#spiderfriends

Last year some thick vine milkweeds sprouted and clung to the railings of the front porch. Knowing that, though weedy, these plants were valuable to the ecosystem, I convinced my parents to let the plants stay.

This was a wonderful decision, as the plants brought a wide variety of creatures that we don't usually see that often, along with plenty of Monarch butterflies.

I saw mantises, grasshoppers, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and even a frog once. My favorite creatures of all were the massive garden spiders that I also convinced my parents not to kill.

When fall came the vines dried up and the spiders were gone. As the one who suggested keeping the vines, it was my duty to clean them up now that all the animals had left. I felt like Charlotte from Charlotte's Web, a book that massively changed my worldview as a child.

I found several eggsacs and decided to raise a couple over the winter. After a long wait where many times I feared that the spiderlings were dead, they hatched. I think it was sometime in February.

Tonight I noticed that some of them were attempting to escape their terrarium. Much like Wilbur the terrific, humble pig, I figure it's time to say goodbye to my tiny friends.

Webber's got a little friendo! I don't know, I just really wanted to draw these three together since no one else has. ;w;