There’s always the possibility, when one is Out and About, of meeting a kindred spirit moving through the dimension with something like a parallel purpose. No matter how often this might happen, I don’t remember it very often when I embark. It takes that sudden moment of recognition in the presence of one to reawaken the spark of companionship and adventure that these confluences allow.
Today my fellow traveler and I were both in search of tall grass, it seems. I’d gone to the home improvement store to buy cabinet latches, but having discovered recently that it’s the end of the main plant season at many such places here in north Texas, I always make room if I can for a few minutes’ perusal of the mark-down racks of plants; having determined that there’s no room in the budget for major garden renovation, I’m equally determined that I won’t leave the current yard completely untouched. The one-dollar bonanza becomes a greater than ever enticement.
Last time I did that sort of shopping I was lucky enough to find a batch of half-dead baby crape myrtle plants marked down to almost nothing and in just a few days of careful and shaded watering and pruning I’ve managed to revive them to a surprising degree. With that encouragement, I dove back into the store’s leafy aisles and found, today, a half-dozen pots of scrawny native grasses. Hurray! Just what I’ve been seeking lately, once again. These, too, were far past their peak but potentially rescuable.
Some fellow travelers don’t even seem to mind hanging around with an old bag on a shopping trip . . .
It was when I got up to the cashier’s counter that I looked down at my shopping cart and saw a big grasshopper gazing back at me. Whether with curiosity or challenge, I wasn’t quite sure: it had obviously grown ‘attached’ to the grasses I was carrying and mightn’t have been too well pleased that I rudely stole them from the shelves like that. But the bug wasn’t so awfully put out, after all, because it clearly enjoyed its new landing spot on my old carrying bag and enough so that it plainly didn’t want to let go when I tried to encourage such a move. It took me some serious effort to pluck the thing away from the bag, and I must admit I was moved to contemplate whether I might not have felt exactly the same had our positions been reversed.
Yes, I still flicked the creature away. Our mild-to-nonexistent last winter here has left us with enormous populations of all sorts of insects, not least of all grasshoppers that in parts of Texas are reaching fairly near to Biblical plague proportions. I’ve seen plenty of evidence that while our grasshoppers haven’t yet reached such an outlandish census level, they’re in large enough forces that they’re lunching and munching exuberantly on our property as it is, so I didn’t see a great need to import yet another diner to our all-you-can-eat buffet.
Now we shall see whether I can get these past-prime grasses I captured to revive enough to settle in thoroughly to their new home here. I don’t doubt there will be plenty of insects right on hand, not least of all more big, hardy grasshoppers, munching away on them as they grow here too. We’re all really on this big journey together, after all.
Art-Colored Glasses 
Great shots of the traveller! I hope that your grasses do well. 🙂
Thanks, Ted. That grasshopper was a beaut. I hope the grasses can survive, too. Only time (and watering) will tell!!
What incredible shots you got of your little fellow traveller. My 3 fur babies would help keep the population down as they love hunting grasshoppers and snacking on them!
I look forward to seeing your rehabilitated grasses soon.
Have a beautiful day dear Kathryn.
🙂 Mandy xo
Oh, yes, I don’t doubt any of the local kitties would have happily munched this one too; I saw what looked like a cat with giant whiskers walking out from under our pear tree as soon as I got home from the store, and when I was close enough I could tell it was grasshopper legs protruding from her mouth! 😀
Wishing you beautiful days, too!
xoxo
Fantastic photos of your traveller Kathryn, with every detail so clear. And yes we are all in this together 🙂
Oh, it was such a grand little monster. I love all of the delicate markings and wild spurs and hairs and mechanical-looking joints on such insects.
I’ve crossed my fingers for your grasses-I see we share the same passion for rescuing half dead flora from shops.As an “rescue” expert I have to warn you-it may be quiet expensive at the end-you know,for it newer stops with bringing crrepy catch home-you have to provide them with some fertilizer,a new pot would look great with them,good soil is essential………but please do not give up!!!!!!!!!:-)
No, I won’t quit either–once addicted, we can’t, right? 😉 I only hope our local temperatures will cooperate just enough to let some of this bounty survive until it can truly REvive!
I wish you favorable temperatures-so these new grasses may survive ,revive and bring you joy! And ,please,do post some pics after you make them grow well 😉
After this summer, I never want to see another grasshopper as long as I live…Not that your friend isn’t photogenic, of course. 😉
My appreciation for them is reducing closer and closer to purely aesthetic as they chew their way through the greenery! 😉
You got some great shots of that critter. One is beautiful to look at, tens of thousands are not.
Exactly so! As a nacherl-born Texican, you would know this ever so well. 🙂
Incredible shots.
I’m humbled by such praise from such an outstanding photographer, Matti. Thank you! I was just very lucky this grasshopper was so tenacious that it didn’t want to move and jump away from me like they ordinarily would do!
Beautiful photography, Kathryn. I’m sure you’ll be able to nurse your grasses back to good health, especially if they are native to Texas. It is amazing how virtually indestructible they are.
Like all Texans, evidently! 😉
I’m inordinately fond of insect photos these days. I was scared of them as a kid – now, I’m learning to appreciate their very real beauty, not to mention their interesting behavior. That grasshopper clearly is appraising you, and judged you no threat.
There are vague mutterings about two systems heading our way. If we’re blessed with some rain from Ernesto or the invest off Florida, I’m sure I’ll hear your grasses (and everything else) cheering all the way down here on the coast!
Won’t it be lovely if we get some good ‘rinsing’ here! Even our gorgeous insects will love it, but the plants will certainly rejoice in the extreme.
You have made the ordinary extraordinary with this post. Appreciate the way you & your temporary traveling companion experienced an exchange of common feelings…
I do adore those moments of unexpected communion with nature!
That fellow didn’t look real … at first I though it was a wooden model of a grasshopper. Sur-real!
Considering your observations on this moment in time, and this little critter’s response to you, it seems you have a great understanding of this blue-green roundy thing we live on, and our fellow inhabitants. I’m wondering if you’ve ever read Kinship With All Life by J. Allen Boone. It’s a good read, and so was this story.