Weaving New Routines
So, normally when we go to our family cabin, I follow a bit of a routine. After we all unpack the car, I like to make the outside of the cabin look lived-in. In other words, I sweep off the patio, clear off the driveway of fallen tree branches...and sometimes limbs from storms, and I clean off the patio furniture. Finally, I sweep off the siding to get rid of the cob webs and spider webs.
But before I started clearing off the siding, I noticed several spider webs. These spider webs still had the spiders on them. In addition, I found a HUGE spider web spanning 20 feet at least across the driveway and patio connecting a tree to our cabin via silk! Well, I couldn't knock down the webs. I guess I thought about Charlotte in Charlotte's Web and just left the webs alone. However, I didn't ignore them.
So, I began studying them. Most of you would not be surprised to read that. It's Labor Day weekend with beautiful weather. We are on a lake. People are enjoying the last of summer, but I want to look at these spiders. The observations began with the most logical step. What does any person with an iphone do who takes pictures of every breathing moment of her children and students? I start taking pictures of the spiders and their webs.
I don't know if they liked me taking pictures of them and their webs. I was getting really close because I did just have an iphone. But I wanted details. One type of spider didn't like it, the one who made the HUGE web. He ran along the silk line and hid out on a leaf in the tree. My reference books that I happened to have brought with us informed me that I was looking at garden orb-weaving spider. Not surprised. That is exactly what he made!
Then, I went to two other webs. These black and yellow spiders were much larger. Black and yellow garden spiders are scientifically named Argiope Aurentia. I will stick with black and yellow garden spider. Anyway, these spiders also formed a zig-zag pattern in their webs. Their webs were right next to each other. One made the zig zag straight down the middle. The other one made a zig-zag in an upside down Y formation. They didn't flinch from their position when I was taking their pictures. In fact, they didn't move one centimeter even overnight! However, the orb spider is another story!
I planned to go out early in the morning on Sunday to take a better picture of the large web. I wanted to spray it with water to make the lines more visible in the morning sun. But, when I got out there... the WEB WAS GONE! The anchor silk lines were there, but nothing else. That orb spider UNDID his entire web. This thing was 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide! He must not have liked me. Where did he go?
I went to check on the black and yellow garden spiders. They were still in their same spots. HOWEVER, that ORB spider made a HUGE web IN FRONT of the black and yellow garden spider's web.
I told him that he was "not nice."
"You have this entire wooded area, 200 acres and you want to build your web IN FRONT of other spiders' webs?" Well, the lure was we had left the light on over night so there were many more flying bugs over by our cabin. He must not liked my verbal punishment because he ran up a silk line and tried to squeeze between the gutter and some roofing tile. I told him he could try to hide but I can still see where he was.
Well, the black and yellow garden spiders were just hanging around on their webs. I wondered what they were going to do with this massive web blocking their flying insects. Only time would tell.
Throughout the day and evening, I would check on these guys, plus another garden orb weaver, a walking stick, and eventually a millipede, and a Katydid.
Monday morning I went to check on my new spider and insect friends. Well, the Katydid done flew away, the millipede had long gone disappeared, my walking stick that sat on a chair for two days was finally gone, those orb spiders were still hanging out where they were on Sunday. But, one of the black and yellow garden spiders must have been quite annoyed with the orb spider building his web in front of hers. She packed up her web and MOVED! Not too far away, she built her new web with a new single zig zag web, just much lower to the ground away from insect-greedy orb spider.
Why am I writing all of this? Well it was interesting, but it also goes to show you what changing routines can do. You learn something new.
This year I am removing some webs, and I am spinning some new ones in the PEGS program. Come back to see the pictures and read about the observations. And maybe, you can change up a routine, too. I promise not to build my new big web in front of yours, however!
Signed,
Weaving into a new school year!
Tracey
But before I started clearing off the siding, I noticed several spider webs. These spider webs still had the spiders on them. In addition, I found a HUGE spider web spanning 20 feet at least across the driveway and patio connecting a tree to our cabin via silk! Well, I couldn't knock down the webs. I guess I thought about Charlotte in Charlotte's Web and just left the webs alone. However, I didn't ignore them.
So, I began studying them. Most of you would not be surprised to read that. It's Labor Day weekend with beautiful weather. We are on a lake. People are enjoying the last of summer, but I want to look at these spiders. The observations began with the most logical step. What does any person with an iphone do who takes pictures of every breathing moment of her children and students? I start taking pictures of the spiders and their webs.
I don't know if they liked me taking pictures of them and their webs. I was getting really close because I did just have an iphone. But I wanted details. One type of spider didn't like it, the one who made the HUGE web. He ran along the silk line and hid out on a leaf in the tree. My reference books that I happened to have brought with us informed me that I was looking at garden orb-weaving spider. Not surprised. That is exactly what he made!
Then, I went to two other webs. These black and yellow spiders were much larger. Black and yellow garden spiders are scientifically named Argiope Aurentia. I will stick with black and yellow garden spider. Anyway, these spiders also formed a zig-zag pattern in their webs. Their webs were right next to each other. One made the zig zag straight down the middle. The other one made a zig-zag in an upside down Y formation. They didn't flinch from their position when I was taking their pictures. In fact, they didn't move one centimeter even overnight! However, the orb spider is another story!
I planned to go out early in the morning on Sunday to take a better picture of the large web. I wanted to spray it with water to make the lines more visible in the morning sun. But, when I got out there... the WEB WAS GONE! The anchor silk lines were there, but nothing else. That orb spider UNDID his entire web. This thing was 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide! He must not have liked me. Where did he go?
I went to check on the black and yellow garden spiders. They were still in their same spots. HOWEVER, that ORB spider made a HUGE web IN FRONT of the black and yellow garden spider's web.
I told him that he was "not nice."
"You have this entire wooded area, 200 acres and you want to build your web IN FRONT of other spiders' webs?" Well, the lure was we had left the light on over night so there were many more flying bugs over by our cabin. He must not liked my verbal punishment because he ran up a silk line and tried to squeeze between the gutter and some roofing tile. I told him he could try to hide but I can still see where he was.
Well, the black and yellow garden spiders were just hanging around on their webs. I wondered what they were going to do with this massive web blocking their flying insects. Only time would tell.
Throughout the day and evening, I would check on these guys, plus another garden orb weaver, a walking stick, and eventually a millipede, and a Katydid.
Monday morning I went to check on my new spider and insect friends. Well, the Katydid done flew away, the millipede had long gone disappeared, my walking stick that sat on a chair for two days was finally gone, those orb spiders were still hanging out where they were on Sunday. But, one of the black and yellow garden spiders must have been quite annoyed with the orb spider building his web in front of hers. She packed up her web and MOVED! Not too far away, she built her new web with a new single zig zag web, just much lower to the ground away from insect-greedy orb spider.
Why am I writing all of this? Well it was interesting, but it also goes to show you what changing routines can do. You learn something new.
This year I am removing some webs, and I am spinning some new ones in the PEGS program. Come back to see the pictures and read about the observations. And maybe, you can change up a routine, too. I promise not to build my new big web in front of yours, however!
Signed,
Weaving into a new school year!
Tracey
Black and yellow garden spider #1
Black and yellow garden spider #2
(this is the one who moved once the orb
spider moved IN FRONT of her web)
katydid
walking stick
millipede
Another orb spider
The orb spider who wove his web IN FRONT of the two black and yellow garden spiders. You can see the one Black and Yellow Garden spider by the window.
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