Continuing yesterday's topic of our outside toilet, the main (probably only) thing I'll miss about it is Geraldine. She's the orb-weave spider in the top-right corner of the doorway.
It was fascinating watching her slowly and steadily weave her web, circling the centre and using each of her back legs to pull, hook and place the thread. The web was often in tatters, and sometimes it wasn't repaired for several days, but she kept replacing it.
Over the summer, Geraldine frequently disappeared, and when she returned she was usually larger. When not on her web, the tips of her legs could sometimes be seen peeking out of the dark shadows in the doorframe.
As November progressed, she slowed down, and looked decidedly unsteady while she weaved. I looked up websites about the life-cycle of spiders, but there was conflicting information about whether orb=weavers look after their young or not. Certainly, November seemed to be the time when they tend to disapper from the garden, perhaps to return in the spring, perhaps not.
I last saw Geraldine a fortnight ago.
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2 comments:
We have a few spiders in our house. There was one living behind a cracked tile in the kitchen for ages - months and months. And a mother and daughter (I think) living in the corner of the living room - not sure where they went. There was one in the bath this morning which I escorted out using an empty toilet roll tube so the cats didn't mistake it for a light snack.
I think your concern for this spider says a great deal about you Alec. I hope Geraldine is OK.
Aren't orb-weaver spiders the one's that have the huge abdomens and remind me of tarantulas every time i see them?
I think spiders are incredible creatures and really admire the silent assassins, but i can't get over my fear of them.
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