Yesterday someone leant on the panic button (false alarm as it turned out!), but for an hour or so people rushed about, computer screens which refreshed in nanoseconds were sworn at for being slow and the 'phones went into meltdown – even coffee was allowed to go cold so it must have been serious!

Amidst the confusion I opened my office window (well it's October so the heating is on whether it's needed or not) and I noticed a spider begin to repair the damage which the act of opening the window had caused its web. Oblivious to the vagaries of the human world and with rear feet ('.. how they can dance..') working like mad, he/she walked round and round repairing the spiral, each time it came to a 'spoke' the silk was deftly attached, each strand exactly the same distance from the previous one – I know humans who can't even tie a bow behind their back.

I watched, on and off, for about 20 minutes, but sadly they don't pay me to watch spiders and when the panic was over and I looked again, the work was done and it had retreated to wherever it 'lives' – presumably with the spider equivalent of a loud 'harrumph'. In another time and place I'd have been happy to watch the whole process, it's not often we get the opportunity just ' … to stand and stare'

It must have been a lady spider to go to all that trouble. Did you know that when spiders mate, the female bites the head off the male afterwards? Maybe he asked `How was it for you?`
My garden is full of the most beautiful spiders` webs this year. They are stunnig but creepy if you walk into one without seeing.

doatie

Did you know that when spiders mate, the female bites the head off the male afterwards?

I thought that was Antipodean Germain. Mixed up again.

Mr. MM's getting on a bit - must defrost the freezer!



I never knew my f-i-l. When I hear this about spiders, I'm starting to understand why. The praying mantis (m-i-l was a spoiled nun, god help me!) has the same tendency, I'm told.