This spiderweb actually appeared last spring. I saw it through the window and went out to take a closer look. The spider was resting in the center of the web as the morning sun warmed her spinneret-work. It was anchored to the tree limb above and the grass below, a span of about 10 feet! I was amazed at the engineering feat of this tiny creature.
Abby loves to chase the birds that flit around the bird feeder I put up. Last year that drove them all away, but this year there are so many of them that she can't keep up. She has taken to lying on the grass and pretending they are not there, except for the lovely mourning doves that boldly land on the ground a few feet from her nose. She can't excuse that behavior so she always jumps to her feet and dashes after them. They fly up with that peculiar whistling sound that comes from their wings.
The good thing about a little dog in the garden is that she makes life miserable for the neighborhood cats that prey upon the songbirds. The most nasty, stealthy cat can't stand against Abby, the birds' noisy little champion. Once the cat has leapt over the fence she does a complete patrol of the perimeter to make sure there are no more of them lurking.
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