Save the Last Dance For Me

I'm not sure exactly why, but that is the song that popped into my head when I saw this little drama on the living room window this morning.  In any event, it was clearly the last dance for the Meadowhawk dragon (who was already dead at this point).  As for the Furrow Orbweaver, it won't be her last dance.  She carefully wrapped the little dragon up and then made some fast repairs to her web before hauling him towards her "cave".  She left him just outside and disappeared into her little hidey hole.  At which point I was distracted by other things - and when I looked a bit later, the dragon was gone, no doubt in the Orb's pantry.

We have loads of these spider around the exterior of our house and unless their web is blocking a door, I just let them be.  They are part of the natural order of things and they dispatch quite a large number of insects, some of which are pests.  They are nocturnal and it's rare that I see one out during daylight hours ... unless something really special has gotten snared in their web.  This one is a girl (based on size) and she will most likely overwinter in the molding outside our window.  And if we get some warmer days in winter, a orb shaped web will suddenly appear on my clean window.  Optimistic.

It's been a quiet day - I slept late (having had a poor night of sleep) and then lazed around on the deck having my tea.  Pottered a bit in the garden, making note of which plants I am planning to dig up.  I'm doing some major changes to the garden around our patio which entails digging up a bunch of perennial stuff.  Some I will give away, some I will move, and some will get chucked into the woods.  

Bird activity at the feeders is picking up.  We have a bumper crop of white-breasted nuthatches which is always fun.  Also a small group of chickadees and titmice and the usual blue jays, woodpeckers, mourning doves and cardinals.  I even happened to be outside and looking up at just the right time to see a group of three Broad-winged Hawks riding the thermals way, way up high, heading south.  Raptor migration will be in full swing for the next month.

One of my besties is returning from a Mediterranean Cruise today while another is just starting a walking tour of Spain and France.  First international trips for both of them since Covid started.  A year ago I was in final preparation for my trip to S. America - can't believe it has been almost a year!

Dark with dried raspberries today - a lovely combination of sweet and tart.  A bit like me.

xo
Debbi