spider infested trees

how amazing is this??  the unprecedented flooding in pakistan caused millions of spiders to climb into trees to escape the rising floodwaters. the waters took so long to recede that the trees became covered in a cocoon of spiderwebs!  it's actually a blessing in disguise since there are far fewer malaria-spreading mosquitos in the areas where the spiders are.  so totally cool!!

spiders!

so it's that time of the year again!  my favorite!! for the month of october the museum of natural history in downtown los angeles is the home of these amazing orb spiders.  they are hanging everywhere and you walk through the pavillion with them.  because los angeles has been cold and rainy (which they prefer) they are HUGE this year!  i have to thank matt g. for being a sport and making it all the way through.  most people i drag down there freak out.  i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them.

dream weaver

this textile from the silk of more than a million wild spiders is on display at the american museum of natural history in new york city.

to produce this cloth, 70 people spent 4 years collecting golden orb spiders from telephone poles in madagascar, while another dozen workers carefully extracted about 80 feet of silk filament from each of the spiders. the resulting 11 X 4 foot textile is the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk existing in the world today.

anyone who knows me knows how much i love spiders....especially the golden orbs. they are gorgeous!