Noticing The Unnoticed

When I watch the spider in my garden or in the past I have come a crossed many other creature that aren't necessarily my favorite things to be around I try to consider reasons for their importance. Most recently I've considered it more because of one of the poems we read in class. It was about the life of a mouse and how everyone takes one look at it and wants it dead, but is it really doing wrong if it's doing exactly what everyone else is, surviving. I found a little worm the other day which blew my mind because I rarely come crossed worms anymore. Anyways I retured it to some dirt instead of leaving it in a pile of rocks. I feel that now I look at everything in the way that I have continuously looked at my garden like. The idea of potential of everything makes my mind go crazy. Mrs. Farias and this project completely change how I look at things. Looking at the big picture is great, but there's so much more to everything in this world. The smallest things change the beauty of the world. 

Field Notes Nov. 12, 2014 "The nights seem to be approaching much faster now, chasing the sun away before my very eyes. The crickets chirp faster and my breath is visible. That spider is no where to be found tonight, but it seems every other night it's so aware that I am sitting here just watching. I never get too close to it, but it remains still in the same place, same position every night. Does it know I am here? Am I a 'threat' to it? ... It really makes me wonder the extent of an animals knowledge, like how is it that we coexist and it seems that before these observations our paths had never crossed. Never noticed it and I sit in this same spot occasionally, but now so much more... So friend or foe ?"

One other thing I had also noticed is the nights also bring morning frost, which I find interesting. How it sticks to the grass  like a crystallized jewel, it's just beautiful.

Taken by me Nov 9, 2014

Frost is the leading thing to snow I would say, before we know it the snow will hide what's left of the garden. Chase the rest of the birds away and hopefully force the spider to begin its hibernation so I can observe it's egg sack ! That's probably gonna scare the crap out of me if I watch so many spiders coming out and entering the world, but it is the beautiful cycle of life.

That One Spider

My very first blog I had mentioned a spider, specifically a small orb weaver spider. Throughout my observation time I've run into it about 3 or 4 times. Each of those times I found it doing some pretty extraordinary things that I've never imagined I would ever get to see. I'm far from a "fan" of spiders, but gosh they are amazing creatures. 

Oct 27, 2014 Field Notes "As occasionally I run into the spider, today happened to be one of those days. Eyes so focused, the eyes of a born killer. The pattern on its back is interesting and beautiful. I'm wondering how long it's been here before I even noticed it? How many flies and bugs has it killed. Why did it choose this spot? .. A fly gets stuck in its web, but instead of getting stuck it moves crazily and frees itself leaving nothing, but a hole for the spider to repair. Is this what nature is really made of ? .."

When I was younger I always asked what we really need spiders for? Why couldn't we just kill them all?

Then I found out that they are actually really important to the environment in the way that they control the insect population. (Animals,The Importance Of Spiders In An Ecosystem) So I May not have noticed, but this spider could have been the reason why I rarely saw flies or other bugs in the garden.

One interesting fact I also got from this source was that Spider silk has been proven to be the strongest thing in the world. This is AMAZING ! I Never would have guessed that.

This is the spider I have noticed in my garden. I was able to recognize it due to the distinction of the web pattern.

Since I have been really focusing on the weather changes effect on the garden I Had begun wondering if my ugly little spider will be hibernating this winter. I found that there are some spiders that do hibernate, but not the Orb Weaver. This spider dies when the cold comes. In order to reproduce it does leave behind an egg sac behind before it dies. Which survives until the next season. (Animal Questioning, Do Spiders Hibernate?)This really reminded me of Charlotte's Web because she left behind an egg sac before death. This is a beautiful process & if my spider is a girl I'm hoping to come crossed the egg sac. 

                 Works Cited

"Do Spiders Hibernate?" Animal Questioning. N.p. Web. 30 Oct. 2014

"The Importance Of Spiders To An Ecosystem." Animals. N.p. Web. 30 Oct. 2014