I dug up a four-inch high sassafras plant from the edge of our yard. Anyone with the app Seek can basically be a botanist, entomologist, and plant detective all in one. It’s handy! I’ve identified at least a hundred plants and bugs during my wanderings around the yard and on hikes. One maple-looking sapling turned out to be a tulip tree, and after seeing a picture its blooms and eventual size, I thought, heck yeah—I’m digging that up too to give it a prime spot in the yard.
From the front porch, we’ve added another “pet” to the mix. Joining our bunny and dog is a twin-flagged jumping spider (thank you, Seek, for the precise ID). I set up a little habitat in a mini aquarium with two inches of soil, a small flowering weed, a piece of moss, a stick, and a mini fern. While digging up the dirt, I also accidentally included a few fire ants—free roommates, I guess.
If you’ve never seen a jumping spider up close, they’ve got the “cute gene” of the spider world—big, bulbous eyes and quick, jerky jumps. Their little side appendages act like windshield wipers—scratching, moving, or doing whatever it is spiders do. (Please don’t quote me at the next arachnology meeting.)
With Dave’s fish net in hand, the three of us—Dave, Evelyn, and I—stood under the porch lights watching for movement. Our goal was fruit flies, since the feeding video I’d watched said they’re a spider favorite. After one good swipe, I wasn’t sure if I’d actually caught anything, but a flashlight to the glass confirmed success: a few tiny flyers marching along the edge.
So, I guess this is my new daily routine now—raising a jumping spider, one fruit fly at a time.
Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 