Whenever I hear someone say “It’s cold out”, I’m reminded of Eric Morecambe and his comeback line “Well put it away then!!” It’s so hard to believe he died way back in 1984!! Not that it had anything to do with the topic of course, it seemed like a good introduction.
What I really wanted, was to pass comment on the weather. After the turmoil of the past months, it’s starting to feel as though the weather patterns are finally settling down to ‘normal’. Sadly this means summer really isn’t going to come good this year. We’ve said often we need the rain, but even so it would still be quite nice to have had some long stretches of sun. It feels as though we’ve had very few this year.
This morning at 5:30 a.m. the temperature had dropped to 8ºC and or the first time I actually felt cold outside. There are changes all around of course. One example has been the quite noticeable absence of orb spiders webs as we leave the house in the morning!
Over the weeks I’ve commented about ‘the fat lady’ and others of her ilk who spread shimmering webs of silk set to trap unwary flies, moths and bees as they go about their daily lives. Despite the webs being quite large and remarkably sticky when you carelessly walk into them, seeing these creations in the mornings covered in dew has been a highlight of the day! This morning however… nothing. In fact the ‘fat lady’ herself seems to have disappeared. Whether she has crawled off to some crevice to hide from the cold, has been picked off by a hungry bird, or simply died is unknown, she is simply no longer in her place. I *did* see one of her cousins handing from a thread in the lemon tree but she seemed in no mood to make a web and when I ‘blew’ at her she scurried back to the shelter of the leaves, and this morning… no web.
It’s quite sad really knowing these little beasties will soon be no more. Much as they are scary… and downright dangerous in some cases… we’ve grown used to them being there. I wouldn’t claim that any were in the same category as Charlotte, but the loss still contains it’s little ring of poignancy.
Ultimately there’s nothing to be gained by becoming maudlin over the changes, it’s just an expression of ‘the great wheel’ as it turns. And as the cycle closes in one part of the year it begins in another. The coming of Autumn and Winter here signals the Spring and Summer time of renewal in the North.
It could be worse… but it’s still cold! 😀
The Eclectic Interweb 
the time of change beautifully summed up-get a book, a jug of wine and go sit under a tree – nmot quite omar khayam but near enough !! as long as it doesnt interfere with your diet