The golden orb weaver spider featured in the first five photos is the spider I find to be most fascinating. The heavier zigzag web closest to its body is sticky, which allows the spider to capture and stun its prey with a quick bite, then to wrap it in silk. With venomous insects, the wrapping precedes the bite, which seems illogical, but must indicate that the spinning is a rapid process. Only 1/2 of all spiders , including the tarantula pictured above, do not spin webs, but all produce silk.
Back of the Fridge
Free from the air current’s rush and flow,
the fridge back’s where the spiders go
to spin their webs and catch their prey.
We should give thanks for them, ‘cuz they
trap flies that land upon our snacks,
dive-bomb our faces, roam our backs
and cause us all so much dismay,
so let your resident spiders stay.
Better in their hidden place
than buzzing flies right in your face.
Trolling for flies in the kitchen.
Having Friends Over for Dinner
I very nearly missed out on her graceful zigzag gig
beneath my bougainvillea, suspended from a twig.
Behold the nimble spider, spinning out her floss
determined that no insect will turn out to be her loss.
See her web’s tenacity, holding fast her prey—
those delicious visitors who rarely get away.
She sucks out their elixirs with minimal delay,
having guests for dinner every single day.
Prompt words today are web, tenacity, nearly, nimble and delicious.
jdbphoto
Spider on the ceiling, legs evenly spread round,
I can’t help but wonder what keeps you ceiling-bound.
Have you little suction cups welded to each foot,
and if so, has nature adequately put
each one on this spider far above my bed
so it will not disconnect and land upon my head?
I woke up much earlier than usual today, and after I posted my poem and photos, I went back to bed. I closed my eyes for a short time, then opened them and stared fixedly at the ceiling above the bed. It was not fully light in the room, but in the diffused light from the curtains which form a sort of scrim in the room, I could see a black blotch on the ceiling right above me. Trying to figure out what it was, I scrunched my eyes up and eventually made out lines radiating out from the center. It finally occurred to me that this might be a spider. Further scrunching determined that it was, indeed, a delicate-looking spider perhaps an inch or two in diameter. It hasn’t moved in the half hour or so it has taken for me to write its laudatory poem, locate my camera, arrange for adequate lighting and camera settings, shoot its portrait and to get posted. It will probably still be there tonight. If so, its fame will probably be expanded with another poem. If I remember.
I have seen the most unusual spiders since moving to Mexico 15 years ago. The one little black and white triangular spider, I’ve spotted at least 3 different times in the past 15 years and they always have an uneven number of legs. Must run in the family as it can’t be possible that the same spider has lived for 15 years. The Golden Orb Weaver spider is my favorite. It weaves the most interesting web. This one remained in this spot where I saw it every day on the way to my car for over a month.
https://jennifernicholewells.com/2016/10/15/jnws-halloween-challenge-spiderweb/
Arachnopanic!
Jeepers creepers, what’s a girl to do?
A great big spider just climbed into my shoe.
Don’t have a Prince Charming to drive the fella out.
Cannot think what else to do but panic and to shout.
Guess I’d better collect my wits and make a plan.
Get a glass of water, a squeegee and a pan.
Sacrifice my shoes and pour the water in.
Ruining a Jimmy Choo surely is a sin!
When I poured it in the spider scurried out.
Lifted up the squeegee and gave him quite a clout.
Squeegeed the remains into the little pan.
I’ll give it a scrubbing—later—when I can.
Go out to the garden to empty the remains.
All my sins will wash away, later when it rains.
No Prince Charming needed. I handled it myself.
Next time I’ll store my Jimmy Choos safely on a shelf!
Today’s prompt word was “Panic.”
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 