Critters

I never considered myself to be scared of bugs. Until I moved. In California I was familiar with the spiders who might wander across the wall and the pests who might infest my garden. I knew how to deal with them. When possible, I would escort home intruders out rather than to an other world. I was no Jain*, but I did what I could. Then I left the state. Bugs are different now. I was sitting outside reading the other evening and gazed up at our tomato plant. It and the herbs I planted are going totally bonkers and I admired their growth. Then I noticed the tomato plant seemed especially dynamic. I walked over to it and as if from a scene in a movie complete with urgent chords from the string section, I focused on not one, not two, but FOUR caterpillars munching away. On my plant! Jerks! I tried to shake them loose but they reared their heads back and cackled. These were The Very Hungry Caterpillar variety guys. (Found out later they're loopers. Or JERK-loopers.) I didn't know what to do so I got scissors and snipped off the already devoured stems and tossed them feet away. Showed them. Then, I was examining my herbs and was startled by not a bug, but an amphibian. Just a cute little tree frog, right? Yet terrifying to me. I left this guy alone only to be greeted by him again today. That's him above. Heebie jeebies, that's all.

*Jain Monks strictly observe the following rules:
1- Principles of non-violence in its entirety.
2-A Jain Monk does not stir out to beg alms if it is raining because it may injure insects crawling on the grounds. in the process he may starve for days together but he does not mind.
3-They always stay without light, lest the insects might assemble and be scorched with the heat of light.
4-They always hold a strip of cloth against their mouth while speaking so that even minutest insect should not be tortured by their vocal vibrations.