Itsy bitsy spider

I haven't mentioned it, but I've actually been on vacation all week. (That's why there's so much knitting getting done!) It's just been a quiet stay-cation - just me and the cats, as Dave is still working. I didn't have a lot of plans, mostly just knitting, but one of the things I really wanted to accomplish was my fall gardening. Mainly, planting some Tulips and Daffodils for the spring, pulling up the Cana Lilies before the first bad frost, and transplanting a potted Mum to the garden.

Well - every day that I actually had the energy to get out and garden was grey and rainy. I figured by Saturday, I'd be able to get out there, but nope - it poured. All.day.long.

So today was my last chance. I'm back to work on tomorrow, and October's almost over... we're going to get some frost soon - some of my friends in cities a little more north already have. I had to get those bulbs in the ground.

Thankfully, Mother Nature complied and gave me a beautiful, sunny Sunday.

The Cana Lilies I planted earlier this year are out before the frost. They grew nicely, but didn't bloom, so next spring they will be planted where they will get more sun.

The Daffodils and Tulips have been planted around the Day Lilies, so hopefully come spring, the front garden will have a nice bit of colour until the annuals get planted in May.

And the Mum is snuggled down at the base of the tree on my front lawn. And just as I was finishing up, admiring my work, I noticed something move in the Mum.

Isn't she beautiful? I'd never seen a spider like this before. We have a lot of little beige house spiders, and the odd black and yellow garden spider...but nothing like this.

If she hadn't have moved, I never would have seen her - she's almost the same colour as the flowers. She's a good size too - her back is about as big around a nickle.

 I immediately ran in an grabbed the camera. Thank goodness for macro settings.

Then I immediately came in an googled, comparing my pictures to ones on the internet. I'm pretty sure she's a marbled orb weaver, but if there are any spider aficionados out there, feel free to correct me.