If you love something, set it free.

      I finally have some better pictures of Hugo. I shot them just before I set him free. I'll miss the little guy, but captivity is no place for a free spirit like Hugo. I'm getting a little choked up. I'm gong to miss him so much.

     Here is a very special find. She joined the family before Hugo moved out. She too is a jumping spider. Her flashy coloring really caught my eye, even though she is VERY tiny. One of the pictures includes the tip of a nail that really gives an idea of her size. It's astounding that I even noticed her. I'm shocked I got such a good shot. She's colored gold and shimmering reds and greens. She’s so pretty. Meet Jill. She’s so small she climbed out the air holes in her jar. I hope she fares well in the house. Don’t tell Dad.
     Behind Jill in a couple pictures you can also see a trait of wood I learned recently. In the picture where she's on a piece of wood, you can see what's called an open grain. Usually this occurs in soft woods but that piece is white oak. Though the stuff is very dense, it still has those hollow grains. So too does the ash that we used so much of in the house. Closed gain woods can attain a very smooth finish much easier. Some people will cover a whole area with wood filler before they sand so that they can get the closed grain like finish. 

     As I was writing about spiders I felt a tug on my sleeve. A stranger noticed what I was doing as insisted that I include him. I believe he's just another type of crab spider. I hope he'll pardon the frank description, but he's an uninvited guest, and tickled my elbow whilst I was trying to write about dearest Hugo. He's got poor manners, but meet Clarence.
      It goes to show how abundant, and ubiquitous spiders are. They are in your home right now, but don't worry, that rumor that you eat them in your sleep constantly is a rumor spread by some arsehole.