Halloween at the Arboretum

I hadn't planned to do a Halloween post

but this orange and black beauty was at the back door and I had no choice.

I wasn't able to identify her but surely taxonomists named her "Halloween Spider."

[Later that week... I searched again at bugguide.net and learned this really is the Halloween Spider, Araneus marmoreus!]

This is probably a female or an immature male. Adult males have enlarged pedipalps (front appendages) that look like boxing gloves.

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Autumn marches on here, with light frosts the past week, and hard freezes in the forecast.
The bend in the river has a fish-eye lens appearance.

The low water is barely moving and leaves come to rest along the far bank.

The 2-month drought spoiled much of the bright fall color so Blackgum reds are especially appreciated.

The highlight of my week was seeing the first Harbinger of Winter yesterday,

a Dark-Eyed Junco.