The Wildlife Sanctuary on Della Dr

A couple weeks ago, I went outside one night to get something from the car and ran into a spider web at the end of the porch. I looked up and saw this HUGE spider, perched right in the middle of the most beautiful web I've ever seen. Now I am not a spider lover by any means, but I was in awe of this web because it was so absolutely perfect, and I stood there looking at it for about 5 minutes. I was amazed how it would sway so gracefully back and forth in the breeze, yet be strong enough to hold it's shape and not get destroyed by the wind. The next morning when I was leaving for work, I checked the porch but did not see the spider or the web, just a couple of silky web threads still hanging off the gutters. To be completely honest with you, I was a little sad when I didn't see the web. I was thinking "Awww, that spider did all that hard work and created that beautiful web, and now it's all gone." Seriously? What is wrong with me? Who gets sad over a spider?? lol Usually I'm glad when they are gone! But if you would have just seen that web.... you'd be amazed too! ANYWAY, I went outside that night and saw that the spider was not gone but in fact was back and had built an even bigger web this time! Yay! That was when I affectionately dubbed her "Charlotte." I have now taken to checking the web several nights a week to see how Charlotte is doing, and I even threw a bug in her web one night to help feed her. :) I told Lenny we should get someone from the Discovery Channel to come out and film her building that web so you could appreciate what she goes through each night. I don't think I'll ever ruin a web again!

As if the spider isn't enough, I also discovered while mowing the lawn yesterday that I have some baby bunnies living in my back yard. I don't know what to do - I usually love mowing the lawn (MMM! The scent of fresh cut grass!) but I'm starting to get paranoid because I had an unfortunate incident with a couple of baby bunnies earlier this summer, and almost did it again yesterday. They are so hard to see! And instead of jumping away when the mower is coming, they just try to crouch down and hide. Anyway, I looked down over a section of grass I had just mowed last night and saw one of the bunnies lying there. My heart dropped when I saw it, cuz I was afraid that I had run over it and killed it. I quickly shut the mower off then squatted down to see if I had hit the bunny, but it didn't look like I did. He wasn't cut or anything, so I picked him up with the sleeves of my shirt. He tried to hop out of my hands, so I knew he was okay. Phew! The thing was so tiny, he fit in the palm of my hand. Awww! And he was sooooooo soft! I just wanted to snuggle him all night :) I told Lenny to come outside to see what I found, and as we were standing there petting the bunny we heard this chirping sound (kinda sounded like a baby bird in distress) and looked out in the yard where the mower was to see another baby bunny hopping in the grass. We took bunny #1 over by the other one and discovered a hole in the yard with 4 babies in it. Awwwwwww! They are so durn cute! I picked each one up to make sure they were all okay, and out of the four, I think 3 of them will be fine. The other one looked like it was gasping for breath, and it was not moving it's front legs at all. L thinks I may have run over that one with the wheel of the lawn mower. :( I am seriously paranoid about cutting the grass now. I don't want to hurt any more bunnies! I went out to check on them this morning and saw that the one with the hurt front legs didn't make it. The other 3 were still snuggled up together in their hole. I don't know if they are big enough to survive on their own, or if the mother will come back now that they have been handled by humans. I will have to keep my eye on them...I may be raising a bunny family before too long! I never thought I would be harboring so much wildlife in my yard. At least there are no deer hopping about in my backyard like my parents have.... Sheesh.