Okay, this is probably one of my least worthwhile and grossest blogs, but if you came over for dinner, we'd probably show you Francis if you didn't appear overly skittish. Actually, it's been cool to learn about God's creation.
Francis is a 1 1/2" diameter orb-weaving spider. So he (she?) weaves his web every night in the same place (our kitchen window--outside) from 7 to 8, waits in the middle for prey, then tears it down each morning between 6 and 7. Every night he goes around the center some 55 times or so spinning the new one.
Baden's book on this from the library said that spiders have usually 6-8 spinnerets in their back, which hold liquid that turns into silk as it hits the air. The silk's stronger than a steel thread that size, and elastic to nearly twice its size. He's pretty smart; his spot is under the soffit, protected from most wind and sun, and smack dab next to the light where all the bugs like to hang out.
When he catches something, it's actually really cool to see how fast he moves, running over to it, spinning it extremely fast in his silk, and dragging it back to the center. Baden's book also said that spiders don't have teeth, so they inject a poison into an insect to turn the insides to a smoothie. Eeew.
He sleeps the day away in the corner of our trim. Kind of a cool science lesson for us, and a cool chance to show Baden how Satan baits and traps us.
