A common prover goes like this: “the early bird catches the worm.” However, this morning, the “early bird” is me and I spy a new fangled caterpillar, not a “worm!”
A favorite, low key activity I enjoy is rising early, drinking my jasmine green tea, and taking a leisurely walking tour of my garden just because. If I’ve taken the time to change into my garden clothes, I habitually keep a pair of gardening clippers in my back pocket.
On this particular humid and almost warm spring morning, I was feeling down about an additional autoimmune diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Yuck! Nevertheless, my garden never fails to cheer me up, so to outside I escaped.
I was engrossed in the simple snip, snip, snipping (deadheading) task when an early morning ray of sunlight highlighted what I thought looked like a caterpillar chewing away on my snap dragons. Immediately my sour mood turned sweet as I peered closer to examine more closely the show. I did not recognize the caterpillar as one I usually see on my flowers and for whom I deliberately plant host varieties. I quickly snapped a picture of my new friend and excitedly went in to investigate to which butterfly this caterpillar belonged!
Lo and behold, I found out that the common Buckeye Butterfly, whose caterpillars like to feed on the leaves and blooms of snapdragons, is common in our plains areas. I was thrilled, and upon examination of more snapdragons, I found these lovely hungry creatures on almost every stem! This new found discovery and subsequent research made my day and week, because everyday since, I’ve eagerly searched for more of my little buddies! Dead heading my snap dragons was thus out of the question until these tiny new guests had their fill!
A hospitable garden is not only for people’s enjoyment but for all the other visitors (creatures) needing something to eat, a place to call a temporary respite, and a home for nurturing the next stage in their lives.
Even fullsome generosity to the tiniest of visitors fills my heart and kicks out the moody blues!
What’s your special, quirky way of cheering up?
Over in the garden,
Under a tree
I saw some fuzzy caterpillars
One, two, three.
Over in the garden, under the moon
Each caterpillar spun herself a cocoon.
Over in the garden, right before my eyes,
Those caterpillars all turned
into butterflies