Spiders

Last year a female orb weaver spider set up shop outside our sliding glass door. Being a person who does not like spiders but is fascinated by them in controlled circumstances I started to watch it. Kevin joined me and soon we were checking on it nightly, sometimes staying up late just to watch it build a web or eat a meal. We watched it mate and then fall came and it disappeared. Then we had one of the coldest, harshest winters we have ever experienced out here. In fact last winter broke records for how cold it was. Understandably we were shocked when the spider showed up again this year. She was HUGE but happy and seemingly healthy. So we took up watching her again. Tonight I went to check on her, because last night was rather weird. Last night she did not come out and remake her web and a male orb weaver was wandering in the web. Tonight the old web still stands with no spider out to take it down and make a new one, instead I saw a tiny baby spider rappelling down our door. I think it is official, Charlotte is gone and a new generation has replaced her. I am ironically sad for the first time that a spider has died and I actually hope that one of her babies takes her place.