Today while on my break by the Yahara, I disturbed a rather large spider, which prompty retreated to the far side of a rock. I sat down on my usual rock, and then looked to my right, where I saw another big-ass spider a couple feet away, on another rock. Both spiders were brown, and a little larger than an Eisenhower dollar, with a body about the size of the end of my pinky. The second spider had seen better days, as the 1st and 3rd legs of its right side were missing. I didn't bother the spider and it stayed in its place.

I went back for my afternoon break, taking my place on a farther set of rocks for teh afternoon sun. Out of curiosity, I looked over to the other rocks, and saw not one, not two, but three big ass spiders. The 6-legger and two companions. I watched them for awhile, and the 6-legger crawled out of view. One of the others jumped about two inches into the air, after a low-flying wasp. That was unnerving. Finally, I noticed on more spider. It was smaller than the others--about a half dollar--and therefore blended into the granite with more camoflage. From now on, I am going to examine where I sit on my breaks very carefully. I do not want to sit on a spider. Miss Muffet says no. (Though it was fun to watch them. I do like spiders, just don't want to surprise and distrub one.)

Someone at work suggested that is was a wolf spider. That may be true, but the spiders I saw looked a bit different than the pictures I've seen. I've also read that wolf spiders tend to be solitary, nocturnal, and hunt in places with clear site lines. Four spiders together in broad daylight, on the banks of a river, among boulders and tall vegetation...not quite. But who knows.

Here's a site (Australian) to help you ID your oogie-woogie spiders. Watch out, they wiggle!