I dream of rain

Cute critter

This Golden Orb Weaver had about a four-inch leg span and was one of the larger spiders we saw when camping last weekend at Hontoon Island State Park.

Unfortunately, it was a miserable camping experience; the weather was stagnant and the bugs were ferocious -- I counted sixty bites on my left arm alone. The final straw was discovering that Alana had brought ticks into our bedding.

It wasn't all bad; we went on a couple of hikes, saw several snakes, big spiders, a family of armadillos, a couple of pretty sunsets, an owl up close, and dragonflies catching some spastic prey. We cooked awesomely yummy campfire food and listened to the sounds of the forest.

....And when we got back the dryer conked out. But more on that later.