Hail the Determined Spider!

I know why spiders are so popular for Halloween.....across the northern tier of the United States these fuzzy little creatures have made their move to join the human population indoors for the winter ahead.  I am amazed by how many spiders have migrated in the past week - it seems like everywhere I go, they have set up turf indoors by installing the familiar web.

I found one dangling from the dining light this past weekend - just a little, teeny tiny thing - perhaps the inspiration for the child's rhyme, "....the itsy-bitsy spider....' of water spout fame. 

Although I am not a fan of spiders inside my house, I continue to be fascinated by the complex webs they create.....I think the book "Charlotte's Web" was so intriguing for many of us as children, because it often seems as if these little arachnids have super-powers. 

Catch a glistening web just as the autumn frost is burning off in the early morning, and the sparking moisture that clings to the complex pattern seems to dance.  We've all experienced that beautiful web cautiously guarded by a massive spider hovering near the anchor point on an overhang or beam.  These are the spiders that are just too large to wedge their way into a window crack or doorway jam for the autumn visit, however.....

......it seems as though they are rallying the troupes for one last hurrah before the freezes that are followed by snow.  Is it any wonder that American lore includes stalking and lurking spiders right along with skeletons, jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows........it's a wonderful mix of seasonal changes, harvest and......Halloween.