Able, Alto

Monsoons season is upon us. How do I know? Sighted this week; one tarantula, one palo verde beetle and one Colorado river toad.  All these come out right before the rains start.They creep and crawl around my back door looking for a way in. The crickets start to chirping too.  They've been active for a few weeks, walking, stalking, hopping and creeping around but not so much as a peep...until this week. Oh, and of course the artist has started painting billowing thunder heads and rain-laden lowering skies redolent and ambrosial, harking back to better times when the world was young.

Black Widow, Red Sky, Black Canyon

The black widow was poised for a strike.  She was hidden beneath my favorite early morning chair next to my favorite early morning lamp.  Her strong web laces strung somehow between heaven and earth seemed to float her sick black orb in just the spot my hand would sleepily and automatically go to retrieve my favorite early morning pencil. Too bad for her my hands know their craft...and the feel of the venomous strands of putrid death.  The unmistakable strength of the orb weaver's lair and the well know hissing and chirping all venomous and truculent spiders make (Gilligans Island and Lord of the Rings) tipped me off.   I quickly grabbed a spray can of my own poison; furniture lacquer touch-up.  Yes, all master craftsman of my generation know the fast and deadly effects of lacquer when applied directly to any creature with an absorbent exoskeleton. This little black beauty was the size of a large half dollar piece.  Sorry about the blurry photo...I tried the camera on "macro" lens.  The paintings here are for sale on the 'bay.