Spider Webs

We dedicated our backyard in the spring and summer to plants that would attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. The yard has been colorful and busy! Every day we check for unique creatures that have stopped by for a taste and a rest. We spotted a huge scary spider in a glorious golden web a few weeks ago. The web was about four feet long and was multi-dimensional. A few days later, two more webs appeared. The span of the three webs was over eight feet. Our yard was now home to a group of golden silk orb-weaver spiders!

We were fascinated with the webs and the spiders and learned that the golden color of the web has a dual purpose – the sunlit strands attract and trap the bees and act as camouflage in shadier spots. The spider’s eyes help it adjust the pigment intensity of the web to background colors and light sources.

Yesterday we spotted one orb-weaver spider on the brick wall next to our front door. It looked like a Halloween decoration, except it had no web. As we puzzled over why the spider chose this spot, I looked at the basket of fresh wildflowers I had put on our front door. Is it possible that the spider was checking out the array of pollen-filled blooms as a new neighborhood for bees and butterflies? Could this brick wall be where we would find the next web?

Nature is full of surprises and puzzles. “How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom, you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104:24. Thank you, God, for showing us your works every day in the most gloriously golden ways!

-Sis Dixon