Turkeys and Bears and Spiders, Oh, My!

These guys were slow enough for me to photo. The bears and turkey were not.

Tree spiders are busy these days.

My little mid-day hike along a Roanoke County ridge was fruitful today. I saw two bears, two turtles and a speedy wild tom turkey. And a BIG spiderweb.

The bears and turkey escaped my little point and shoot camera, but the turtles didn't. Getting old, I guess.

There were a lot more mushrooms along the route, something I'd think would be rare in August in this area. I don't recall ever seeing as many as I've seen in the past two weeks.

Here's some of what was evident today.

(My friend Leah Weiss corrected my assumption that the web was made by spiders. Here's her explanation: 

("Those are called web worms. They are the larva from a moth which spends the winter in the ground around the drip line of the tree. In the spring (or late summer, sometimes both), the worms (greenish/grayish about 1 inch long) climb the tree and spin webs. Inside the web, they feed on the leaves and become moths.

"When I get some in my trees and I can reach them, I dig them out with a stick and they're worms in the web. I'd hate to see the spider that made those webs.")

Mushrooms continue to look healthy.

Two more bright 'shrooms, awaiting the rain so they can cradle water.

And here's Pampa, taking it all in.