The Weaver by Chipka
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Description
I learned as a child that spiders bring luck, and it should come as no surprise that I’d like them as much as I do. I can afford to, after all; I am not a fly, a gnat, or anything else that appears on the common arachnid menu.
I saw this lovely orb spinner near the Chicago River on the night before Corey checked into the hospital. It was a good night. As I’ve already said: spiders bring luck. The thing about luck is it’s never material in nature; it’s protean and impossible-to-define. Like love, there is no single descriptor for it and the most common descriptors are woefully inadequate, or just flat-out wrong. Luck, as it came to me, was a combination of things: the nearby presence of my best friend, the darkness of the city at rest, and the presence of so many nocturnal creatures: predators, monsters, and a few humans unaware of them. There were prodigious numbers of orb weavers: marble spiders and their various cousins.
I raised orb weavers as a child: marble spiders and the like. I’m not certain of this particular breed, but as I looked at her, I was amazed at the meticulous care in which she seemed to be wrapping tomorrow’s lunch. Her motions were slow and precise: almost mechanical—so inhuman in their grace, so like a dancer’s stylized—and ultimately unnatural—exertions. Ah, but spiders are effortless in their grace. It is, I think, what defines predators. Cats are the same way, as are serpents. It comes as no surprise—then—that predators and gods are often associated in the most ancient myths of humanity.
And so…after rambling on: this is a photo taken on the night before Corey entered the hospital and it’s only fitting that I put it up on the day that he might be returning home. There’s some uncertainty: he may return today. He may return tomorrow. At any rate, return in immanent, and I feel that an image taken on the day before his departure is the prefect way to bookend this little chapter in time. Yeah, and okay…I couldn’t resist a close up of a lovely she-spider wrapping an insect she’d just snared in her sticky silk. There were male spiders nearby—smaller things, as wary of one another as they were their potential mates. There were hundreds of them, but early Autumn has always been Spider Season in Chicago. I found comfort in their presence, in Corey’s presence, as he captured whatever it was that he captured. I found comfort in the darkness—as I always do, and laughed (to myself) at the sight of a rat scampering across Wacker Drive. Chicago, like any other major city is a paradox: elegance and grace coupled with hordes of rats and cockroaches. There is balance in that. Comfort. And in terms of the rats, I’m sure that the cats of the city are just as happy as I am.
***
Corey is doing quite well; I’ve noticed a few distinct improvements in his condition that are the earmarks of full surgical success. Of course I’m anxious for him to get home, and I can say that he’s pretty anxious to do so as well, since he’s taken zillions of pictures that he has yet to go through on his camera. If all goes perfectly, he’s home tonight.
As always, thank you for viewing and reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week.
Comments (25)
lick.a.witch
She is beautiful.I hope Corey returns tonight, but if not, soon. ^=^
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend. Regards to Corey and may he return home tonight.
jarmila
cool ..nice details ,,lovely photo,ciao
Meisiekind
She is gorgeous Chip and you made a lovely image of her! I am holding my breath with you that Corey can come home today!!! Hugs xx
MrsRatbag
A real beauty; there are so many of these around my house right now! I even had one build a web on my car, on the passenger side between the mirror and the window. I didn't realize it until I was driving, and saw the spider hanging on for dear life to a bungee cord of web. She never did fall off; at a stoplight she crawled to relative safety on the mirror, from whence I rescued her and relocated her to a less-lively area in the garden when I got home, none the worse for her wild ride. It's a great capture, fitting as you say; all appendages crossed for Corey's release and return! Will you move in with him to take care of post-surgical care duties for a bit?
durleybeachbum
I like the white 'go-faster' stripes on the thorax..very smart! Give that man my very, very best wishes, and warn him not to try to rush things. I nearly came a cropper the day I came out of hospital: he will be weaker than he thinks after the enforced 'idleness'!
jac204
Best wishes for Corey, thanks for the thoughtful update. Never knew spiders brought good luck.
helanker
Such a cool spider lady :-) She is a really beauty. I hope as you that Corey will come home today and I wish him fully recovery. :-)
paul leatham
Nice spider and as always, a very revealing 'ramble'. You paint well with words, I could almost see the rat.
flavia49
wonderful work!
jmb007
jolie!!
kbrog
Very cool capture! :)
Sepiasiren
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Uhm--great photo but--ahhhhhhhh!
sandra46
awesome composition and imagination! i like the way you get the light on the spider
mbz2662
Cool spider.. I am fascinated by their webs. My best to Corey.
jocko500
happy to hear him doing well. the photo of the spider shows how the doctors work on people too. Doing it in a way that the body will be numb and they the doctors cuts and then sew they up and wrap them up to get better and not eat them like the spider would.
beachzz
I'm hoping that Corey's home as I write this. If he's not, I guess it will be tomorrow, which is the next best thing. I'm sure he's way more than ready!! Love this shot--I"m always saving spiders that show up in my bathtub. I see them to crawl up the side, and because I don't want to scare the, I just push the bathmat a bit further down in the tub, so they can get out. They must, cuz I never see them again.
auntietk
!!! Okay, this is weird. I saw your post. I read your writeup. I thought, "I'll tell him about the spider that built a web between the mirror and the window on the passenger side of our car. I noticed it when we were driving, and it was hanging on frantically, whipping about in the wind, and when we pulled up to a light it crawled up onto the edge of the mirror, sort of inside that little mirror housing thing ..." Does any of that sound familiar to you? !!!
stolta
Fantastic photo!!!!!
aksirp
thats a nice spider!
MagikUnicorn
Gorgeous shot :) just after the lunch ;-)
danapommet
Fantastic capture and it zooms so well. Dana
minos_6
I too like spiders, and this is a very nice specimen. Your focus is perfect, and really makes the spider stand out, almost as though it's a 3D capture.... It's good to hear about Corey's progress in your posts - it would be nice to think this spider did bring some luck along with it...
praep
Cool shot - I like them.
RodS
Excellent news about corey! I had not heard about spiders bringing luck - that's a new spin for me :-D By the number of them out on my patio, I should be the next Powerball winner. I'm not particularly squeamish about spiders, or other creepy-crawlies, but I'll tell you one thing they do bring - besides luck.... And that's a very entertaining 20 or 30 seconds when I walk blindly into one of thier webs strung across my path. You'll see dance steps that make 'Dancing With The Stars' look like hopscotch. Anyway, excellent capture of this spider!