Wow, where has the year gone!!

I can't believe I just checked my blog and found I hadn't written anything since last year!! Where has the time gone to?
I have never had so many ID requests as this year and so much time has been spent on updating the web pages with all the great and not so great photos sent in. It's great to hear from so many people and to be able to ID more spiders as I get to recognize more of the thousands of species. It's also great to see so many people with great attitudes to spiders, who don't just stomp on them on sight but take the time to find out about their visitors. These days I refuse to put photos online that have been taken of dead spiders and I am really reluctant to ID spiders people have killed! What's the point once they are dead?

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my friends in Spiderland. I hope the weather in the US improves, I don't suppose it's too good for either spiders or people!!
glen

Nearly Christmas again, how quickly the year has flown. Another new page on the spiders photos page of some great tattoos that one of my viewers sent it. Great to see someone so keen on spiders that they would create this great body art specifically for spiders!!

Sad to hear about Michael Jackson, we grew up listening to his music which was among the greatest and most innovative of any time. It's always sad when a legend dies!!

Check out the new page

I've been busy the last few days creating a new page which is essentially a quick reference guide to spider's bites, symptoms and treatment. I've done a lot of research to find the most accurate information so please bookmark the site for futre reference. It also shows quite clearly how there are really very few spiders that are really dangerous. I couldn't cover all 30 000 species of spiders but have done the ones that people send in to me the most often. I hope you enjoy it.

Happy New Year - 0r is it?

A bit late but a Happy New Year to all. The way the economy is shaping up though, it may not be all that happy a one!! Also congratulations to America's new president - Barack Obama. As an Aussie it is interesting to follow the politics of our largest ally, the USA, and it is great to see so many people happy to finally have a black man as president. I hope he can deliver, as with the way the world is today, we certainly need some help!! The spiderz pages have even been quiet - because of the extreme cold in the USA but also because of the election, inauguration and I think to some extent - the recession/depression!! Let's make our New Year resolution to do all we can to help each other and get through the tough times ahead!!

Winter is coming in the US so the number of queries from there are getting less. Great to see photos coming from other countries, especially Australia where I do live! It's funny the difference between people of different countries - Americans seem to jump online for everything while Australians seem to be slower to do so, perhaps we aren't as technologically minded as our US cousins!!
Christmas is just around the corner and here in Brisbane we are looking at a hot stormy one. Recent storms have done a lot of damage to homes in Brisbane, thankfully mine wasn't one of them!! We seem to be going back to our earlier weather patten of Summer storms after many years of hot dry summers. I love storms but not when they destroy people's homes and I guess our spider friends don't like having their webs destroyed either.
I've seen very few spiders around my house this summer and usually I have several large orb weavers blocking my path every night!! I hope they come back!!
I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year if I don't get back to here before then!!