Because Halloween is around the corner, I thought we could have some fun (or fright) with sharing our images of scary animals, birds, fish, reptiles, and yes…INSECTS and SPIDERS.
Are you game?
I Don’t Like Spiders or Snakes…
… Well, I actually do, but LIKE is a strong word…
Last year, I shared this scary-looking but oddly cute cat-faced spider. She was as big around as a coin but lived contentedly in the corner of our metal gazebo. She probably laid eggs because we saw a couple of baby spiders nearby.
Doesn’t she look like a happy jack-o-lantern? Maybe not so scary.
“I excel at pulling strings!” said Arachne. “I’m a spider!” ― Rick Riordan
In early November, I happened to check on our little cat-faced friend and didn’t see her, just an empty space. Something made me look down, and there was a small, watery puddle beneath her web. I realized she froze to death in the night and simply died. I actually shed a tear for this cute little spider.
2025 was the first year I saw these cat-faced spiders. In case you don’t see the cat face, here is one from last year.
This year, the cat-faced spiders were more evident. Of course, like automobiles, once you start thinking about buying a new brand of car, you see them everywhere. An oddly scary notion.
This year, on my way home from church, where we live close enough to walk, I almost bumped into this cat-faced spider! I used AI-edits to blur the background and strengthen the web.
“The spider is a repairer. If you bash into the web of a spider, she doesn’t get mad. She weaves and repairs it.” – Louise Bourgeois
I found this one on my front porch. It appeared to be a little stunned, or dying. I loved the colors of it.
While visiting the famous Windmills of Kinderdijk in the Netherlands, the fog was such that it was not easy to see them well.
But the mist captured by the spider webs made for dramatic images.
“A spider’s web is stronger than it looks. Although it is made of thin, delicate strands, the web is not easily broken.” – E.B. White
I know, I know, I’ve given many of you the heebie-jeebies. Let’s move onto …
Praying Mantis
I’ve never been scared of our garden friends, the Praying Mantis, but in this case you will see why. But first of all, watch out, this is X-Rated! Females are known to eat their mate after the “act,” but it’s not always the case.
A day later, I walked through my backyard and noticed the mantis on top of one of our solar lanterns.
I got closer with my phone to snap a pic and because she was protecting the egg case, she reached toward me to defend her space. It worked, she made her point!
Shot of the egg case or ootheca. Depending on the species, it can contain dozens or even hundreds of eggs that overwinter and hatch in spring.
“She is not without a certain beauty, with her slender, graceful figure, her pale-green coloring, and her long gauze wings.” — Fabre’s Book of Insects, Chapter IV, “The Praying Mantis”
Angst in Architecture
“Perched between heaven and earth, the gargoyles keep their silent watch.” – Unknown
You already saw a bit of the famous Kinderdijk Windmills in the Netherlands we visited while on our European Rhine River Cruise. We also spent a day in Strasbourg, France. The highlight was visiting the ginormous (65,000 square feet/6044 square meters) Strasbourg’s Cathedral of Our Lady, which also houses an impressive astronomical clock.
Here are some impressive dimensions.
- Length: 367 feet (112 meters)
- Width of front façade: 169 feet (51.5 meters)
- Height of spire: 466 feet (142 meters)
- Height of interior central nave: 105 feet (32 meters)
The cathedral’s spire was completed in 1439, and the building remained the tallest in the world for more than two centuries! It seems scary something like this could be built centuries ago.
Sharing the landmarks for Lens-Artists: Landmarks and Monuments, and Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday.
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is simple to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives. Your original images reimagined with AI tools in post-editing are also welcome.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
- I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.
If you are participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme. Join me next week on November 1st as we explore Your Favorite Vacation Spots .
Themes for November are ready to view on my Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Page. This page is updated monthly.
“Seeing a spider in my room isn’t scary. It’s scary when it disappears!” – Unknown
Have a fabulous week!
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