The Hickory Tussock Caterpillar

Hickory tussock caterpillar

When my youngest was little, there were certain words she had trouble pronouncing. Me being a wordy, I had to correct her. We once were in the sewing center. She was crawling around and pulled herself up on the chair and babbled something. I asked her to slow down and enunciate so I could understand her. And she did. We never spoke baby talk to her. She would have called this a “capetiller”. There were mazagines” and “hopistol”. “Ambliance” and “swanich”. These are wonderful memories.

This particular “capetiller” was rummaging around in the leaves by the campfire at Beaver Creek State Park yesterday morning. It’s one of those that can leave you with an itchy rash much like poison ivy so it’s best to leave them alone. There are several caterpillars that sting and irritate the skin so you should wear gardening gloves when picking up leaves this time of year.

The drive home from camping was uneventful. It was getting dark by the time we hit Parkersburg so we took the camper over to Mr. FixIt’s house and we’ll clean it out today. I emptied the tanks and the clean water reservoir. Now we can winterize it.

I’m truly looking forward to some down time. It will give me time to reflect on the wonderful people I’ve met, the beautiful sites I have seen, and the wonderful times I have shared with family and friends and especially with Mr. FixIt. I am so blessed. ❤️

“and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭33:4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

6 thoughts on “The Hickory Tussock Caterpillar

  1. Yesterday was so sad. I had watched enough tv and was getting emotional, more so than I knew I could handle. I turned the tv off and stepped outside with the dog. I noticed some black movement in the yard and it was a caterpillar. The oddest thing happened, a bee started dive bombing it and then landed on it, I can only imagine that it was stinging it. The caterpillar was somewhat paralyzed and then started moving like lightning. The bee followed and landed once more on it and I thought to myself, even in nature, one isn’t safe. Here I was trying to get away from the Las Vegas tragedy and just sit outside to enjoy some little thing and this happened. I wondered last night if either of them had met their demise. I have to say, I have never seen a bee attack a caterpillar. It was like watching a train wreck.

    1. Cindy, this summer I was cooking in the kitchen and I heard the worst racket out on the back porch. It was a really large bee wrestling with a really large locust. The bee won. Nature surprises us. Evil shocks us. Some people have so much evil in them, the light is driven out. The tragedy in Las Vegas tears the hearts of good people. It was smart of you to get up and take a break from it. ❤️

    1. I have such a horrible time with “re-entry”! I miss everyone and everything and the owls and the campfire wich I loved and hated at the same time. Can’t wait to see you again!!!❤️

  2. How fortunate I am to have found Marshmallow Ranch and to have a “feel good” place to go to when reading Ginny”s words.
    Thank you.

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