Sign of Fall

It must be fall. I know the calendar still says it's August, which means it is technically still summer. But the spiders around here either can't read a calendar or don't care what the actual date is. They are starting to invade the house big time, which means it is fall on the north coast of the US. However, the spiders that have been intruding into the house this year are different from the normal fall intruders. This year's interlopers are dark brown or black with rather long legs (I don't believe they are daddy long legs), instead of the yellow invaders I am used to from past years. What happened to all my yellow friends? They at least seemed able to stay in the upper corners of the rooms and keep mostly out of sight. These new invaders are all over everything. It seems that anytime I go from place to place in the house, I am being surprised by a spider web. They are strung between lamps and tables, down (or up) window frames, between the computers, across bookshelves, even in the shower if it is left unguarded for half a day.

I have always prided myself on being fairly tolerant, with a live and let live attitude. This was never a problem with the yellow spiders of the past years. (I almost started to write little yellow spiders, but they weren't very little by my definition of a spider.) But I draw the line at having to constantly brush away spider webs, especially around my head. I have tried to relocate the spiders outside, but this doesn't seem to work. Either they make it back in before I can close the door, or they know some secret entrance of which I am unaware. Maybe they are breeding in the attic! Whatever it is, they had better be on their guard, because it's no more Ms. Nice Gal. I may even get out the vacuum. I hate spider webs in my hair and face!