We usually do not get Spring weather in Melaque. At least, not Spring as I knew it in Oregon.
Our weather tends to come in three cycles: hot, hotter, and seventh circle of Hell hot. But something strange is going on these days.
In early March, the weather started heating up. Right on schedule to drive us into the hotter season. The temperatures rose hand in hand with the humidity. The Jack and Jill of the apocalypse.
Then something odd happened.
It got cool. Not cool by Alberta standards. But certainly cool for Melaque. The temperature dropped into the 60s at night -- and then stayed there into the late morning.
Yesterday afternoon a cloud cover rolled in -- looking like one of our July thunderstorms. But it was far too cool for that. My neighbors started pulling out their gloves and parkas. Even I put on a wind breaker. And I usually stick to short sleeves until the temperature drops into the 40s.
As I sit on the patio writing this, I am not alone. Several days ago I saw what I thought was a burr caught in a spider's web. It turned out that the "burr" was the spider. Well, still is the spider.
Our cool weather does not seem to be slowing down its activities. Probably because the insects seem to like this weather. The presence of evening bats -- not to mention leg welts -- are proof enough that there is plenty of vector for dining.
When I found the spider, I did a bit of research.
Based on its web, it is an orb web spider. I watched it constructing the nest, so, it is not borrowing some other spider's handiwork.
But I had no idea of its name. I still don't. Birds I know. Spiders not so much.
I thought it might be a cat's face spider. But not with those spikes. It looks like something Bruce Wayne might have conjured up.
Any help out there in the audience?
As for me, I am going inside to put on that wind breaker.
Our weather tends to come in three cycles: hot, hotter, and seventh circle of Hell hot. But something strange is going on these days.
In early March, the weather started heating up. Right on schedule to drive us into the hotter season. The temperatures rose hand in hand with the humidity. The Jack and Jill of the apocalypse.
Then something odd happened.
It got cool. Not cool by Alberta standards. But certainly cool for Melaque. The temperature dropped into the 60s at night -- and then stayed there into the late morning.
Yesterday afternoon a cloud cover rolled in -- looking like one of our July thunderstorms. But it was far too cool for that. My neighbors started pulling out their gloves and parkas. Even I put on a wind breaker. And I usually stick to short sleeves until the temperature drops into the 40s.
As I sit on the patio writing this, I am not alone. Several days ago I saw what I thought was a burr caught in a spider's web. It turned out that the "burr" was the spider. Well, still is the spider.
Our cool weather does not seem to be slowing down its activities. Probably because the insects seem to like this weather. The presence of evening bats -- not to mention leg welts -- are proof enough that there is plenty of vector for dining.
When I found the spider, I did a bit of research.
Based on its web, it is an orb web spider. I watched it constructing the nest, so, it is not borrowing some other spider's handiwork.
But I had no idea of its name. I still don't. Birds I know. Spiders not so much.
I thought it might be a cat's face spider. But not with those spikes. It looks like something Bruce Wayne might have conjured up.
Any help out there in the audience?
As for me, I am going inside to put on that wind breaker.
