Ever wonder why they say "Do not judge a book by its cover!"? There is good reason. First, with people even the dowdiest of us can have a good heart while those dressed to the nines with all of the niceties of life can have an underlying mean streak. It does not depend on what you look like, what you wear or who you pretend to be, the truth of your being lies in how you treat others. It is best to just not judge at all methinks.
In the critter world, the same can be said about some of the most evil-looking ones out there. A critter does not have to be flashy, sweet-looking or be as innocent as a lamb to be helpful. (Good thing about critters, however, is that they do not pretend to be anything but what they are and they don't expect you to be anything but who you are.) Some can be our allies without ever making an effort to shout out how good they are. Once such critter has been dubbed a quite fierce name and can bite the bejeebies out of you but is still to be considered a friend. In the garden today, I found such an ally. The critter quietly climbed on a ruby lily leaf as it hunted. While I was watering the plants, I had a "bird's eye view" of the creature and was fully amazed at its stealth. Slowly, it went from plant to plant completely oblivious to my presence.
The critter was an Assassin Bug. Even though this critter can pack a punch with its bite, it usually will try to avoid a person. They have no interest in humans because they are far too big to eat! The Assassin Bug has a rather large fang (yes, just one) that it uses to repeatedly stab its prey. Once caught, that prey is held tightly with the Assassin Bug's long front legs as it jabs and stabs it. Then, it sucks the insides out of the dead insect. So, how is this helpful? It reduces the need for insecticides in the garden. Assassin Bugs do not eat plants...they eat destructive insects that wreak havoc on the garden.
The rather mean looking Assassin Bug is a true friend. Its appearance lets on that it is one thing but its actions reveal its true worth. Too bad people cannot see that. Too bad people cannot see that about other people. Folks, just be nice. It does not cost anything, does not take much of your time and the rewards are plenteous. Don't judge a book (or anything else, for that matter) by its cover.
Pop used pull out the morning glories that would come up in the flower beds. He was meticulous about his gardens and whatever he deemed a weed was immediately pulled and trashed. However, he did allow them to grow on the fence lines where I admired their loveliness. His gardens were the talk of the town for their beauty and neatness. I can only imagine that he cringes when he looks down upon my feeble attempts at raising plants. I love them but I also do not have the heart to pull out anything that blooms or looks interesting. I figure if a plant is determined to grow in the garden, then I should not be the one to judge its worthiness.
This morning as Mr. PJ (the old dog) and I were out strolling the hillside, I found a tiny morning glory that was bound and determined to be its best. As a seed, the little thing had had the misfortune to be cast in the lawn instead of the soft dirt of the garden. Still, it sprouted and tried to compete with the sod. The whole vine was not more than a foot long but it had a bloom! One of the deepest, richest purple blooms that I have ever seen was on that tiny vine! The flower was tattered and torn but, in my book, it still just as lovely as a floral shop rose! I was so impressed by the tenacity of the volunteer plant that I figured I will put a nix on anyone cutting the grass until the plant is finished doing its plant thing.
Sometimes we just have to keep on "keepin' on" even though the road is a tough travel. The little plant, this morning, let me know that no matter the challenges, there is always a way. The strength will come. So...when things look grim...be a morning glory!
