Den of Danger

Every day or so I walk over to the mailbox to check on Pythagoras. I hate to report that I haven't seen him in over a week, although I did find a snake skin while tidying up the flower bed there.

Today I saw something far more ominous in the snake den -- a female black widow spider. She's big. Real big. And apparently has been there for a while. Some disorganized spider web stands started appearing in and around the rock pile a few weeks back. I ignored it. Spider webs are a penny a dozen around here. This one has gradually grown larger, until this afternoon when I saw the really big black widow sitting right smack in the center of the chaos. I went for my camera, but PDM spooked her into hiding before I could get a photo.

It makes me wonder what is lurking just below the visible when I am out blissfully elbow deep in plants, taking care of my gardens. I've already been stung by a wasp that I didn't see hiding in my daffodils. I've also literally had ants in my pants. Wonder what trouble I'll get into next? Hopefully something easily identifiable with a readily available anti-venom.

An Arachnophobiac's Nightmare

A massive spider web has been found in a Texas park. The freakishly large web densely covers the foliage along a 200-yard section of trail.

"Spider experts say the web may have been constructed by social cobweb spiders, which work together…"

Could be. Or maybe it’s Shelob. Creepy.