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| Charlotte on the Job |
I think I'm the only person I know who does not have a fear of spiders. In fact I treat them like house pets. Working pets at that.
We've had an unseasonably warm November which has resulted in a few flies bouncing around. But not for long. Charlotte above has managed to capture them. I am in awe when I watch her work and was delighted when she agreed to pose for the picture above but only if I shot her from her best side. I agreed.
Apart from the intricacy of the web (click to embiggen) I am fascinated with the patience of spiders. I have much to learn. Even with prey many times their size trapped in the web, they will patiently surround it and parcel it up. It takes hours. And hours. And even if the web is broken, many more hours are taken to patiently repair it.
I never consciously break a web or kill a spider. They provide an absolutely essential service in the management of irritating flies. And this method is non-toxic to boot.
Charlotte is in my office window. She does like an ocean view as she works. Makes the time go by a little more serenely.
And of course, dinner is all the more succulent when you've put in a hard day at the office.
* Definition of Arachnophobia
1. Noun. A morbid fear of spiders.
Update - November 11 - Charlotte has packed up her web and gone away. Not a trace of her today.
