Nature reserves the right to inflict upon her children the most terrifying jests.
~Thornton Wilder
It was such a crazy, busy weekend that yesterday morning I decided to focus on the simple gifts I had been given...a chance to walk with Belle, legs and lungs that could run (at least a little ways), the recent rain, the birds singing...
...and just as that thought entered my head, I suddenly had a mouthful of spider web.
I immediately screamed, threw down my umbrella and my hat, and ran forward several feet, swirling my hands all around my head, before turning around to see this poor little...well, not so little...orb spider curled up in fright in the center of his broken web.
I'm sure he was at least as scared as I was!
He was really pretty amazing to look at - from a safe distance, anyway - such intricate designs, and two little horns on its back.
I cropped the photo so you could get a closer look...
After my heart stopped racing, I snapped a few photos (sort of blurry because the now unsecure web was bouncing in the breeze) and warned him/her that I walk that way every day and it wasn't a good place to weave a web.
Then I scooped up my hat and umbrella and continued on my way down our driveway, remembering to look up as well as down at the rocky terrain under my feet, and full of gratitude that I didn't end up with that huge spider somewhere on my body!
That is definitely something to be grateful for, as well as the rain that has lured these beautiful spiders and the insects they feed on back to our neighborhood.
I've had other, less creepy sweet!s this week, but I'll share them tomorrow. I hope you're still keeping track!
Because I like you, I won't leave you with that an image of a spider, even one who has an intricate, interesting pattern on his/her back. Here's a little wildflower bouquet to make up for it...
