Don't come another step closer!

...Or I'll attack!

Of course, everyone knows caterpillars can't attack, but the way this one was waving its head around, it kind of looked like an attack-cat.   This is a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar and while it doesn't attack, it's fuzzy white "spines" can cause a very painful allergic reaction for many people.  With that in mind, and because it was cold outside, I used gloves to pick the little guy up and move him to a better location to pupate.  With any luck, he'll emerge next spring as a hickory tussock moth.

I took this with the new 300 mm lens and then cropped it a bit.  Yep, still lovin' this lens.  Also got a nice close up of a butter-butt who posed for a couple of nano-seconds before flitting off.  I found a huge queen bumble bee trying to get some nectar out of one of the dead dahlias today and glimpsed a couple of tiny spiders warming up on the patio. Kind of surprising given that last night's low temp was 24 F!

Our lower yard is filled with acorns right now - in our 14 years here, I've never seen so many acorns come down.  The squirrels and chipmunks are going to have plenty of food for the winter assuming they hustle down there and gather some of the bounty.  In fact, wish they'd get busy as it's kind of difficult walking down there at the moment with all the nuts.

Had my annual "women's wellness" exam today - and next week it's time for the annual mammogram.  Which is kind of perfect since this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Ladies, if you haven't already done it, please be sure to get the ta-tas checked!

Happy Monday...