Wasps, spiders, and gardens

I haven't posted in a while, and here is yet another without much knitting. This week, I accidentally placed my finger on a wasp and it stung the shit out of me. Itchy, swollen, and icky looking, the lack of index finger dexterity limited my desire and ability to knit.

The gardens are looking good (if you pretend the weeds are invisible). On Saturday I found the biggest spider I've ever seen in real, up-close life. For a minute I wondered if someone lost their baby pet tarantula. But no, it is a spider. A Ummidia (trapdoor) spider to be precise. They build a tunnel and wait for prey to come by and then rush out, grab it, and drag it down their tunnel for lunch. I found the spider in the garden, so now I'm wondering: a. where the tunnel is, and b. how to avoid it. If Bowen ever sees that thing he will never go out of doors again.



The birdhouse gourds in the boys garden are coming along nicely. One of the suggestions in the garden book is for the kids to etch their names in the side and see what happens as it grows. Cool, eh?



Chicky's maze garden is great. The sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos are all blooming.



I finally finished the sock I started a very long time ago, yea! Now, I just have to knit the other one...