Nature in Our Backyard

So, at any given moment you can find lots of nature in our yard. Obviously, because we live in the woods across the street from a mountain! But this morning we found 2 very different, very amazing examples of the ecosystem we live in.
This butterfly landed briefly on the rocks by the playset. The moment I snapped the photo, it flew away. But how pretty it is!

The most surprising one was the spider. Not just any little spider, either... a HUGE one! Like Camden said, "that's a BIG spider!"
Here it is from the back. Isn't the design in its web different? I had never seen one like that before.

In case you couldn't see the size of this creature from the last picture, here is Ben looking at it from behind.
Soon after we found it, Eddie the exterminator was here doing his monthly spraying of our house to keep critters like this from coming in. I showed him the picture of the spider and he said oh yeah, that's a yellow writing spider. They're supposed to be harmless. You could just put your hand out and it will just sit there. (I said I probably wouldn't be testing that one out.) Then he said they say that if you tell the spider your name 3 times, it will write your name in the web by the 3rd day. So, I shared this with Katie and the next thing you know, she is right next to the spider whispering "Katie, Katie, Katie. Camden, Camden, Camden. Pellie, Pellie, Pellie."
Later we ran errands and when we came home, the spider had changed its web. Now the lightning looking part has disappeared and he's started working on something else. I know at least one of us is hoping the new web says Katie. or Camden. or Pellie....