reckon time and when to perform things, and how the weather will be. Some of these are dismissed as ‘old wives tales’. But some seem to work well, and of those that do, there is a natural explanation if we could just unlock the secrets to nature.
Another legend here regarding the tarantulas concerns how high above the creeks they build their nests in the hillsides. It is said they can tell how wet the winter will be, so if it will rain a lot and the creeks will rise high, they want their nests high above the creeks, if it will be a short-rain winter, they will be placed lower to the creek, so they will be nearer their food prey coming to get moisture.
Another legend here has to do with cattle, when the cattle lay on the ground a lot, it will rain soon as they will not want to lay on the cold wet ground, so they rest their legs up now, so when it rains they will be able to stay on their legs for days and weeks, ready prey for reckless teenagers off for an evening fun of beer drinkin’ and cow-tippin’.
Vickie’s favorite way to tell the weather is whether a cat will sleep with it’s head upside down, this will often presage wet conditions she says. But I’ve found this to not always hold water. Perhaps it is tied to humidity and not actual rainfall, but I’ve often seen her mention a cat sleeping in that position, and then within hours it has rained.
Nature is full of wonders, and they were all made for us by God to enjoy in this world. Don’t mess up what God made, hold it tight and well, and revere all that is given to you by the Almighty.
UPDATE: Six weeks later we did get 1/4 inch of rain overnight and into the next morning… so again, the tarantulas did not lie.
Tao-Teh-Ching; Chapter 51
The Tao is the mother of all beings,
The virtue of Tao nurtures them in nature,
The material world gives them form,
Environment and circumstance complete their abilities.
Therefore all things honor the Way, and venerate virtue.
This honoring of the Tao, and the veneration of virtue are not commanded,
They occur spontaneously and for this reason the Way continues to create beings
While virtue continues to nurture and develop them.
The Tao gives birth to all, yet it lays no claim of ownership,
It nourishes all, but it does not control,
This is the mystic virtue.
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