Our front yard (back in March) no snow yet, although tomorrow were supposed to have sleet and freezing rain.

IF your worried about the light, then use the flash. Spiders stop moving when you shoot them head on, pose your bug moving them with a stick. They don't want you to notice them..becoming prey themselves(jumping spiders are the exception, always moving). Use a tripod and ISO 100. Ladybugs on the other hand move constantly. I use a flash and they just look shiny. :0) You can shoot through a magnifying glass too.....

Yes, Annie, interesting! Growing up in NYC, I never gave a thought to where the brown stone might have come from. Nor did I wonder where our drinking water came from. (I'm not proud of these lapses--and I'm sure there were many others!)

In much of SE Asia, it is very common to see spirit houses. They can be very small and plain all the way to large and elaborate. The spirit house provides shelter for spirits that could cause problems for the people if not appeased. The shrines often include images of people and animals. Offerings of food, drink, incense and flowers are left to nurture the spirits. In return the spirits offer protection and good fortune. I was out walking in Bangkok one day when I came across this spirit house. Apparently, the spirits visited in the form of pigeons that day.