The birds aren’t the only ones laying eggs this time of year. I happened upon a newly hatched ‘family’ of spiders today.  I put family in quotes, because honestly there were hundreds of them. They look big in the pictures, but they are as small as a pin head.

I was clearing dried leaves around the orange tree, tossing them into the compost bin. As I reached for a dried branch, I saw what looked like tiny flowers caught in a web. The ‘flowers’ however, were moving in different directions. Good thing I withdrew my gloved hand when I did. Our neighbors would have heard me scream like a B movie actress in a horror film.

Ferns under the orange tree

Ferns…at little closer

Ferns…closer still

I grabbed the camera and took several shots.  Video would have been better, but I’m still not well versed with this camera.

Spiders up close: look, Ma, no hands!

Lindy came over to investigate.  It’s not every day she finds me sitting in the ferns.  Once I  turned the camera in her direction, she went all feline on me and gave me the cold shoulder.

Lindy Lu

I have an interesting relationship with spiders.  Indoors, they creep me out.  I humanely remove them with my spider-catcher, and set them loose in the garden.  Outside, unless they’re bigger than a quarter, I’m usually okay with them.  When startled, however, I freak out.  It’s the strangest thing.

How do you feel about spiders?  Are you indifferent?  Did you pass out at the first photo?  Or are you as fascinated with nature as I am?  Maybe all three.