SCIENCE is IN THE HOUSE!

This morning as I got ready to leave for work, I spotted something dark on my Kitchen ceiling. I figured it was a moth or something - harmless, but when I got closer, I saw it was a caterpillar hanging upside down, like they do when they are getting ready to wrap themselves up and become a butterfly or a moth.

NOT IN MY KITCHEN! I have NO FOOD for you, little one!

I tried to gently remove him to relocate him outside, but he was stuck real good. When I got home tonight, he was still there:

Yeah, it's a little fuzzy, but I was standing on a chair, holding the camera above my head with my little finger against the ceiling to keep it from moving too much. You people have no idea ...

That shot was taken at 6:03 pm. I just went into the Kitchen to start slicing and dicing stuff for my pot luck dishes for tomorrow, and look at THIS:

This was 7:47 pm. EEEEK!

This morning, one of the guys at work suggested I set up a camera on a tripod at ceiling height to record the progression, at which time I invited him to bring his in tomorrow, and we'd come home at lunch time to set it up. He wasn't buying it.

So this poor thing is now going to transform into a flying creature in the next 10 days or so. I thought about putting up some netting - tacking it to the ceiling - so when he appears he won't fly around the house if I'm at work and I can just take him outside when I get home. Hmmm ...

I read that when they first emerge, their wings are wet and they need to unfold and dry, which is why they hang upside down. If the wings get stuck against a branch, they will dry bent and the butterfly will never fly - he'll die. So sad. I know, the circle of life ... but I want this one to LIVE!

Oh, and I have a cat. So if this becomes a flying thing and I am not at home and the cat tries to catch it (if she even notices it) ... I could home to utter destruction.

I shall provide updates as they happen. This could get interesting.

I need to go slice and dice my veggies now. I'm making tomato+basil+mozz thingies and also Panzanella salad. :)

Thanks for stopping by!