In the autumn, orb web spiders come out to spin their gorgeous webs.
I love autumn. I love all the seasons for different reasons. But they’re not like children; I am allowed a favourite. And autumn, with its colours, its smells and its sadness, is my favourite. One of the things I love about this abundant season is the way the spiders suddenly become frantically busy. They’re spinning orb webs everywhere to catch as many insects as possible. I counted eight on one clump of fennel this week.
Some of the webs are empty.
But some of them have got their maker waiting right at the centre for something to happen. 
Who’s a hungry girl? Or boy? It’s difficult to know.
When the weather turns, their webs will become even more beautiful, first with the dew and then the frost. Being a spider can’t be terribly fun, what with people screaming and trying to squash you the whole time, and insects being your only source of nourishment. But their webs give the rest of us a great deal of joy, and make ornate autumn just that little it more beautiful.
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