A vegetarian spider! whatever next?

I was having a look through the BBC news website and had a look at the giant orb spider that has been discovered,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8316720.stm

i wouldn't fancy meeting one of these, although they use the same venom as a black widow spider it isn't anywhere near as potent and produces localised swelling and redness usually disappearing within a day although the bite may leave a scar, hmmmm hardly surprising considering the size of it! I read a little about this group of nephila spiders (best way to survive is to know your enemy who knows what my next bunch of bananas may bring overseas with them! ) and actually felt really sorry for them and a little awe inspired. These little (or not so little) creatures are captured and the silk thread extracted until they are exhausted. Why you may ask? To make silk garments! The spiders are then released but it takes them a week to recover and then they may be caught again.
.

I stumbled upon an interesting but sad article of exploitation of the workforce! "One million spiders make golden silk for rare cloth". this article says that 70 people spent 4 years collecting these spiders from telegraph poles in Madagascar, and then another dozen people collected 80ft of silk from each one, which has been made into the only existing piece of cloth woven from spider silk!
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/

Anyway i digress....................... i was drawn to a link from the above about a vegetarian jumping spider! A vegetarian spider!!!! out of 40,000 different spiders this one is believed to be vegetarian eating leaves and only the occasional ant larvae. now there's a spider i don't mind sharing my house with.

Bagherra kiplingi The vegetarian jumping spider. Such a pretty spider too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8302535.stm

After all that you might be surprised to learn that I don't like spiders much we have had a few jumping spiders in our houses all of them called jack and i don't mind these, i tolerate them because they catch flies and save me a job but they scare me especially the big ones! the reason.............i was out tidying the garden once and rescued a tiny spider from my broom and placed it on the drain pipe. Out jumped a huge spider from behind the drainpipe and the fight began, well my little spider gave a good fight but the big one sunk his fangs in and within seconds the little one had died. i felt so bad for the little spider and i still haven't forgiven the large one even though i know i shouldn't begrudge him a good meal. Its just nature but it was so violent and brutal and the first time i have ever watched anything like that.

The other reason.............

One morning my son squealed and said i should look in the sink but not get too close! (my son is 16) :0P i peered over the the edge of the sink and there was a giant spider! it was a house spider, not unlike the ones i have in my garage (which incidentaly i feel sure have eaten all the mice that were living in there! and not that much smaller to the giant orb spider above!) :oD Anyway.............I caught the spider in a glass bless it, it was all squashed up in there and while i waited for my hubby to come and take it as far away from the house as possible to ensure it didn't return i watched it. (just to make sure it didn't use its very long muscley and incredibly hairy legs to push the glass over and escape) It sat with it's front legs on the glass staring back at me, then it decided to clean it's legs, and this was the first time i have ever seen the size of the fangs on a house spider!!! they were like two huge bee stings. I couldn't believe it and it just sat there rubbing it's fangs up and down it's legs :o/ i'm sure it saw the look of horror on my face and was thouroughly enjoying freaking me out! Now, i watched a childrens programme with my daughter this morning that said that house spiders don't bite, hmmmm well i wouldn't take my chances after seeing those fangs as it definetely had the capability to do so.

The waggy tail of Sky is back!!!!!!

There are few things that make me smile more than the over enthusiastic wagging tail of a happy dog.

Although Skys x-rays have shown that she has discospondylosis her blood tests were all perfect which is brilliant! Our vet gave Sky a steroid injection last Friday which worked a miracle. I had to keep calming her down, She stopped wagging her tail while she was poorly only the tip was twitching but now........................................the waggy tail is back! in fact it's back so much that she is almost back to wagging her bum. :o) she went back to see the vet on Monday he was really pleased with her, and he has put her on some tablets which have a mild steroid in them. She has to rest for another 10 days, She is wanting to run about now and is herding the kids, she has taken to coming to bed at night although i insist on walking down the stairs infront of her as she is still not too steady going down again.

Today i took Poppy for a walk to the castle via the river. when we got back i was shadowed by 25kilos of collie tripping me up and curling round me when i sat on the floor. Bless her i felt sooooo guilty. She is very clingy obviously making me pay for walking Poppy and not her. Poor Poppy needed her walk though she must be going stir crazy all that pent up energy. She didn't enjoy her walk so much without her bodyguard though she is a bit of a wussy and relys on Sky for protection from over friendly dogs.

Skys update

Sky is doing very well!! she is much stronger on her legs this morning and has found her voice! She is barking at people through the window, and is back to herding the kids around the house much to my dismay as i am afraid she will do more damage to her spine! I am trying to keep everyone calm, although it is so lovely to see my faithful friend enjoying life once more. :o)

Update on Sky

Skys legs went very weak today i took her to the vets at he said it could be a stroke, spinal problems or degenerative disc disease, :o( she has had a steroid injection, and has some vivatonin to help with the stroke if it is that. we have everything crossed she starts to feel better soon, she has partial paralysis in her back right leg. if she is no better in 2 weeks she has to go for a x-ray.

We are praying you get well soon Sky we love you millions xxx

Drawing to de stress!

In the Summer my hubby bought me a portable art box so that i could sit out side switch off from the world and relax, while attempting to draw, :o) however, after being busy studying, fitting a new kitchen and doing some decorating i hadn't had time to really look at what materials there were in the box. Recently i was inspired by a lovely friend (she knows who she is! :o)) and so i sat down and started to experiment with some drawing. My first attempt was a hedgehog which i copied from a photograph in some old magazines my mother bought me as a child called The country companion.

I am very pleased with "Henry" my little hedgehog and he gave me the confidence to try something else............................................

My next attempt was at a rabbit, i'll call him "Fiver" again he's copied from a photograph in my country companion magazines......
I have a very old book called simply "How to draw Trees" by Gregory Brown so as i love Trees this was my next attempt. ..................

This is a birch tree, one of my favourites, they are so beautiful and graceful as they sway in the breeze, very tranquil and peaceful. I share my garden with a beautiful large birch, at the side of him is a huge pile of branches and dead wood which hopefully Henry or Henrietta Hedgehog may find inviting for the winter.

Finally and i think this drawing is my favourite, here is my attempt at a Welsh mountain sheep..............
please meet "Ma"

I have borrowed some DVDs from my mum, a complete drawing course for beginners, so i am going to attempt some perspective soon hmmmmm not sure how that will go...............

Update on Sky

Back to the vets today, Sky has had another anti inflammatory injection and has another 10 days worth of tablets, She is much better than last week but i'm wondering if she will ever be the bouncy barky dog she was before, but the vet seems hopeful, that given the chance to recover (no walks for 10 days!) she will be able to go for longer walks again! I hope so as I miss my faithful walking companion. I feel sooooo guilty walking with Poppy and not sky! :o( At least it will give time for her fur to grow back after her operation 6 weeks ago.

Skys Arthritis

Over the past week or so Sky has gradually slowed down, she's almost 13 and has been suffering with arthritis for about a year. The vet thinks it's acute arthritis now. She is on anti inflammatories until Sunday which have had some effect, although she is still far from the bouncy dog she was a few week ago. Fingers crossed she will continue to improve.

Here goes!

Well this is my first attempt at a blog! not sure how this will go but i fancied having a go at something new, if nothing else it will be an interesting learning curve :o)