As I look up from lacing my hiking boots, I see four spider webs hanging down from our roof line. My skin breaks out in goose bumps and a cold sweat runs down my neck.
My first instinct is to get a broom and sweep them away, but as I study the intricate patterns these creatures have created, I am humbled by the beauty of their work.
I think this one is a hobo spider, but it could be a house spider. The web tells me there are 34,000 types worldwide. Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, was a pretty good movie with John Goodman. I just hope this one stays outside.
A sure sign of September, these spider webs, as well as the number of slugs on the trails in Mt Doug.
We’ve had more rain in the first half of this month than in several previous Septembers, but this morning is sunny and the words morning has broken, from the Cat Stevens song, come to mind, over and over. After rain, it is just the kind of morning that feels “like the first morning.”
I get home to find a squirrel gathering up some fallen plums. Yup, all the creatures doing what they do best in their preparation for winter.
Gail Kirkpatrick 