Eight-legged Friend

Another arachnid companion...

My Charlotte...

Though I haven't heard her say, "Salutations!" and her web hasn't declared me "Terrific," this is my barn spider (Araneus cavaticus). I call her "Aranea." :) She sets up her web every night in my mimosa tree, then sits calmly in the center of it waiting for dinner.

Here are a couple of uncropped ones that almost show her web (if you blow them up to full size and squint a little):

Ever since we convinced her that the porch really wasn't the best place for a web (by walking through it a couple of times--bleh), we've gotten along really well. Sometimes I leave the porch light on for her to draw a few extra bugs. ;-)

In case you needed proof that there was something not-so-nice going on at Wal*Mart:

And a sunset photo (taken at a stoplight) to round out the weekend: