Smart!

This morning while driving Scott to the train, we saw the fox who lives down the road, which is not unusual. We stopped the car to observe the fox, which was maybe 10 feet ahead of us on the sidewalk. It was not in the mood to be observed and so it trotted down the sidewalk toward us, crossing the street behind our car before slipping into the woods opposite. Fascinating that it did not dart out like a squirrel or cat would, in front of the car, but went out of its way to the safety behind the car.

The other night Scott complained that there were too many bugs gathering on our bedroom ceiling lately and that we should start closing the window at night. Looking up, I could see he was right. It was a little out of control--half a dozen moths, loads of little black wingey bugs, a few huge mosquito killers, etc. However, I need to sleep with an open window and so I responded, distractedly, that we just needed a spider. Well, what do you know? Last night I noticed two spiders in our bedroom, and no other bugs. How do spiders do that? Find the best real estate and move in when the market is hot? A survey of our garden this morning confirms that spiders are excellent location scouts. They're where the bugs are, waiting patiently underneath porch lights and garbage can handles, near flowering plants and any spots that collect water. How do they know?

Back to our bedroom spiders: one has spun an orb web the size of a dessert plate stretching from the curtain that frames the open window to the dresser, sitting at about thigh height. A good location for catching bugs as they enter the room, but a crappy location if it wants to stay off Mr. Arachnophobe's radar. Perhaps it can be coaxed to a more discreet location before this evening.

Finally, on a related note: Check out What's That Bug if you need help identifying anything. Excellent web site!