It’s still so hot here that it would be possible to cook stuff on the pavement. We’re melting. We’ve had an unexpectedly lazy day because our dinner guests for tonight cancelled (well they cancelled a couple of weeks ago but I failed to take in the whole content of the email because I was thinking about one element of it). When we got back home from Richmond last night we had two messages from them, via Jo and the joys of email. So, we knew when we went to bed we were ‘off parade’ today which is just as well because we had a VERY late night.

We got up late and have spent most of the day on the chairs in the garden with our feet on the table. All the time we’ve been sitting around I have been watching this spider build a spectacular web that’s been shimmering in the breeze and the sunshine all afternoon. I have a sneaking admiration for spiders though I’m not all that keen when they get too close. Their webs fascinate me and their method of capturing prey is amazing. This spider had a perfect, pristine web all ready for his first catch…..

What was it? A huge bumble bee – it ambled into the web but not surprisingly managed to extricate itself but the web was damaged by the collision. The spider set to work rebuilding and had ‘made good’ the damage when I decided to get my camera out and photograph this feat that seems so spectacular but is going on all around us each day.

I got my kit set up then decided I wanted a closer shot and moved a tub that was below it……..oooppppppssssss!!!! The web was anchored to the plant and my movement of it had decimated the web and mucked up my shot good and proper.

The poor spider is photographed trying to rescue the last of the remaining gossamer strands and re-establish some sort of order into his life! I feel really guilty too because I like that they capture flies, greenfly and other pests. I like their industry and most of all I like their webs.

So I expected to be busy cooking and preparing for guests tonight and instead I was idly watching another creature’s activity and then I went and wrecked it all. How mean am I? Well, not deliberately, I just could have done with a bit more thought about the creature and less about getting in for that shot.