Prediction for today.

This is what we are looking forward to today and tomorrow. Michelle was smart and got up at the crack of dawn to get her run before the heat set in. I guess summer doesn't want autumn to take over quite yet.

Spider time

Every autumn the large garden spiders start to build their night time webs. They choose a spot, then every evening in that same spot they build a beautiful but sticky web. Then each morning they take their webs in and hide, and repeat the whole process the next evening. This is strictly a nighttime activity. They don't use these during the day.

This spider chose a spot on my back porch. She builds her web from the eave to the post and across to the wind chime. It's about 4 ft long and 3 ft wide.

A few days ago her web caught a hummingbird, and lucky for that bird I went outside that morning looking for something and heard her chirp. I looked up and saw her completely stuck but not a spider in sight. I took a stick and quickly scraped the web down, but the bird was still covered in that nasty web. I took her to the grass and carefully removed all the sticky web from her wings, then she flew gratefully away.

That evening the web was back in exactly the same spot. And every night since. She is growing fatter and fatter. Last night I watched her wrap up a moth nearly as soon as her web captured it.

Those spiders are interesting but I try hard not to walk around in the yard at dusk or later. They build those sticky webs from tree branches to the ground and they are horrid to walk through. I walked through one the other day and immediately came in and jumped in the shower. I like these creatures but not on me. They do a good service so I like to let them alone. As long as they stay out of my house and off my person.

Let's go home

This is what it looks like when Augie brings the goats home. I had not seen them in hours so went looking.

Hearing me call, Augie came loping along, goats in tow. Just before the gate he stopped to see if they were all behind him, and once he made sure, he turned and led them home. He sure is amazing.