I found my green lynx spider friend after she had been missing for the last 2 weeks.

I found this spider in my cucumber plant when she was tiny and missing 2 legs back in June. I watched her molt and grow pretty big, taking pictures along the way. She started catching honeybees, earwigs, and large insects in my garden. Then 2 weeks ago, a male green lynx showed up one evening. I got a bunch of pictures of him, which I’m glad I did because she was eating him the next morning. A day or two later, she disappeared from my garden. I figured she was going somewhere to find a place to put her egg sac. I was pretty sad because I really enjoyed seeing and talking to her everyday.

Yesterday, I found her 50 feet across the yard in one of the tomato plants I was going to tear down this coming weekend. She’s just hanging out near the top next to some basil, which attracts a lot of bees and pollinator flies. She’s VERY VERY pregnant! I can’t wait to see all her little babies in my garden!! I’m so excited!!!

I won best painting at the art show my library hosted. Granted, there were only like six other paintings and there was a clear difference in skill level between mine and those, but still. I won a $100 gift card for local businesses.

My magpie friends are doing this bizarre thing over the last couple of days. See, in spring of 2024 I started putting out food for the magpies (azure-winged magpies to be specific) because I love watching those gorgeous little beasts’ antics. They literally started watching for me to come home from work and followed me until I got home and put out the food, smart buggers that they are. Then I left the country for almost two full months and thought they’d forget about me.

Not a chance. When I got back in August, they saw me coming in from work the next day and … back to business as usual.

But the acid test was spring of this year, when they got back from their winter homes down near Hainan. Would they remember me? As the first magpies started to show up, several of them started tapping at my window. So I put out the food. And it was like nothing had changed. They’d wait until I got home, I’d put out the food, and they’d eat.

But now it’s flocking time for Autumn and their migration to Hainan again. They’re starting to gather in Hitchcockian numbers in various trees. And they’re flying to my window when I’m home, rapping at the glass with their beak until I look, then flying away. Not stopping to eat.

I swear they’re saying goodbye.

I start my photography classes tomorrow! I’m excited!

Arrgghh my ride into work tomorrow at 10:30 at night!! Can’t be helped but it’s annoying. Dang and blast

I had to look up what natter is but now I know. Although Monday is almost over, this week feels so long already. Any ideas how to balance what has to be done and finding time for hobbies? I know it’s an age old question. The mental load continues to be the bane of my existence despite having support.