Ambition
Since it hasn't rained for more than two weeks here, before I left for work this morning I decided to water the potted plants. Even the succulents were looking less than turgid, so I snaked the hose around through the carport to give them a drink, and ran afoul of one of the more ambitious orb-weaver spiders in recent memory. This lady had apparently had enough of small game - flies, fat late-season crickets, big green katydids - and was going for something bigger... maybe something bipedal would be a nice change!
She had spun her web from the corner of the roof, a good fifteen feet off the ground, to a branch of the oak beside the carport, and down nearly to the ground. It was absolutely invisible in the dim light before true sunrise, and I walked right into it.
Now, I must state here for the record that I am not afraid of spiders - I keep tarantulas, fer crissake - but I backed out of that web pretty damn quick, waving my arms madly about my head and spitting bits of silk out of my mouth. After I'd raked all the web out of my hair, I did a quick visual check for the ambitious spider, and spotted a dark body the size of the end of my thumb beating a retreat for the eaves of the house. I guess all the flailing had made her think twice about adding primate to her menu, and decide that perhaps her reach had exceeded her grasp this time.
Nice to know that even spiders can dream big.
She had spun her web from the corner of the roof, a good fifteen feet off the ground, to a branch of the oak beside the carport, and down nearly to the ground. It was absolutely invisible in the dim light before true sunrise, and I walked right into it.
Now, I must state here for the record that I am not afraid of spiders - I keep tarantulas, fer crissake - but I backed out of that web pretty damn quick, waving my arms madly about my head and spitting bits of silk out of my mouth. After I'd raked all the web out of my hair, I did a quick visual check for the ambitious spider, and spotted a dark body the size of the end of my thumb beating a retreat for the eaves of the house. I guess all the flailing had made her think twice about adding primate to her menu, and decide that perhaps her reach had exceeded her grasp this time.
Nice to know that even spiders can dream big.