You may love Halloween, but I’m here to tell you that nature is spookier than any of those artificial ghouls and goblins. It’s true. And the best part? You don’t have to wait until October to experience all things creepy. Instead, simply take a walk around my neighborhood.
CARE TO JOIN ME?
I came upon this spooky sight while hiking around a lake near my house.
I thought these birds were getting ready to attack something, but then I did a bit of research. I learned vultures spread their wings to increase the surface area of their bodies so the sun can warm them. This is called the “horaltic pose” – completely harmless, but scary just the same.
THE NEXT ONE WILL GIVE YOU THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES
So, if you are squeamish, you might want to skip down a couple of paragraphs.
This is a green caterpillar known as a hornworm, and it can destroy a tomato garden. The white spikes are little wasp cocoons. Here’s how this works: A female Braconid wasp (tiny thing and harmless to humans), lands on the hornworm and lays her eggs just under the worm’s skin. As the eggs hatch, they chew their way to the surface (meals on wheels!) and puff out into these white cocoons that look like rice. They will hatch into wasps, which are very good for the garden. Meanwhile, the hornworm grows weaker and weaker until it dies, preventing any additional damage to the plant.
I love to see nature at work, but hornworms with wasp eggs give me goosebumps every time.
NEXT UP? SOMETHING SINISTER ON THE EAST COAST
These are spotted lanternflies.
They hitchhiked into the United States and are a plague on the East Coast. I have hundreds of them crawling all over my maple trees. They don’t sting or bite, but these planthoppers do nibble their way through crops and trees and leave behind masses of sticky gray putty filled with eggs. Wildlife experts tell us to kill as many lanternflies as we can to stop their sinister path of destruction, and I’m doing my part. You’ll find me trolling my trees with a fly swatter and squirt bottle filled with vinegar and water most afternoons.
AND WHAT’S MORE HORRIFYING THAN A CREEPY SPIDER?
Although I was terrified, I got close enough to photograph about 200 baby spiders hidden in a plant off my front walkway.
I was tempted to poke the web with a stick to see what would happen, but then I noticed the mamma staring at me through the leaves.
I backed away slowly and avoided the walkway until I was certain the fanged, eight-legged creatures had left their post. I am sure we will meet again when spring rolls around, and I’m shaking already.
SCARY GOOD
Speaking of spiders…. My yellow garden spider freaks out most people. To me, she’s magical.
The garden spider is also known as the writing spider because of the zig-zag patterns she weaves. Some gardeners say if you disturb her web, she’ll write your name in it, and death will soon follow. Not exactly the feel-good “Charlotte’s Web” story you read as a kid, right? I like her because she eats mosquitos and other pesky insects. Bugs should fear her, but this bizarre beauty is welcome in my garden any time.
A FIERCE FEAST
While I’m having a little creative fun with you, how about looking at the creepy snacks I made?
The pumpkins are simply clementines with a stalk of celery. The monsters are made of sliced green apples, pumpkin seed teeth tucked into peanut butter, a slice of strawberry for the tongue, and googly eyes I picked up in the baking section of the grocery store.
AND ONE MORE THING
I recently ran into this strange fellow outside a local restaurant.
Could he be the man of my dreams? No way. I could never date this guy. It’s not that he’s creepy. I just could never date a man whose makeup is better than mine.
Happy Halloween, Everyone!
“I’m the ghost with the most, babe.”— Beetlejuice