[bemused] There's a B-movie on in the background at the moment, on the Sci-Fi channel. Lightning: Bolts of Destruction. Not watching it, but I did catch the immortal B-movie line - "The storm is out of control, but I think I can stop it..." um, yers, OK then...
"Isn't that Giggerota?" Ken asked. And indeed it was - Ellen Dubin playing the part of Gail.
Had an odd dream as I was waking. It started with me getting ready to sort out Rosa, but thinking to myself at the time it was a bad idea as I was feeling clumsy (not something that happens very often in real life, incidentally). Nevertheless, it needed to be done - and yes, I managed to drop the card from the bottom of the transfer bottle (only an inch or so). Cue large tarantula scuttling off at high speed across the room - then under the bed.
It says much about how far I've come that this didn't have either I or Kai (who was there too) running screaming from the room. Though she did prove a bugger to catch (especially since the room was open-plan, with the stairs opening out over in the corner, and if she made it over there she'd have free access to the whole house), and in the meantime I also managed to tip over a tank of very small scorpions (scorpions? What the hell were they doing there??) and another of large beetles, which we also had to try to gather up again...
The dream then segued into us being 'called' to go downstairs and out onto a wide, flat beach. It was sunset, and there was a whole crowd of people gathered on the shore, all waiting silently. Just offshore were low flat rocks on a sandbank, and as the sun set and the tide receded we could see two sand-covered, narrow rocky causeways leading from the shore to the sandbank.
"What is it?" asked the little girl at my side (no, Kai hadn't changed sex, he was behind me).
"The path to the Land of Life." I replied (no, no idea how I knew that). "We can go there if you want. Which causeway do you want to walk across?"
She chose the nearer, and we (ourselves and a lot, but not all, of the other people on the shore) began walking - the sea was still lapping over the rocks at that point, warm and silky. As we approached the sandbank reality began to twist, and what had been a completely flat path gradually became a stiff climb: we ended up crawling up a steep rocky slope on our hands and knees. The little girl beside me nearly gave up, but I helped her and we finally reached the top. Standing up, we saw that we were on an island - it seemed to be made of pumice, and I recall some mention of it being 'a cinder fallen from a greater whole' - with a huge and haphazard castle a short distance away from our arrival point. There was a sense of happy anticipation in those of us who'd crossed the causeway.
We made our way into a large stone-flagged courtyard with high walls, where we were welcomed by an elderly androgynous figure in a long, shimmering black robe, and told to make ourselves at home. There were no rules in the castle, but we were expected to respect everyone there.
We made our way to an outdoor dining area, along curving uneven circular corridors (the base of the walls were black, the upper parts red, the border between the two jagged) with smaller corridors and twisting staircases leading off in all directions. The meal was simple and tasty, a sort of stew with bread, but after a couple of spoonfuls another figure in a robe stood up at the side and began to intone what sounded like a list of rules. At that, half the diners also stood and repeated what was said, holding their bowls in their hands. I stood up too, thinking this was obviously some obscure dining ritual, but then noticed that others were still seated and eating - one figure in a yellow and orange robe was on its knees praying - and sat back down again and ate. Though it felt very awkward, with the standing diners unable to eat until after this (very long) catechism, with their food going cold and them staring with either anger or envy at those of us eating.
After the meal I went to find where we were supposed to sleep, and found myself in a very quiet, peaceful part of the castle. There was one most intriguing wide spiral staircase leading up into a tower: I wanted to explore, but another robed figure told me it wasn't a good idea, as that path led to Death.
At that point I came fully awake, alas, as I'd have like to go further...
Sooo... A quick and superficial analysis... The spider bit is obvious - I don't look forward to having to repot Rosa. I may have mostly overcome my old arachnophobia but it's still a slightly scary experience, moving a large tarantula from one tank to another then back again when the former has been cleaned. The scorpions - no idea, unless it's because I've recently had The Mummy and The Mummy Returns in the background and The Scorpion King (mmmmmm... the delectable Mr Johnson!) is the next in the sequence. Plus I like scorpions, think they're fascinating creatures.
The rocks and sandbank are a hangover from the recent Exmouth visits (and may also refer back in a visual pun to The Rock as the Scorpion King). There's also an aural echo, to the Van der Graaf Generator song Refugees that I particularly like:

North was somewhere years ago and cold: Ice locked the people's hearts and made them old. South was birth to pleasant lands, but dry: I walked the waters' depths and played my mind. East was dawn, coming alive in the golden sun: the winds came, gently, several heads became one in the summertime, though august people sneered; we were at peace, and we cheered. We walked alone, sometimes hand in hand, between the thin lines marking sea and sand; smiling very peacefully, we began to notice that we could be free, and we moved together to the West. West is where all days will someday end; where the colours turn from grey to gold, and you can be with the friends. And light flakes the golden clouds above all... We're refugees, walking away from the life that we've known and loved; nothing to do or say, nowhere to stay; now we are alone. We're refugees, carrying all we own in brown bags, tied up with string; nothing to think, it doesn't mean a thing, but we'll be happy on our own.

The causeway to another reality is a common feature of my dreams (possibly influenced by memories of CS Lewis' The Last Battle, although I believe I already used it in dreams before I read the book), and the climbing up is also common, although it's usually on a narrow and impossibly steep staircase. (I never have a problem with going up - but I find it almost impossible to come down. Onwards and upwards, always!) The 'Land of Life' is probably a flicker form Pirates 3, and I suppose the castle may be an echo of Hogwarts given that we're looking forward to OotP. The robed figures are from Lexx. The quasi-religious nature of the dining assembly isn't surprising given what I'm researching at the moment. But the spiral staircase leading up to Death? Not sure about that one.
It was a very colourful and rather fun dream for the most part.
Right. Time for a little orchid TLC, then the usual Sunday things (worse today as Kai is back to school tomorrow after two weeks off, not looking forward to it, and has to get his rucksack ready. I also have to trim his hair.) I'll probably not be able to get back to Vexed until tonight, but that's OK, I have some plotting to do...
Oh, keep forgetting to say. My acanthus spinosa now has three flower spikes. Will try to get a photo later!

Labels: B-movies, dreams, garden, scorpions, tarantula