Bowl and Doily

  This morning, I pushed the lawnmower about the place for a couple of hours.  The grass was growing faster than a bad weed and the place was looking a bit shabby.  The shady spot near the crepe myrtle shrubs needed cutting but that meant moving the four wicker lawn chairs.  I looked around to see if Son was handy but found him atop the ladder working on the upper part of the house.  Well, I guess that meant I had to stop my mower to move the chairs.  This is not bad...the chairs are light but restarting the mower did not delight me.  The thing can be temperamental at times.  I moved the chairs, cranked the mower and continued my work. 

  It was later when I went to replace the chairs that I found the critter.  Sitting on one of the chairs was a rather unusual looking spider.  I had never seen one like this.  It occurred to me that I had better make friends with the critter so I poked it.  The spider made no effort to bite me so I figured that we were on our way to becoming fast friends or, at least, acquaintances.  As matter of fact, the spider did not move much at all.  It just sat in what used to be its web.  The throwout from my mower sort of tattered the web.  Perhaps the spider was merely in shock at losing its home.  I poked again to make sure it was not dead.  Nope.  Not dead.  The spider moved slightly to the left and sat staring at me.  

  The spider in question is a "bowl and doily" spider.  This is a rather unusual name for a critter but that is the actual name.  Of course, it has one of those names that cannot be pronounced but this is the common name.  Bowl and doily spider.  Well, there had to be an explanation for that, did there not?  Yep.   The name comes from the shape of the spider's web.  The spider first spins a lovely doily (flat web) then slightly above spins a web in the shape of a bowl.  In the bottom of the bowl is a small hole.  The spider hides between the doily and bowl waiting for prey to crawl into the bowl.  Once there, the spider reaches up, bites and injects venom into the prey so it can be easily pulled below for consumption.  The bowl and doily method allows the spider some protection from its predators while serving up dinner on a silver platter...uhh...bowl.

  The small spider was left unharmed but was encouraged to move elsewhere.  I cannot have guests sitting on a spiderweb.  The chairs were returned to their original spots sans the critter.  It was gently moved to the stump not far away.  There it can crochet all the doilies it wishes and while away the hours sitting under its bowl.

Weekly Forecast...Rainy with Intermittent Showers of Sawdust

    It has been quite the rainy spring/summer here on the Bayou.  For eleven straight days, it rained....hard.  We were receiving two to three inches of the wet stuff each day.  The ground is soggy, which the garden likes.  The one tragic mishap involving the two fledgling Red-bellied Woodpeckers was a direct result of our inclement weather.  One afternoon, gale force winds accompanied the torrential rains.  This blew down the top of the dead Black Gum tree that housed the woodpeckers' nest.  The youngsters were killed on impact when the chunk of wood hit the ground.  For days afterward, the parent birds kept bringing bugs to the treetop in hopes that their young would magically appear to receive the treats.  It  broke my heart to watch this day after day but all things pass with time and the little ones were soon forgotten.  Birds are not renown for their long memories which, in this case, might be a good thing. 

  With all of the rain and soggy ground, I became concerned over the care of my outdoor furniture.  I mentioned it to Mark and within a couple of hours the problem was remedied.  He and Michael built a mini-deck for me!  It is just large enough to hold the four chairs and a small table. When they built it, they chose a site directly beneath the former bird nesting tree.  Never once did we think there would be a problem with this area.  It was within the confines of the Rose/Herb Garden where it is more or less protected.  Nothing could go wrong.  I would have a nice seating area to enjoy my morning mug of coffee or a late afternoon cup of herbal tea.  Boy, was I wrong.  

  Yesterday evening, Mark and I went out to enjoy the cooling breezes from the Bay.  Our chairs were shaded by the jasmine vine and the air was scented by the delightful aroma of gardenias.  This was the perfect setting for a bit of relaxation. Our peaceful little bubble was soon burst by a sudden shower of wood.  Sawdust came pelting down upon our heads and in our drinks!  What?  Sawdust?  What was causing this?  I looked up just in time to see a flash of red disappear into a hole in the top of what was left of the Black Gum tree.  Mama Red-belly was busy working on a new nest!  Papa Red-belly had already excavated a nice size hole in the dead tree and she was now busy putting the finishing touches on the nest.  These two were through grieving for their lost young and were ready to start a new family.  Life continues. It is sort of sad, though, as the birds do not realize that the very same thing might happen again.  This tree is bound to be subjected to high winds this summer with hurricane season upon us.  As rotten as the tree is, it will not withstand harsh winds.  Another nest is likely to come tumbling from the treetops but hopefully this will occur after the little ones have gone on their merry way.

  Mark and I moved our afternoon respite to the benches a bit further down the hill.  The wind sailed the wood chips to the north of us and let them shower down upon my outdoor furniture.  The deck and furniture was soon covered with the sawdust.  Hopefully, the birds will finish their home-building chores and let us enjoy Mark and Michael's handiwork of the deck.  

The "Herbal" Garden Furniture

  The Rose Garden is slowly being transformed into the Herb Garden that just happens to have roses in it!  The voles gnawed through most of the roots of the rose bushes and ninety percent of the other plants. Things are having a tough time growing on the hillside which is why I have decided to grow more herbs.  Perhaps the intense smell of the herbs deters the voles since those are the only things that do well. This fact, along with my vast use of herbs, led to the expansion of the Herb Garden to include most of the Rose Garden.  I am pleased with the idea of a huge space designated strictly to some of my favorite plants and am also pleased that it is so near the front door.  I can piddle around in the garden without hiking halfway across the hillside.

  But, as with any proper herb garden, the place needed a bit of sprucing-up.  I raked, cut, trimmed and weeded.  Still, a bit of brightness was in order.  The lawn furniture was in dire need of a coat of paint so there was the option for immediate color.  A quick trip to the local building supply place and I found just what I needed.  "Herbal" paint! No, not herbal in the makeup of the paint but herbal in the company's choice of color names.  A vast array of the paints were named after herbs or spices. I figured that this was sort of a sign.  The furniture just had to be painted one of these colors and the pieces just had to be placed in the garden.  It was just meant to be.  I was mesmerized by the colors!  Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Oregano, Sage, Lemon Grass and Paprika were all calling my name!  It was hard to choose but two stood out above the rest.  Cans of "Oregano" and "Paprika" came home with me. Yesterday saw me putting on the first coat of paint.  I fell in love with the way each piece looked.  I could hardly wait until today to finalize the painting.  The furniture looks quite delightful!

  Now my lawn furniture has received its lovely color and I am quite pleased.  The Herb/Rose Garden is slowly taking shape.  Each time something else is accomplished, it brings a certain satisfaction.  Now if those voles decide to go live in another part of the world, I would most happy!  Oregano and Paprika!  Perfect!