While retrieving the shovel for to mix the compost, I discovered that a medium sized black spider with a bulbous body was trying to avoid being noticed by alternating to the other side of my shovel while I turned it to get a better look. I finally shook "her" off onto the driveway and hit her with the shovel. She sat deathly still so I thought the deed was done without two much damage to enable closer examination, as her body was still bulbous. So I found a piece of cardboard and a paintbrush to scoop her up and then she quickly moved toward me, even when I altered my escape route. So I covered her with the card board and hit her harder. Unfortunately she flattened a bit and got stuff on her underbelly, obscuring the tell-tale red markings. I brought her in the house and my kids confirmed that they saw the red spot, which I couldn't see until I moved some guts over. And there it was! A real dead black widow.
While mixing the brown material (leaves) with the green material (vegetable kitchen scraps), my son and I noticed that the compost didn't writhe and squirm like it used to do. Ben thought maybe the it was too dry for the meal worms(?) But I noticed that the compost was degraded so something must be doing it's work, and upon closer inspection we noticed that long skinny bugs were crawling all over the places between the crushed oak leaves and dark compost material. My how they'd grown!
Later this afternoon I baked my second batch of whole wheat bread. I enjoyed my morning slices warmed with butter and topped with orange marmelade so much this week that I made some more. It rose this afternoon perched over the upright deep freeze and then I baked it in the oven made hot by warming frozen cheese pizza. Baby steps.
Oh, and I have a second tomato growing!
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