Fall Friend

I've heard some rumors from Northern folk that fall has come. Around here it's still wonderfully green and warm and steamy - just the way I like it. The picture above is Reuben taking Aunt Abby for a stroll in an afternoon rain shower.

The only sign that autumn is approaching is all the creeping and crawling beings have come into their own. They're as large and as numerous as they will ever be. Growing up we could be pretty laid back about Halloween decorations and still have our house COVERED in spider webs and spooky enough that only the bravest trick or treaters dared venture to the door.

Recently a real beauty of a spider has taken up residence outside the living room window. She's easily the size of Reuben's face. I know because they've been face to face or well, body when I've held him up to see her. We've cheered her on as she's ensnared several vicious hornets and a variety of other pesky bugs. Reuben now waves hi to her. She's really a lovely creature, black and silvery golden yellow.

After a little research I think she's a Black and Yellow Argiope spider also known as a "garden spider" or "writing spider" since they often leave a zig zag in their web.

While I was looking this up I learned the the American Museum of Natural history currently has an 11 foot woven spider silk scarf on display. It was made using a spider silk harvesting machine created in the last century -those Victorians thought of the most useful machines- that can spool out spider silk without killing the spiders. The lovely golden color is completely natural. More than a million spiders contributed. You can learn more about it here and here and here - I particularly enjoyed the NY Times article which provides the history of past spider silk fabrications .

Why would you want to learn more about spider silk cloth? Two reasons 1. It's a holy grail of material. Stronger than steel, more elastic than any plastic, incredibly light and soft. 2. If you are reading this you must be looking for a way to kill time.