- from “Bells are Ringing” by Cole Porter

Most of you know that for many years, I have had a party - usually themed - every three months. Back in the 80’s, my boss at the National Theatre had told me to always invite to a party three times as many people as you actually want to entertain. So I would invite my 500 best friends and generally had anywhere from 50 to 200; not sure, but old Tinyletters might have the answer.

Last night was last one I’ll host. Attendance was quite short compared to prior years (prior meaning “before Covid”), but the nice part about that was the conversations we had, and me not having to flit about so much. I’m not sure, but think the last partygoers left around 11, and I spent the next half hour or so turning off lights, putting away the few leftovers, and returning chairs to their usual places.

As I was coming back from the gazebo for the last time, the beam of my cellphone light picked up a bright reflection of something tiny and black. Turns out they were the eyeballs of a fuzzy black caterpillar which had red stripes between the tufts of black fuzz. I considered picking it up to study it a bit more, but then remembered something that made me hesitate: when I worked at Mercer University, one of the secretaries was stung by a fuzzy white caterpillar that somehow got in the door, under her desk, and climbed partway up her leg. Her leg swelled up so much that she had to use crutches for several weeks.

I tried to take a picture of the black caterpillar, but apparently with my “smart” phone I can either take a picture in the dark or I can use the flashlight feature. All the pictures I took turned out as black rectangles; the flashlight icon greys itself out when I select the camera icon. I went into the house and brought back a paper plate left over from the party, tipped my fuzzy bug onto it with a leaf, and got 4 or 5 pictures - which are largely disappointing because he would not pose, just lay on the plate, tightly curled up. I tried reassuring him, but to no avail. I took him back out to the spot where I’d found him, and he disappeared under the foliage.

I did an online search for “fuzzy black caterpillars (from whence the above picture came), and found out the name is Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar. Unmolested, he will eventually become one of these:

Is that not absolutely beautiful?

I think I would like to buy a pair of night-vision glasses (someone told me they are quite inexpensive now) and roam around the back-back more at night. It could beat watching (over and over again) MidSomer Murders reruns, and sure as hell would beat watching the depressing news out of Washington. Which reminds me, I need to make some calls to my spineless “representatives” in the morning.

Ciao,

Lucy