Sept 18 - Wetlands in the Rain, and a Surprise Find!

Part of why we moved here is our love of the rain. So last Saturday when there was a wonderful light rain falling, we decided to drive over to the wetlands and walk the pathway in the rain. It was gorgeous, but the sights were almost second to the sound of the light rain trip-trapping through the leaves and branches.

We were pleasantly surprised to spot our local argiope in the exact same spot as the last time we'd seen it 12 days prior, seemingly unfazed by the rain.

This picture really freaks out Joshua as he thinks I'm about to reach out and grab the spider. Um, no. I may be strangely drawn to the beauty of this guy, and my feelings would be dramatically different if he were scuttling across a wall inside my home, but out here in the wetlands is his home, and he's simply striking within it. (And very still, which helps!) No, my hand here isn't actually that close to the spider; it's behind the web and as close as my timidness would allow. It's an attempt to provide some perspective regarding his size.

But the best find of all today was a caterpillar hiding under a leaf! Joshua had brought his bug box in the very hopes of finding something (harmless) that he could deposit within it and examine. The caterpillar started in the bug box, but eventually we crept him over to our hands. This is a big deal for Joshua who only months ago would never, ever have allowed this kind of critter on his hand!