St. Andrews Cross Spiders

Someone told me these are called “St. Andrews Cross Spiders” because, sometimes, the extra webbing forms a cross shape around the spider at rest. I have no idea if this is true.

Still, it’s an easy name to remember. I see these spiders hanging out all over the place, often suspended above Annie Creek, and I’ve wondered many times how they manage to connect the first strand of webbing across five feet of open water – do they jump, climb around, or piggyback on unicorns? Their webs are nothing to mess with, either; two Crimson Finches have been found caught in spider webs here this season (the spiders, apparently, balked at finding a bird in their net, so nobody benefited). Not something you want to walk into!

I have a case of heat rash on my ankles and calves, bad enough that I only slept one hour last night (too itchy to sleep). It’s kinda like poison oak – bumpy, scabby, and just generally gnarly. If it gets any more photogenic I’ll post a photo here – after all, misery loves company! For now, I’m spending 30 minutes at a stretch with my feet immersed in a bucket of ice water, twice a day. It’s actually quite pleasant, even if the rash continues, to feel a touch of frostbite once in a while.