Yeah yeah, I hear ya. Some of you are already grossed out and wondering why the heck would you even do this. For you arachnophobes, bye, see ya later.
- Curious about something you saw while walking in the woods? Spot the coolest bug ever? The prettiest flower and butterfly? Stumble on a rock and found a fossil? Or was it? This is the place to show your discoveries and share in the knowledge of the natural world right outside our doors. Join in the fun everyday at The Daily Bucket.
Mid-August 2015
Good Morning! It's a bright and sunny day here in Florida Panhandle. Of course it's August and fixin' to get hot, humid and buggy as all get-out. Get out is what I did yesterday. So walking over to the pick-up yesterday, the one that only leaves the yard a couple times a week, I discovered a Golden Orb Spider with its web across my walkway between the clothesline and shed.
It's a great spot for a web since it catches a bit of breeze and hopefully insects. Too bad for the spider because it's my only way to get over to the truck. So with a quick "I'm sorry" to the spider, I gently grabbed one of the anchor points and swung the web over to the clothesline. Most of the web was intact so I knew the spider was OK for now and if she didn't like it, she would move. Hopefully she wouldn't waste the effort to rebuild across the walkway.
Well this morning to my pleasure the spider did move. There it was right outside the kitchen window with a new web strung between the porch post and railing. I can see the anchor points in the morning sun - the post, the roof, the rail. Standing there with coffee looking out the window, I starting guessing to how it moved. Most likely she gobbled up the old web and walked down the clothesline. Decisions decisions when it got to the Y, a line going to either side of the porch. The spider chose the east side, a wise choice since there is no railing to use on the other side. Even better, it is out of my way.
So with a tiny bit of effort on my part, and a whole bunch on the spider's part, there it is - a nice web outside my door to snag some of those terrible Asian Tiger Mosquitos. Of course, this doesn't make up for all the webs I've knocked down, or walked into, when counting Ashe Magnolias in the deep woods this summer. We all carried sticks held upright in front but sometimes you don't see the webs and boom. Those webs are strong and sticky.
No photos today, really I've posted photos of Golden Orb Spider many times and even did a bucket. Like this one from 2 years ago chock full of spiders.
Yesterday I also watched a rabbit crossing my yard before sunset. I now know what grasses it favors - the ones with the wide leaves growing on the edges of the woods. See y'all in the comments where you can post news from your backyard.
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Mon Aug 17, 2015 at 5:32 AM PT: 8-17 Spider moved again but in wrong spot where I have to walk. Moving her again, maybe out into yard.