First Day of Clear Sky

We've been experiencing very poor air quality as a result of the wild fires that have been burning in Washington, Oregon and California states.  I've had to keep all doors and windows closed and stay indoors for five days.  On Wednesday the sky finally cleared a bit and it was such a relief to be able to go outside and to breathe better air.

These few photos were taken as soon as the sky cleared in late afternoon Wednesday. Then within a few hours the sky darkened again. I wasn't quite sure if it was due to the fires or if rain was on the way. Then it rained Wednesday night. The sky cleared a bit on Thursday and it rained a little again in the evening. We are expecting more rain over the next two days.

 

Joining in with Skywatch Friday today.

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.