Matylda the House Spider

Let me introduce you to a very good friend of mine-- everyone, this is Matylda...

(click for larger)

the guardian spider who watches over my house and hangs out (literally) in a corner of my kitchen window on the outside. I've watched her grow up for many months now and weave many webs-- always coming back to this spot even after the rains have washed away all of her beautiful and laborious weavings.

We've communed for many hours hanging out like that-- me drinking my tea and daydreaming while looking through her onto the backyard jasmine vines crawling up the fence and beyond to the Oakland hills. Her name just came to me one day. Who knows why-- I really don't consider myself the type to name every living thing that comes into my path, but somehow, she just is Matylda.

I felt compelled to look up the meaning behind the name Matylda and found:

Matylda means powerful battler. (The English form is Mathilda.)

I feel quite fortunate to have her watching over me (or so it seems to be)...