Saturday's Critters - Cross Spider

While I was out taking photos of my plants the other day, this little critter practically dropped into my face.  I quickly shifted focus to try and capture a few shots to join in with Eileen at Saturday's Critters.  I've been wanting to link up there for a long time but I never seem to find any critters that don't get away before I have my camera ready.

I couldn't really see the spider web until I downloaded the photos and I've changed the exposure a bit so that the spider web is more visible.

I'm not a spider expert but it looks like this one is called Araneus diadematus or a Cross Spider.  The cross spider is sandy brown to burnt orange with pale spots in a cross shape on its large abdomen.  The cross spider is an orb-web spider known for constructing enormous circular webs to catch prey like flies and mosquitoes. They inhabit gardens, hedgerows, meadows and woodlands, and are often found in rural areas of BC including buildings with exterior lighting. (Source Terminix Canada).

This spider and possibly other spiders have been spinning webs in the garden like crazy this summer and there have been various kinds of spiders in the house too.  I've seen a lot of cobwebs in the garden but this is the first time I've watched the spider in action.  I didn't disturb it but I've read that a female cross spider can lay 300 to 900 eggs.

These are a few photos from the garden using a new to me lens I borrowed just to try it out. I didn't get to experiment too much because the light faded rapidly as night fell.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a safe weekend.

A Small Update

I cannot believe how much time has passed since I wrote in this space about the blob on my camera sensor. It was evident in many of my photos and yet not in other photos. I tried to crop the blob out from time time.  Thanks to Covid 19 and staying home a lot more, I am slowly catching up to a host of small jobs that need doing. I'm slow but steady, lol. I put off some things that can be done rather quickly. There is a method and a rationale to my approach though my approach definitely differs from what most people would likely do.

The good news is, I finally googled the cost of 2 repairs to my camera. The bad news is the total cost is ridiculous an not worth it. Though the camera works very well, it would cost me about 2/3 the value just for 2 small repairs. My brother who is a bit of a tech enthusiast and always fixes my computer and phone issues told me he would clean my camera (lens and sensors) and showed me how to work around the other issue. At last I have a properly working camera. The geranium below is my first decent photo. It was a bit difficult because I left the photo taking until past prime daylight. In fact it was practically dark so I am happy enough with it. I've got a long way to go to improve my photos but that will give me another hobby to work on.

 

For those who read my last post, I am now on Day 10 of the Fly Lady Baby Steps.  Truthfully the last 4 steps don't make a lot of sense to me.  They seem to be a bit repetitive and don't quite mesh with my approach to decluttering. I will carry on with the Baby Steps challenge and learn what I can over the remaining 21 days.  I will carry on with my own projects and ways of doing things and apply what I find useful in the Fly Lady approach.  I'm still not ready to fully implement Fly Lady that's for sure.

I'm am slowly reading A Letter From Paris  (click on underlined title link to read more).  I'm about three fourths complete and I'm enjoying it.

Once this is done I will start reading I Give It To You   (click on underlined title link to read more).  My local library has finally reopened as of Tuesday and there is a book ready for me to pick up.  I have a few more books on hold which are making their way to the branch so once they have all arrived I will take a walk to the library.

 

 

We've had wonderful weather all week culminating in a quite a hot day yesterday. Today's weather is slightly cooler and more to my liking.  I wish it could stay like this for many months to come.  

Here are a few macro garden photos and a few sky photos.  These were taken at approximately 7:15 p.m. while I was making dinner.

 

 

 

The first sky photo was taken on Tuesday, September 8, 2020

I love the cosy glow of the steeple cross at night.

 

 

 The next photo was taken on Thursday, September 10, 2020 on a beautiful, cloudless day.

This was tonight's dinner:  rice pilaf, green salad and roasted chicken. Delicious.😋😋😋🙈 It is a constant challenge to come up with various ways of eating and trying to eat healthy.

Thank you for stopping by. I'll do my best to visit your blog if I haven't already done so lately. I'm doing my best to catch up.

Have a wonderful Friday and a restful and safe weekend. I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday. Check it out and catch more beautiful sky shots from around the globe.