brown and furry

The girls found a little something on their walk today...it was brown and furry and racing across the sidewalk...they brought it in - "It's cold! We need to warm it up!"  We checked the Handbook of Nature Study to see what they had to say about woolly bears, and I'm glad we did. Apparently this time of year they have eaten most of what they will before they cozy into some spot to winter over.  They won't make their cocoons until it begins to warm up in the spring, and keeping them inside over the winter is not a good idea, as they'll think it's spring...So we set up some living quarters for her (her name is Spike) and took some time to observe her, and now she is living on our porch.

They don't eat much at this time of year, but just in case she was hungry (she was), we transplanted some clover and grass into the bottom of the jar.  

Eliza said, "I love having seasonal pets!"

Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry,
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk,
Or what not, 
Which may be the chosen spot.

No toad spy you,
Hovering bird of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.

~Christina Rossetti