Gypsy Spider …

Posted in Life, Love, Macro Photography, Meditation, Nature, Photography, Relaxation, Spider, Spirituality, Sustainability, Truth? by Mark on 11/12/2015

She’s back … At the beginning of September this year I went out into the garden to have a look around, it was near enough 1.00am. There hadn’t been much to shoot and it occurred to me to take the camera with me, not unusual that.

And there she was, the first place I looked, sitting in meditative pose atop a small daisy bud. A tiny ghost spider, bright against the dark of the night.

Since then she has come and gone across the garden, from daisy to butterfly bush to sunflower, chia, coneflower and round again. Through torrential rain, baking sun and howling winds …

Every time I see her she has grown, and every now and then I come across pockets of young crab spiders, some hers I suspect. Some numbers dead in a tray under one of the bee hotels.

Currently she is resident on the yellow butterfly bush, one leg missing and bolder than ever – age and experience showing. She lets me get very close now without much sign of alarm or resistance.

I trust she lives a while longer, fulfilling her purpose of nature’s intelligent instinctive desire, albeit unconsciously, and we will meet again in the garden.

All the good is in the garden, or the garden is all the good, an other time and place … inside.

Tagged with: Human Nature, Insects, Life, Love, Macro, Meditation, Nature, Spirituality, Sustainability, Truth

26 comments

26 Responses

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Cathy Testa said, on 15/12/2015 at 10:27 pm

It is like I can see her face, and well, there are no words for how amazing these closeup captures of this spider are – as someone noted above, could be a child’s book, or if too scary for kids who may fear spiders, perhaps even a book with catchy joke lines and the photo – if you know what I mean – they are very cool, Cathy T

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- Mark said, on 16/12/2015 at 12:20 am
  
  Thanks Cathy. That is her face, you can see it. And when she looks she sees my face. :-) But she doesn’t think about it.
  
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  - Cathy Testa said, on 16/12/2015 at 9:02 pm
    
    LOL. U made me laugh this morning, yes, those tiny bug expressions!
    
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    - Mark said, on 16/12/2015 at 11:03 pm
      
      :-)
      
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Merilee said, on 14/12/2015 at 1:47 am

I love this little story about The Spider. I want to see this story and images larger and longer and turned into a …… book. For children. Just a thought ;-)

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- Mark said, on 14/12/2015 at 9:20 am
  
  Thanks Merilee. I can only respond to demand and so far you are the only one. So sorry, it’s not going to happen … :-)
  
  On the other hand, the whole site is a book, of another kind – https://beingmark.com/titles/ – and under Pages, top right.
  
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David said, on 13/12/2015 at 2:32 pm

Very nice captures and story.

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- Mark said, on 13/12/2015 at 5:24 pm
  
  Thanks David.
  
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Cate said, on 11/12/2015 at 11:02 pm

“…one leg missing and bolder than ever – age and experience showing. ” No whining — just going on as she is until she isn’t. We humans have much to learn from friends like your spider. Lovely images and commentary, Mark.

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- Mark said, on 12/12/2015 at 12:35 am
  
  Thanks Cate. Observing that is learning, isn’t it. The qualities we acknowledge appear more and more.
  
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Mohammad Mahloujian, Stockholm Sweden said, on 11/12/2015 at 4:40 pm

Excellent shots as usual

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- Mark said, on 11/12/2015 at 6:20 pm
  
  Thanks Mohammad, appreciated.
  
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Nature on the Edge said, on 11/12/2015 at 3:38 pm

An inspiring world, your garden :)

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- Mark said, on 11/12/2015 at 4:27 pm
  
  Thanks Liz. Every garden is if we allow it …
  
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  - Nature on the Edge said, on 11/12/2015 at 4:54 pm
    
    Yes, i draw much from the wonders here at my end. But now to go out in the middle of the night to investigate it’s magic -that is a most appealing thought 😊
    
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    - Mark said, on 11/12/2015 at 6:21 pm
      
      That’s a good way to put it, investigate the magic. Magic is likely to appear with that attitude.
      
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Jan Schaper said, on 11/12/2015 at 3:35 pm

Mark, your images of her nicely display her meditative quality . . . her natural communion with her environment. I truly enjoy meditating outdoors and I think that part of the reason for this is that the plants, animals, air, soil, sun, stars etc are all in rapport with each other. Pausing to feel this and be within it encourages centering and quieting and expansion for me.

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- Mark said, on 11/12/2015 at 4:30 pm
  
  Hi Jan. I think what unites all natural things is the absence of mind as wanting and trying, emotion and thinking. In a word, sense … In acknowledging that nature the other – troubled one – is diminished.
  
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  - Jan Schaper said, on 12/12/2015 at 12:05 pm
    
    well said
    
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    - Mark said, on 12/12/2015 at 2:32 pm
      
      … or being?
      
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Janice Marshall said, on 11/12/2015 at 10:42 am

Great shots, enjoyed scrolling through them, thanks

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- Mark said, on 11/12/2015 at 1:04 pm
  
  Thanks Janice …
  
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Walking My Path: Mindful Wanderings in Nature said, on 11/12/2015 at 9:56 am

She is fantastic. I love the relationship you have with her.

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- Mark said, on 11/12/2015 at 1:04 pm
  
  Thanks Mary. Not so much relationship that I will miss her – much, but do appreciate the little wonder she is.
  
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Lisa said, on 11/12/2015 at 9:29 am

Beautiful photos and commentary. Thank you!

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- Mark said, on 11/12/2015 at 1:02 pm
  
  Thanks Lisa, appreciated …
  
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