It seems almost every day I think of a blog post to write yet I can never find the time due to an incredibly busy summer. Mind you I'm quite happy to be working as much as I am and engaged in all sorts of exciting projects. However I must make a greater effort to share what's in my mind as it helps me keep track of when my thoughts change and evolve.

Today I thought of a few posts to write, and the easiest and thus first to see the light of day, is a thought about my spiders.

Emily and I own a home in Toronto, and we tend to have a natural approach to our property. We do our best to constantly improve the building and contribute to the community, however when it comes to our front and back yards we tend to prefer a diverse blend of chaos and confusion. Emily puts a modest amount of effort into maintenance, and I much less. By default we've cultivated a natural mix of vegetation, planted stuff, native species, and some weeds we don't bother to remove.

My relationship with spiders over the years has ranged from passive engagement to active relationships. This season I've been a bit too busy to tend to them, but today I was in the back yard and noticed a few of them have grown to incredible sizes. When we first moved in I came across some monsters, and now every year I look forward to a few mighty giants emerging, with bodies the size of my thumb's top knuckles with legs much longer.

This summer in the city has been really wet, record setting rainfalls, and a steady temperature that was neither too hot nor too cold. Mixed with a lot of snowfall in the winter the conditions have been right for tons of insects, mosquitoes and the like. As a result my spiders have been feasting! I'm able to recognize them as they pretty much dominate an area of the yard and build some incredibly complex and elaborate webs. Sometimes I have to destroy them (say to get to the garage) and I love to see how they will rebuild.

So my advice to you is that now's a good time to check your spiders! Take a look in your yard, or on parts of your residence or property, and inquire as to the status and health of your spiders. They're great for keeping the bugs at bay and they tend not to bite you if you don't bite them.