Yesterday as I walked out into the garden, I was struck by the beauty of light upon the silky threads of a spider web, in one of the American Cranberry Viburnum. Focusing on the image... I recall the many warps and wefts I made during the eight years of my weaving venture. Truly there is no weft carried between a warp here ... a warp yes ... the spiders body being its own shuttle... its bobbin (spinnerets) filled from within... creating a network of translucent protein fibers... a marvel and this time of year... with fewer birds, I am able to actually see the handiwork or should I say spinneret and feet work of a spider... I hope to never meet. A thoughtful, sustainable sort of creature, who creates an orb web spiraling to a center, and in time may eat the protein rich threads, to recover its nutrients. Its trap is lovely glowing beside the luscious red Viburnum berries. I continued on harvesting images of other fruits... gifts of plants and shrubs scattered about the land. Various Viburnums bear fruit ... dangling like candy but not tempting yet... perhaps not ripe enough. The Aralia Racemosa has now turned from dark burgundy purple to a near black and will disappear in a day... for the Catbirds love these thick clustered berries. The Crabapples are quite fruitful this year... I eyed a Chestnut-sided Warbler in one tree appearing to eye the fruit, but really gleaning for the insects hidden in the leaves. The little bird has caught a green meal it seems.
Later in the day... walking down into the lower garden, I take a few pictures of the apple trees... or tree... as most of our apples are not bearing fruit this year... and decide to take a few minutes to relax in the hammock. There was a good deal of commotion going on with a flock of flickers flying in and out of the Magnolia stellata, just above where I was attempting to rest. I was not able to capture their wild flights of pursuit... of the beauteous bright orange berry fruit the Magnolia offers... but did catch one perching in a neighboring apple tree. I love how plants ready their buds for next springs blossoms... at the same time they evolve leaves into seeds... for food and hopeful young saplings. When I return to my studio, I notice a Black-throated Green Warbler in the Crabapple just outside my door and was lucky to get these shots ... it too is looking for a meal but the tiny apples will hang in wait until the winter, when Wild Turkeys and other birds will feast on them... a helpful meal... in what will be a barren white landscape... but that is off in the distance... a couple of months away at least... with many fall days to reap. There are other berries beckoning birds to take... to eat and spread seeds... red delights on English Hawthorn and Rosa Rugosa and other rose hips with black berries of Cotoneaster... all playing their parts in the metamorphosis of seasons and life.
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