Worm update.....

So two of the three tobacco hornworms have gone underground to pupate. So I thought I was left with one who has been eating and eating and eating. Going underground any minute now. Remember, though, that these worms came from a coworker and with the worm, she brought a large Rubbermaid bin of tomato plant cuttings which have been the worm's source of food for the past two weeks. I've been pulling wilted cuttings out of the worm tank and putting fresh ones in. What I didn't know was that the fresh ones apparently had eggs on them. That's right. I've got two new baby worms. Damn. Did I mention I hate caterpillars?

Anyway, the one who is about to pupate looks like this....

The baby looks like this........

So, you can see I will need a few more leaves. Damn.

Houston, we have pupation!

So, someone at work who grows tomatoes thought it would be great if she brought me some Tobacco Hornworms to raise into moths. The kids at the library would just love it. Unfortunately, the kids do love it, oh so much and in the meantime, I'm busting my ass trying to keep these damn things alive. I've already lost one to, get this, "black death" which is apparently like the bubonic plague to caterpillars. I have three left but they need fresh leaves everyday. Fresh tomato leaves. Where the hell does one get fresh tomato leaves in October?

Anyway, the get big and fat and then they burrow under the ground and pupate and come out as hawk moths. Some of you know them as hummingbird moths for the get nectar from flowers and tend to hover. But the trick is you have to watch them carefully and get them to dirt when they are ready to pupate or it's curtains for 'em. How do we know they are ready? I'm glad you asked. First, they stop eating. Second, they leave the host plant and seem restless. Third, their heart appears. Their little hearts are really nothing but an aorta and it runs up their backs. When they are ready to pupate, you can see the dark line running up their backs and pulsating. Ewwww.

So here it is, the weekend and who's going to keep an eye on the damn worms. Me. That's who. I took them home with me. (I told them they had won a weekend at a luxury hotel. Boy, were they surprised.) Co-workers scoffed at me saying they would be fine for the weekend if I left them at the library. Well, I realized on Saturday, one of them was not eating. Didn't eat all day. Just kind of sat there upside down on a branch, but I notices he wasn't holding on with all feet. By bedtime, I went to take one last look and he was only hanging on by two sets of feet so I picked him up and turned him over. His back was a dark pulsating line. Ewwww. So I transferred him to a jar with some dirt in it, added some leaves and went to bed.

I woke up this morning just in time to see his little caterpillar butt disappear under the soil. I'll be damned if the stupid little thing isn't pupating. Cool, right? Wrong. Now I have to keep him in my fridge for the winter, making sure to take him out for light occasionally and keeping the soil moist.

Did I mention, with the unpupating ones, I have to clean their poop up twice a day or it will make them sick? I hate caterpillars.

"It's not nice to hate...."

I need to explain something to all my adoring fans who do not know the real me...

I LOVE TRASHY STUPID B-RATED HORROR MOVIES. I MEAN LOVE. LIKE "TINGLE IN MY SPECIAL PLACES" LOVE. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. IS THIS CLEAR ENOUGH? LOVE.

So, last Friday night, I realized I had no reason to get up early on Saturday. None. Seriously rare occurence in my life. Therefore, I decided to stay up late and watch bad television. Always a treat. I surfed, flipped, watched two episodes of "What Not to Wear" (little in love with Clinton) and some interview with Michael Buble who is actually really funny. Then, about midnight, I stubbled upon something. Black and white...good. Lon Chaney Jr....good. Grown women in little girl clothing...good. Spiders...good. Imbecile man kept in small confined areas...good. I think to myself, "Ooooo, Pollywog, you've happened upon a good'un." I got all settled in my recliner, pulled a blanket over me, fixed my pillow behind my head and prepared to enjoy a crappy old film. Then I promptly fell asleep. Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

Long story long but not quite as long as it could be, I found out the next morning I was watching a film called Spider Baby. It's also known as The Maddest Story Ever Told. It's also known as Attack of the Liver Eaters. It's also known as Cannibal Orgy. I knew then and there I must own it. I jumped on Amazon and ordered it. It arrived yesterday and I watched it in its entirety last night. Oh...my...God. I beyond loved it. I want to marry this movie. I'm thinking of watching it again tonight. It is the first appearance of Sid Haig who you might have seen in a Rob Zombie movie (which explains why it was on TMC. They have a program called Underground which is hosted by Rob Zombie.)

My point is if you can get your hands on this movie, please watch it. It is soooooo fucked up in the most glorious way. Would make for great October entertainment.