Spider Time

» silvan - nature's inspiration

When I was a kid we called them banana spiders instead of writing spiders, but I'm sure they're the same thing. They were big, and they wove broad webs across the paths I and my friends made through the undergrowth. The webs usually had a line of bright bluish-white stitches (like writing). The spider would shake its web when it felt us coming along the path, and that writing in the air along with the fat, brightly coloured spider would startle us out of our wits.

It's interesting how these tiny creatures inspire our writing, Mary. It was dragonflies for me, during the past couple of weeks. In August I saw two dragonflies battling over the bay in front of my cottage, only to land awkwardly on the surface and in the next instant vanish as they were swallowed by a fish. I wrote about them at "Living With Nature" two weeks ago. And then in the wake of last week's terror, their blind aggression and hapless demise offered me further insight, so I wrote about them again. Nature is a wonderful teacher.

-- posted by silvan

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