Not Participating At All

   The other day, I found a caterpillar just crawling down the garden path.  It was not devouring my plants, not pupating, not doing much of anything other than taking a stroll.  Well now, my fine friend, you cannot stroll down the busy garden path without some danger.  Too many of us are making trips through the garden these days.  I picked up the fuzzy, prickly critter and pondered just what to do with it.  I wondered if it had fallen from the gum tree or had merely rode in on my shoulder.  I had just been working near the shiny berry bushes and could have inadvertently become "attached" to the fuzzy thing.  A quick decision was made to move the caterpillar to safety even if it meant transporting it to a new territory.  Its wellbeing was more assured anywhere off this garden path.

  I toted my new friend down to the shiny berry bushes and carefully placed it among the branches.  It immediately dropped to the ground.  Hmmm....I tried again.  The caterpillar was put back on a branch.  Down it went.  Critter!  You are not participating in this safety measure at all!!!

  This all black woolly bear caterpillar will soon become a Giant Leopard Moth.  The critter is unlike the other woolly bears that have the red or reddish brown stripe.  Those weather predictors are a completely different sort.  Our solid black one refuses to be a part of such folkloric nonsense!  It has decided to leave the weather predictions to its doppelgangers, the Tiger Moths.  The Leopard Moth caterpillar has no time for such foolishness!  It has a goal to meet! 

  Perhaps I stymied the poor caterpillar in its goal to find a place to pupate.  After the third time of the critter dropping to the ground, it was left to its own accord.  I had already interrupted its life enough.  Hopefully, it found a safe place among the leaf litter under the shiny berry bushes to continue its life. It would be lovely to see the lovely moth in a couple of weeks....if it wishes to participate.