Spider catches moon

Caught this surreal shot of the spider in the doorway with the full moon behind her last night.

Spider time

It's that time of year again when you can't go out without breaking the webs that industrious spiders have spun during the night with no regard for us blundering humans. This particular one has chosen the place where the patio doors open and has pitched her web right were anyone over 5 ft 3 ins puts their head through it. My partner, being 6 ft, has particular problems. Last night we used the flash to get these shots of the web's owner. I never realised that garden spiders had such bristly legs. She really needs to borrow my razor!

Monster spider

This truly is the biggest house spider I've ever seen. Good job I'm not scared of them. (Well, just a little, when they start to scuttle across the floor like a mouse.) I managed to hold the tape measure in one shaky hand whilst clicking the shutter with the other.

I first noticed him in the room all the coats and boots are stored in, and had a nasty fantasy that he or she might take up residence in my welly, or my coat pocket. Then this morning the beast had migrated to the kitchen and spun itself a hammock-like web. We have a big party here this coming weekend, and if Big Spid hasn't moved on by then, we'll have to rent a fork lift truck!