Saying goodbye to Spike

For a short time, Spike was the 4th-grade pet. Charlie, a trapper who works for the Jicarillas, caught him and brought him in for the kids to observe. Spike lived in a jar in the classroom where he ate worms and grasshoppers.

Last Friday, Charlie came to class to teach more about desert tarantulas. The students decided after all they learned from Charlie that it was better to release Spike into the wild so he could do what he needs to do -- find a mate, curl up, and begin a long winter hibernation. (Spike's needs are not unlike my own.) The kids let him go in the arroyo behind the playground. "We'll miss you, old Spike. You are a fine spider. You were a fine pet."