The shadow of Winter loomed large in the brooding skies and biting air.  Foliage lay fleeced in the icy dew of the killing frosts.  Birds and squirrels hasten their preparations as nature shifts to self-preservation mode for the long, cold season ahead….

  The fragile, silvery strand caught a splinter of light, momentarily shimmering and glistening in the summer sun.  As the wind began to roil and swirl, the spider’s silk became untethered, taking flight upon the breeze.  An almost invisible moment became apparent.  A…