Click to enbiggenDue to popular demand I put the spider photos up here. They are truly ugh-some. I don't particularly mind spiders, but this one gave me the willies and worse. Liz spotted her in the milk house. I hope I never see her or anything like her ever again, thank you.....
Meanwhile, I think these are prettier than the spider.Today is the last day to vote in the photo contest. I have been amazed and delighted by how kind friends and family have been about voting for my pic. Thank you all very, very much!
As for things at the farm...the rain has shut us right down. The moisture was needed but it doesn't enhance the hay making experience. It can stop now for a while. The men got the bale thrower fixed-hopefully, but not cheaply. I got part of the garden weeded. Germination was pretty lousy probably because of the dry period. I can't even tell where some of the rows are. Maybe the rain will still bring some things up.....Onions look good anyhow and we planted shallots for the first time and they look great. I have never had any experience with them, but the boss bought the bulbs because hie mom used to like to grow them. Have you ever tried them?
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11 comments:
That must be your livestock tank pond?
No shallots grown here so I can't comment much there.
I went and looked at the spider and it wasn't that bad. It IS big, but we have so many bigguns down here that I may be a bit jaded.
I'm not bug/spider guy, but it looks a little wolfy.
We have some huge female wolf spiders that pop up out of leaf mulch when you are planting.
Surprise, surprise! My book seems to identify it as a "Barn Spider" (Araneus cavaticus), or something similar. I'm with FC: we have much bigger down here, but the body size on this one is impressive! The wolf spiders and the Huntsman and Banana spiders we have down here would make this one look like their wimpy little brother! I have arachnophobia, and am totally fascinated with spiders as a result. But FC freaked me out with the idea of wolf spiders popping out of the leaf mulch while I'm gardening! (I'm still trying to come to terms with the sight of giant legs disappearing from underneath the door a few weeks ago when I opened the front door in the morning. It was a large wolf spider.)
I finally had to grow my own shallots when my favorite stores quit carrying them. Just as I harvested the first ones, the stores started carrying them again. I'm sure mine are better.
OMG, that spider is freaky!!!!!
Beautiful photos of the water lilies. One of my luckiest photos was a water lily shot. Petals and water - refraction, reflection. Hard to beat.
As for that (prepare yourself)
wonderful spider. Wowzers!
As long as I know they're not poisonous, I can warily enjoy them. It's taken be a few years :-)
I sent your photo to BugGuide. We'll soon have a positive ID.
I suspect Florida Cracker is right on.
(voted!)
P.S (OK, I would still shriek if that spider surprised me . . then I'd get out the camera)
Got it!
Here's the link in Bug Guide.
John and Jane are very reliable experts.
It's a fishing spider. Cool. Yeah, and really creepy looking.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/405375#687462
Awesome looking water lily looking things. That little spidey spooked you? And it didn't even have laser beams, sharp twirly swords, a snubby .38 or even the cold stink-eye look. Hahahaha.... You're funny.
FC, it is indeed. Lots of lily blossoms this summer. I know our icky beasties here in the far north can't compare with the tropical ones, but they give me the shudders. lol
nfmgirl, barn spider seems fitting. There sure are a lot of them in the barn, although I have never seen one that big before. Thanks for looking it up...I am glad that it is about as big as spiders get up here.
Jan, I'll bet they were better! I am looking forward to what they will do. They seem very interesting.
CTG, exactly my thought!
Cathy, thanks for checking it out for us. Interesting ID...I was quite surprised
Steve, thanks
And it DID have all that stuff...I just wasn't quick enough to catch it with the camera. It was shooting laser beams all over the place! Spitting venom and snarling in some strange language! I was glad it ran away. What is worse is that it is probably still in the milkhouse somewhere!
i love waterlilies - i like to play with their leaves in the water. the way it beads up and looks silvery fascinates me.
ooh, and your spider is super cool!
UGLY SPIDER!!!
We have been horribly hot and dry some of the beans and corn didn't sprout just because of the moisture problem. The seed didn't die, we had to re-water several rows and now they are popping up. If the wind doesn't burn them we will make crop (I hope)
Linda
Linda, same thing in my garden...germination has been bad to non-existent and now it is raining its little heart out...
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