Look but Don't Touch!

Dear Diary,

This is a banner year for apples.  My trees are weighed down with them and  Matt stopped by to pick a basket full for his pigs.  I will bring a basket to the Shaker Village in October to press into cider.  We noticed that the old apple tree was so loaded with apples that one of the branches had broken under the weight of them.

As I inspected the damage, I found this furry little fellow crawling on one of the apples.  It is one of the several varieties of Tussock Moth caterpillars.  I think this one usually prefers Hickory trees but there it was in the apple tree.  I was careful to not touch it as those spikes contain an irritant that can cause a nasty rash, especially in children who can't resist touching them.

Some people are like the Tussock Moth caterpillar I think, you can never get too close to them.  A defense for a fragile ego I suspect.  I remember my grandmother saying to not worry about such people when I encountered them.  They are fighting a battle and it is with themselves not you.  I believe she was right.