| I was driving around the eleven mile loop road through
Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park when I spotted a
number of spider webs suspended shrub to shrub, glistening in the new
light of day. I had arrived at the entrance gate to the loop road before
dawn. Shortly the ranger opened the gate. This cove is an enchanting
setting when it is enveloped with creeping pockets of morning fog. It
seems to hang magically over the ground. Early morning finds deer
emerging from the misty, awakening forest as they venture out into the
fields to browse. Making my way slowly along my course through the cove,
I was filled with anticipation for my first photographic opportunity of
the day. The suspense did not last very long. It never does in Cades
Cove! As I rounded a curve in the road, the rays of the morning sun
revealed the glittering workmanship of some ambitious orb-weaving
spiders. Their creative effort was made more visible by the crystalline
brilliance of the sparkling dewdrops condensed on the slender spindles
of silk. |
