I am one that wanders aimlessly about the property purely engrossed in the miracles that surround me. The early morning hikes that start before dawn on the pier then wind around behind the greenhouse and canebrake are always full of surprises. At this age, I should be amazed simply by the fact that there are still things that can surprise me but, come to find out, Mother Nature always has something new up her sleeve. It is grand.
This morning's pier time found me mesmerized by the workings of a tiny creature. The critter in question was a wee spider that had spun her web on a pier post. A single, bent nail provided support for her upper strand and the web stretched from there to the post. The web was perfect! Added to that perfection were the jewel-like droplets from the light sprinkling of rain over the Bayou last night. Teeny, tiny spider did not catch much for her breakfast but her web was surely an extravagant thing of beauty!
The strength of the web, even from a spider this tiny, was astounding. In proportion, the weight of the water droplets had to be extraordinary but most of the web was intact. The few broken strands were most likely caused by the rough wind or from a large insect before the misting rain occurred. Since webs are spun purely as a means of catching food, I often wonder if a spider ever sits back and admires her work of art. If not...she should. Humans only wish we could do half as good. I am now going to make an effort to check on Teeny Spider with each trip to the pier. She deserves the admiration.
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