Friday, March 31, 2017

Stay Off the Menu


yellow wooly bear caterpillar


To the Virginian Tiger Moth on our front porch:

I remember last autumn, when you were a Yellow Wooly Bear caterpillar gorging on the plants in our flowerbed. Maybe you knew you'd be on a diet all winter. When your appetite was satisfied, you set out on the longest journey of your short life, trudging across the patio bricks with a purpose. You scaled the porch step, slogged across the porch, and climbed up the window frame all the way to the top.




There you found your perfect niche, and you constructed a fuzzy winter home.


Virginian tiger moth


This week, I noticed that the front of your dwelling had been opened, and that's when I saw you, 
pristine white, clothed in your miniature ermine coat. 


tree frog on window


You probably thought you'd chosen a safe place to rest, but I have a warning for you. On rainy nights, the green tree frogs that you hear singing from the pond sneak up to the porch to dine on creatures like you who are attracted by the house lights.

It's raining tonight. But don't worry, we'll leave the lights off for you.


Linking with Saturday's Critters