Thursday, August 11, 2011

Don't Wake the Caterpillars



The butterfly milkweed thrived in our flower garden in June.



The blossoms are gone now, and a troop of fuzzy little caterpillars discovered the plant, and ate every last leaf, until they were left clinging to bare stalks.  I felt sorry for the hungry things, so yesterday I transferred them all to a milkweed plant on the other side of the house.  Maybe I did it as penance for the 57 green tomato hornworms I killed with a scissors one year. I still shudder to think of it. Anyway, I think they were grateful (the fuzzy ones, that is) and they're getting settled into their new digs.

Last night, the nearly full moon lit puffy white clouds overhead, and from the pond, frogs sang at the top of their lungs.


                                                     Quiet, you bullfrogs
                                             don't wake the caterpillars
                                                     asleep 'neath the moon.