Striking the web

Every morning, the spider disappears, before I have a chance to watch. One moment she'll be there, a moment later...gone. Web and all. Mind boggling, like a magician's disappearance. I patiently waited this morning, stalling longer and longer to see what becomes of the spider. I feel silly for obsessing about such a small thing, but then, it's these little moments, these little mysteries of life that offer so much joy in a world of ceaseless junk and noise.

And then, poof! She runs to a corner, her legs working like mad, and half the web collapses. She gathers the silk under her, at the bottom of the huge web, and as she moves up, the rest of the web is pulled into the little silken ball clutched under her. Up and up and up to the roof, with nothing more than a strand left. Her nights weaving a thing of the past. Gone in less than a moment.

I stare, amazed...and thrilled.