the only constant is change

Our golden silk orb weaver, 11 July 2011

Awoke at three A.M., fidgety, and laid there for a little over an hour before accepting that I may as well get out of bed and head for the living room.

The Golden Orb Weaver disappeared about five weeks ago. She had grown quickly during her time in our yard. Her web dominated that corner, and a few non-adhesive support lines are still there - they look and feel like golden superbraid fishing line. Her abdomen (as you can see) was enormous. I've never seen such a fat specimen of this species before.

This picture was taken on 11 July 2011, the last time I saw her.

Then, a few days ago, I found a Yellow Rat Snake dead in the yard. It looked as if it had been stepped on (post mortem) and its mouth was wide open. I picked it up with a stick and placed it at the edge of the brush pile; the next morning it was gone. Probably hauled off in the night by a scavenger.