The second egg sac appeared 15 days after the first, so I expect they'll to hatch around the 5th. But the web is in quite a state of disrepair, getting more ragged over the last week. Hopefully the web can hang on a little longer for the second brood to hatch. Maybe we'll have Halloween spiderlings?

I don't appreciate their scattering technique, but now I know what to expect. They're definitely going to get licked off the doorframe by the dog if he spots them. The volume strategy of survival certainly exists for this reason. Plus, second egg sac still to hatch! (I think).

Without small joys like spending an evening playing a boardgame with friends, I'd be so burned out that I'd be ashes.

I don't have any answers, just appreciation for the outlets like that exist and the people I can share them with while we struggle onward.

I don't know what specific species Tabitha is nor what to expect here. Two dozen small babies that scatter immediately? A whole lot that stick around? More egg sacs? Will Tabitha survive the winter to fascinate me again next year? Do I need do relocate my door so I can go out without disturbing her?

It occurs to me now that perhaps Tabitha should be paying some kind of rent. I understand she is likely out here as a single mother-to-be, and I'm not unreasonable, so perhaps 10-15 more dead lanternflies a week? Seems fair.