Banana spiders!

    Life can be confusing. The term "banana spiders" usually refers to big scary spiders, often tarantulas, that hang out in banana bunches on plantations and sometimes hitch rides here with the bananas, scaring the bejeezus out of all concerned. However, around here, it's more likely to refer to the golden silk orb-weaver, a crazy big (but not tarantula big) spider which kind of sort of looks like a banana. Today, I walked in Canal Park, more formally known as Columbia Canal Riverfront Park. I was in the riverfront part. Back in the day, the park was just a linear path on the canal's old towpath, but nowadays they've paved the old fishermen's trails and there's a very nice, long, shady stroll near the river. It's considerably lower than the canal, but the banks seem to be holding so far. And I saw a half dozen to a dozen golden silk orb-weavers, all with the wisdom and grace to have their webs considerably above head height. I got many pictures; Facebook results suggest that very few are as thrilled about this as I am. But boy am I!