Evil Fucking Caterpillars!
One of the things about living in a paved over swamp is the indigenous flora and fauna. Insect life, like so much else in the bayou, is vibrant and competitive. A constant jitterbug dance of eat or be eaten with no room for wallflowers.
One such denizen of our fair city is a caterpillar. I do not know what sort of butterfly they turn into, because butterflies are unobtrusive most of the time. These damn caterpillars on the other hand are pernicious and harmful. Picture a 2-3″ long caterpillar, slightly paler than olive in it’s green, and surmounted by lace-like black spikes. The spikes fan along it’s back in rows, looking like something Granny from the Addams Family might knit, waiting to sting the exposed skin of the unwary.
These nasty little beasts come out of the Live Oaks that make our city so beautiful. They come in thousands, covering every surface and falling from the trees. You are constantly either squashing them or being stung by them for a period of several weeks. Bloody horrible, especially if you are allergic to them (as I am). Spring seems to go on for ever, even though we usually only have a day or two of “spring,” weather before the summer scorching begins.
Finally their numbers are decimated by birds, wasps, people like me, chemicals, and general causes to numerous to list. It is a banner day when you can walk outside and only step on two or three between your front door and the car. A week ago it was at least thirty. The passing of the little bastards is a wonderful thing.
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