Autumn's flora and fauna, and Real Baby

It's been another of those weeks.  Mama's oldest dog Lucy died at the beginning of the month, and after that the rest collapsed like a house of cards.  The last cat, Vladimir went, and then Hulk went, and finally our parvo survivor Molly died.  We loved them all, but Molly was extra special and we're taking her death hard.  Last evening when I went out to bury her I discovered a large patch of mushrooms in my own soon-to-be-former front yard.  These two are growing appropriately where I buried Edgar last November. 

The rest are growing not in a ring, but in a large cluster like so.

I took a couple'a pictures of specimens that attracted my eye, like these...

...and these...

...AND these!

There was a time when my bratty kid self would've kicked these over just for the helluvit.  I was so rotten back then!

Meanwhile, my sister has more time on her hands thanks to a new boss, and she sent us pictures of this spider that lives near her apartment. 

My sister says the spider has glutted herself on cicadas and is thus now the size of a small grape.  In case any of y'all are wondering, that IS a black widow.  See the red on her butt?

Black widows are fairly common in both Fayetteville and Malden, but they're shy and prefer to hide from humans.  Indeed, in all my years of turning over rocks to look at creepy crawlies, I've run into exactly two black widow spiders, and Daddy had to kill one of them because she was where our cats liked to play.  My sister, on the other hand...well, she's not as afraid of spiders as I once was, and she actively hunts for these.  She's found them everywhere she's lived except for Edmonton, Alberta, and she even was roommates with one while living in Vermont.  Alas, the Vermont widow had to go to Spider Heaven, because Sister's cat wouldn't quit pestering it.  That cat is such a dolt.  A loved and pretty dolt, but a dolt.

As for me, I washed my hands and settled in with Geneva, my Real Baby.  She got a new poncho yesterday.  It's still too warm for a coat, but I threw it on her anyway.

The poncho was advertised for Cabbage Patch Kids, but it feels like it's made of real wool and it's (possibly) handmade.  I promptly declared it too good for Beryl June and company, thus why Geneva is wearing it.  Geneva needed a coat anyway.  For the record, she's still wearing Quacky Cords, LOL.  I  like that outfit so much that I've left her in it.

Sigh...okay, I feel better.  I hope all is well with y'all.  I know that for at least one reader spring is just around the corner rather than fall.

Much love,

RagingMoon1987