The unexpected

[Breezin]

In the fall after our first freeze these hatch . Just on my land tens if not hundreds of thousands of babies spin out 1 to 2 feet of web and ride the winds. They burrow down in the grasses and hide for the winter.In early spring there is another hatching but only about 25% as many.This year was dry and mosquitos being their main food source there weren't many adults to be seen. When food is plentiful the bigger ones grow to more than 5" long.They won't make you sick but trust me their bite HURTS.In wetter years we've seen the prairie covered by so many it looks like dew in the afternoon. Today was the first clear day since they started hatching. About ten minutes in I noticed a couple of hundred or more of them on my flying lines glinting in the sun. It was absolutely stunning. When one would blow off another would attach.At times today I'd stop what I was doing  and just twirl the kite across the face of the sun admiring the spectacle. Very unexpected and outstanding afternoon of flying.

[frob]

There used to be a brand of kite line called "spider line", it was blue, made from the same stuff as today's Dyneema and Spectra names. I've still got a bit of it on a winder.

I think if I knew there were spiders out ballooning,  I'd call that as a good day to fly indoors.