The Spider and the What?

Tonight Terry and I sat out on the patio until dark and enjoyed  cocktails and wine. But as we sat on the patio about three feet in front of us a tiny spider began to construct it's web.

The web had one anchor point on the ground just in front of me, another in one Cedar tree to my left and another in the Cedar to my right. Now, how he established these anchor points I do not know. The spider was lucky to be 1/8 of an inch in diamter, but he had long lets and could traverse the ten feet to the tree and ground in less than a minute. He began back and forth building the web that was to be suspended at our eye level, we were sitting in chairs, and the web was half wayfrom the two trees and ground anchor.

Back and forth he went, we became enamoured with him. Soon his pattern began to change and he started going around in that octagonal pattern we see in webs. Around and around he went and we were mesmerized by his effort.

Finally he settled himself in the exact center. It was a little white blob where he had attached all of the central lines for the web. One small insect flew into the web early on and it wasn't long before he snatched it and consumed it on the spot. Then he sat, and sat, and sat. The darker it got we could finally see the pattern of his web in the light of a flashlight. It was amazing. The web was a good 6 to 8 inches across and the strands were maybe one quarter of an inch in separation.

We finally went in to the house and left the spider to his craft. It was impressive and so much effort. I hope he gets his prey and in the morning I'll check, but I'll bet the web will be gone as will the spider, up into the tree until tomorrow night. Providing it was a good hunting area.

A Visit with Relates

A little more than three months after my second major surgery this year I took off on a whirlwind trip to Minnesota. I felt pretty good and thought I'd be OK and for the most part I was fine.

I left on Sunday, June 22, 2015 for St. Louis and spent the night with my Nephew Sam and his wife Sarah. They were under the weather when I got there as they'd been in Northern Illinois for the weekend and had picked up a 24 hour bug. Still it was pleasant to see Sam and we had a good visit.

On Monday morning the 23rd Sam dropped me at the St. Louis airport and off to Minneapolis I did fly. My oldest daughter Kristi met me at the airport and we stopped for lunch on the way to my sister & brother-in-law's home in St. Peter, MN. Kristi had to work that night so she stayed for dinner then left for her home in Hopkins, MN.

I stayed with Pete & Phyl from Monday evening till Thursday afternoon. It was a nice visit. St. Peter is a wonderful little town in the valley of the Minnesota River. We ate out, mostly and talked. On Tuesday evening their kids came over and we had a good old family gathering. Becky and Sam Rustman were there along with their son Noah and newborn son Silas. Jim Zahn and his wife Kathryn and son Evan were there along with Becky and Jim's mother, Cathy Zahn

who is Pete and Phyl's daughter.

We drank some beer, some whiskey and had a great time with much laughter and fun. It was great to see them. I have not seen Becky or Jim since they were little kids. Pete and Phyl have another daughter Beth, but she lives in Arizona and I did not get to see her.

Wednesday passed nicely and Cathy, Pete, Phyl and I had a nice dinner out. Some more visiting and then Thursday came and so did Kristi. I finished the first half of my trip in good measure.

Thursday evening Kristi and I went to Jenny's home in Minneapolis and the three of us walked to a nearby restaurant and had a wonderful Italian dinner. Drinks, meal and a long walk nearly did me in but I made it. Then Kristi and I sat up for a while on her balcony enjoying the evening air and having another much needed drink.

Friday was a hoot. Jenny came to Kristi's and the three of us went out to breakfast in Hopkins. We moved on to some antique stores and I found a few finds one of which turned out to be a Munising woodenware bowl. It would be from the 40's or  50's as the woodenware burned down in the early 50's. The kids had fun trying on some goofy old clothes. then a nice lunch at the 819 Pub in Hopkins. Kristi and I went back and took a nap while Jenny left to get her skates repaired.

The three of us met Wayne, Jenny's husband, and my grandchildren Lindsey and Marissa at the COV a nice open air restaurant overlooking lake Minnehaha. Had a nice meal and some drinks then back to Kristi's with Jenny in tow. We finished up the night there and had a huge time laughing and talking. It was a wonderful time with my two wonderful daughters.

Saturday, June 27th Kristi and I went to Jenny's and I took my grandchildren to lunch. We were kind of rushed as Lindsey had a birthday party to go to and I had to drop her off at 1 PM. Wayne had gone on a 22 mile run that morning and was napping in the afternoon. Then the block party started. The city blocked the street at 4 PM and the neighbors had all pitched in for a Bounce House for the kids. Dishes to pass were plentiful, the meat was your own doing. So I got to meet Jenny & Wayne's neighbors, eat some good foods and enjoy some brats.

After the party Kristi and I headed back to her apartment and I insisted we stop at McCoy's for a night cap. On to the apartment and another night ending around midnight.

Sunday brought a beautiful sunny day with temp in the 70's. We had a wonderful outdoor breakfast cooked by my daughter Jenny and it was the best breakfast I'd had in Minnesota. Her fried potatoes were the best. It was a super morning with my kids and off the airport we went.

I flew back to St. Louis, Sam picked me up and this time I got to visit with Sam and Sarah as they had recovered from their bug. I stays a short time but was anxious to get home so I left and drove back to Paragould that afternoon. I arrived home about 7:30 PM and was glad to be there.

I was fatigued for a few days, and my system was upset but other than that I had no major difficulties. My daughters walked my ass off while in Minneapolis, but I needed the exercise so all in all it was a great set of memories to add to my expanding collection.