Our deck has been annexed
Meet Bertha. 
She sets up shop each night and is gone by morning. We’ve struck up a “Don’t bite me and I won’t kill you” arrangement that works out pretty well. She builds her web at the far end of the deck and we stay close to the house and try to give her wide berth. Because, see, she’s as big as my thumb. She’s beautiful and she eats the mosquitos and all that…but she creeps me out.
The web is amazing, though. You can barely see it, even when standing dangerously close to it. It was only once the flash went off that I was able to see how intricate it is. And how big. The center is easily four feet in diameter, and then the vertical spokes shoot out like tent ropes several more feet and anchor to the deck railing and the surrounding trees. It’s gone every morning (does the dew weight it down and break it?) and she rebuilds it every night… Amazing.
Cassie, this photo is for you, darlin’.
wow. surely she must be the Mother Of Us All
Posted by: e
I assume she has planning permission?
Posted by: Alison
wow. surely she must be the Mother Of Us All
Posted by: e
I assume she has planning permission?
Posted by: Alison
We had a nice big spider on our front porch one summer-one quite mosquito free summer. I like spiders, though.
BTW I think the store is cool and I think t-shirts and notebooks (etc) with some of your paintings would sell, too (not to mention photos of the famous Diego and Sadie.)
Posted by: karen
Web: Beautiful, in that haunting way that only spiderwebs can be.
Spider: Creepy, in that haunting way that only spiders can be.
Seriously though, that is an amazing picture. Worthy of a nature documentary. And spiders bring good luck.
Check out this page of spider myths and what not:
http://www.arachnology.org/Arachnology/Pages/A_stories.html
Posted by: The Knit Wit
Now that’s a process spinner.
Posted by: Nadia
simply amazing.
Posted by: marti
There’s definately a lesson in the spider for knitters, spinners, and weavers.
Posted by: Gina
i hate to tell you this, we had a similar sized spider in the stairwell leading down from the carpark at work. like yours the spider rebuilt its web every evening and sat there staring at us everytime we went to and from our cars. it survived hail, rain and 40C degree (over 100) heat. it lived for a good 6 months before it finally disappeared.
Posted by: jacqueline
beautiful web. creepy spider. great photo.
Posted by: eyeleen
We had a nice big spider on our front porch one summer-one quite mosquito free summer. I like spiders, though.
BTW I think the store is cool and I think t-shirts and notebooks (etc) with some of your paintings would sell, too (not to mention photos of the famous Diego and Sadie.)
Posted by: karen
Web: Beautiful, in that haunting way that only spiderwebs can be.
Spider: Creepy, in that haunting way that only spiders can be.
Seriously though, that is an amazing picture. Worthy of a nature documentary. And spiders bring good luck.
Check out this page of spider myths and what not:
http://www.arachnology.org/Arachnology/Pages/A_stories.html
Posted by: The Knit Wit
Now that’s a process spinner.
Posted by: Nadia
simply amazing.
Posted by: marti
There’s definately a lesson in the spider for knitters, spinners, and weavers.
Posted by: Gina
i hate to tell you this, we had a similar sized spider in the stairwell leading down from the carpark at work. like yours the spider rebuilt its web every evening and sat there staring at us everytime we went to and from our cars. it survived hail, rain and 40C degree (over 100) heat. it lived for a good 6 months before it finally disappeared.
Posted by: jacqueline
beautiful web. creepy spider. great photo.
Posted by: eyeleen
I do believe you’ve found the perfect name for the little darlin’.
😉
Here, Cassie, cassiecassie….
Posted by: claudia
I would have named her Shelob, but that’s just me 🙂 Bertha works well too. Wowza. 4 ft!
eep 🙂
Posted by: Amber
And very much appreciated. I may have to come over and visit during web hours.
Posted by: Cassie
Holy crap. How do you keep the dogs out of that web?
Posted by: jackie
That’s a fabulous image. You’re a good woman to let her stay, given your history with spiders. My home is host to lots of spiders, though lately I’ve had to catch a few and scoot them outside as Hannah is scared stiff when she sees them.
Posted by: regina
No! Don’t show me stuff like that! I’m moving to NY to get away from the insanely large spiders. We have ones here that are like the size of my palm and make these gorgeous, intricate, 3-D webs. They’re pretty, but they’re really scary.
Posted by: Jenn
what a great picture!
Posted by: rebecca
I do believe you’ve found the perfect name for the little darlin’.
😉
Here, Cassie, cassiecassie….
Posted by: claudia
I would have named her Shelob, but that’s just me 🙂 Bertha works well too. Wowza. 4 ft!
eep 🙂
Posted by: Amber
And very much appreciated. I may have to come over and visit during web hours.
Posted by: Cassie
Holy crap. How do you keep the dogs out of that web?
Posted by: jackie
That’s a fabulous image. You’re a good woman to let her stay, given your history with spiders. My home is host to lots of spiders, though lately I’ve had to catch a few and scoot them outside as Hannah is scared stiff when she sees them.
Posted by: regina
No! Don’t show me stuff like that! I’m moving to NY to get away from the insanely large spiders. We have ones here that are like the size of my palm and make these gorgeous, intricate, 3-D webs. They’re pretty, but they’re really scary.
Posted by: Jenn
what a great picture!
Posted by: rebecca
Neat pictures. I’m reading Charlotte’s Web to Emma right now and expected to see Some Pig er Dog on that web!
Posted by: Steph
this really nearly scared the bejeezus out of me at 8:30 this morning!
a post-coffee gander makes it much less frightening and more beautiful. i think you two have come to a good arrangement, as long as she promises to eat up lots of biting, flying things.
Posted by: megan
Ohh, that web is amazing, and it is unreal that she can rebuild it every evening! I’ve never known dew to break a spider web — they are amazingly strong — but maybe a squirrel knocks it down? Something like that?
Posted by: Norma
When I lived in North Carolina we had a spider that built a web every night and *took it down* in the morning. We could see the spider squirrelled away in the corner on our back porch during the day, and was back constructing every night. Do you keep especially late or early hours? Maybe you can see her deconstruct it. Ours was very methodical, and went around clipping each radial spoke.
We had a great time in that house. It was like Wild Kingdom (in a good way).
Posted by: Jean
Coo-oo-ool.
Posted by: alison
Gaaaah! I have extremly healthy spiders like that around where I live and we have an agreement that they don’t come in the house and I let them do their thing. I did have one come in one day that was about the size of Diego.
Yeah, I handled that well…
Posted by: Laurie
Neat pictures. I’m reading Charlotte’s Web to Emma right now and expected to see Some Pig er Dog on that web!
Posted by: Steph
this really nearly scared the bejeezus out of me at 8:30 this morning!
a post-coffee gander makes it much less frightening and more beautiful. i think you two have come to a good arrangement, as long as she promises to eat up lots of biting, flying things.
Posted by: megan
Ohh, that web is amazing, and it is unreal that she can rebuild it every evening! I’ve never known dew to break a spider web — they are amazingly strong — but maybe a squirrel knocks it down? Something like that?
Posted by: Norma
When I lived in North Carolina we had a spider that built a web every night and *took it down* in the morning. We could see the spider squirrelled away in the corner on our back porch during the day, and was back constructing every night. Do you keep especially late or early hours? Maybe you can see her deconstruct it. Ours was very methodical, and went around clipping each radial spoke.
We had a great time in that house. It was like Wild Kingdom (in a good way).
Posted by: Jean
Coo-oo-ool.
Posted by: alison
Gaaaah! I have extremly healthy spiders like that around where I live and we have an agreement that they don’t come in the house and I let them do their thing. I did have one come in one day that was about the size of Diego.
Yeah, I handled that well…
Posted by: Laurie
Steph mentioned “Charlotte’s Web”. I was thinking about that a few days ago when my backyard erupted in summertime spinnin’ spiders. Do y’all remember what Charlotte told Wilbur when he got skeeved out that she bit and sucked bugs for a living? Essentially (since I don’t have my copy with me here at work ;D), “Hold it right there. YOU get your meals brought to you. No one brings ME a thing. I have to be clever and quick or I’ll go hungry. Do you know what would happen to the world IN ONE DAY if suddently there were no spiders? The entire planet would be overrun with insects. Have some respect.” And he did…
I love ’em. I never kill one intentionally, though sometimes there’s one in the shower with me and it meets a soggy demise…
Posted by: jeanne
Many spiders eat the webs once they become damaged from thngs flying into them. It’s a good way to save costly resources, but I wonder what it tastes like? To a spider, I mean. Sweet? Savory?
Beautiful web though.
Posted by: rie
Do you know what type of spider it is? Just wondering. Amazing
Posted by: Phyllis
here’s a wet web picture for you. (there are many other good pictures further down, but be warned: savage kitties and huge insects abound.)
http://tvindy.typepad.com/tvindy/new_photos/index.html
Posted by: e
Beautiful web; scary spider. Love to watch them work though.
Posted by: Kim
Beautiful picture!
Posted by: Laura y
You know what you really need to name the spider? Penelope. 🙂
Posted by: Sneaksleep
Steph mentioned “Charlotte’s Web”. I was thinking about that a few days ago when my backyard erupted in summertime spinnin’ spiders. Do y’all remember what Charlotte told Wilbur when he got skeeved out that she bit and sucked bugs for a living? Essentially (since I don’t have my copy with me here at work ;D), “Hold it right there. YOU get your meals brought to you. No one brings ME a thing. I have to be clever and quick or I’ll go hungry. Do you know what would happen to the world IN ONE DAY if suddently there were no spiders? The entire planet would be overrun with insects. Have some respect.” And he did…
I love ’em. I never kill one intentionally, though sometimes there’s one in the shower with me and it meets a soggy demise…
Posted by: jeanne
Many spiders eat the webs once they become damaged from thngs flying into them. It’s a good way to save costly resources, but I wonder what it tastes like? To a spider, I mean. Sweet? Savory?
Beautiful web though.
Posted by: rie
Do you know what type of spider it is? Just wondering. Amazing
Posted by: Phyllis
here’s a wet web picture for you. (there are many other good pictures further down, but be warned: savage kitties and huge insects abound.)
http://tvindy.typepad.com/tvindy/new_photos/index.html
Posted by: e
Beautiful web; scary spider. Love to watch them work though.
Posted by: Kim
Beautiful picture!
Posted by: Laura y
You know what you really need to name the spider? Penelope. 🙂
Posted by: Sneaksleep
WOW! such an intricate web ……. thank you for sharing, and thank you for not being disgusted or afraid and tearing the web down!
Posted by: gray la gran
WOW! such an intricate web ……. thank you for sharing, and thank you for not being disgusted or afraid and tearing the web down!
Posted by: gray la gran