Halloween Spider

I first noticed this spider burrow near the gate a few weeks ago and caught a few images of light reflected off the eyes. Yesterday the spider was in full view, basking in the sunlight. By the time I got my camera it had retreated a bit, but I still got a few good pictures. I think those are spiderlings on its back, note the deflated egg sac near the entrance to the burrow. A fun find so close to halloween.

October 22, 2009

I wish I could capture the smell of the sagebrush in fall and send it through the internet. After all of the other late-season blooms have faded and the grasses are mostly just straw, sagebrushes are just getting started. In September and October, thousands of little yellow flowers dust the grey-green prairie with a gold tinge and the air with their distinct smell. Add the rain and snow that often shows up around this time, and the whole smell and sight of the landscape is clearly dominated by Artemesia, especially the big sage and silver sage, each plant pollinated by the wind and producing millions of tiny seeds.