I had an unusual summer guest: Emily, the spider.
Emily decided that my front door area, right under the porch light, was a great set-up for a nursery.
Some people would think that a spider should be named Charlotte, but as a writing spider, I thought “Emily” was much more appropriate.
Some people don’t like spiders at all, and even those who do like spiders might think it is still odd to let Emily occupy part of my front porch. (The evangelists who came to my door certainly did. The dead mouse DC left on the doorstep didn’t help my reputation much either, I’m sure.)
You see, writing spiders (also known as argiope aurantia and golden garden spider) are quite large. Their bodies can get to be more than an inch long – that’s not counting their legs, folks. They’re called writing spiders because of the zigzag pattern they put down the middle of their webs. For spiders, they’re really quite pretty.
It was fun to watch Emily work her magic this summer, especially when she caught such pests as wasps, beetles, and mosquitoes. Every day, she would repair (revise) her web to keep it solid and clean. She was an inspiration with her industry and tenacity.
Emily was joined for a while by Jane. They’re both gone now, having followed the life cycle of all spiders (and people). They have left their nurseries on my porch. Alas, although I was happy to have Emily and Jane visit, I’m unwilling to accommodate hundreds of their offspring. Those sacks will be gone by this weekend.
I’m sure, however, that one of Emily’s relatives will turn up next summer.
Writing-Insight-Success 