Saga of the Spider

Yesterday I noticed this big spider in the rafter above the patio door but I let it be.  I have always liked to see the big webs that they spin.

However, this morning Sadie wanted out before it was light and since I was wearing my undies I did not turn on the light when I went out onto the deck to grab her leash line.

Yuuuuk, I walked full on into a web!!!  I quickly ruffled my hair to get it out and stepped back into the house and turned on the light.

The poor spider was hanging on to a lifeline and doing all kinds of gyrations trying to get his balance.  But at least he was not in my hair!

I watched him (her?) pull himself together and then straddle one remaining line up to the rafter. Question of the day, should I kill him or what.

Actually, no, I read they build their webs around the porch lights because they catch the insects there!!  And that is a good thing.  I will just leave the light on for a bit tonight (as I did last night for Sadie enjoyed sitting in the cool for a bit in the dark) and hope he (she) catches some more insects that fly around the light every night!  Evidently if I had waited until it was light the web would probably have already have been gone.

While I was reading about spiders I watched a very interesting video.  A man had a brown recluse in one jar and a wolf spider in the other.  He was going to see who would kill who.  He had already tried it with the recluse and a black widow and the black widow died first but the recluse died, too.  He said he would let the winner go.

I watched the video and almost as soon as he dumped the spiders together the wolf spider attacked and they were in a ball skirmishing for a loooong time.  Then finally the recluse died and the wolf spider licked his fangs and walked away!!  The man let him go free as he said he would.  I think spiders are interesting creatures so I also watched the video on the 10 deadliest--yikes--luckily they are mostly living somewhere else.

PS - I went back the next day to look at the spider and a few remains of his web is there with about 10 white flies it had caught but he was not seen.  I wonder if he did not survive his rude bumping into after all.  Sad.

Then four nights after our initial encounter there he is again with a large, large web that leaves room for me to walk out on the deck without disturbing it!!!  Honest!!!!

About five hours later 2:30 AM I look again when I get up to go to the bathroom and it is all gone, except for a few strings up high--now that is one neat spider.  I read they spin a web for the dark and then take it all away for day--what a lot of work.  Naturally I will keep my eye out for him (her?).