Underneath The Kale

I have had a groundhog-free summer in the garden. This makes me immensely happy beyond belief. I was just reading a gardening book where the author dedicated it to his nemesis, the gopher. I can relate. Maybe we can form a vermin support group.

While on high alert for these filthy piles of fur called the groundhog, I was missing a much smaller foe. The worm or caterpillar (see on the pic). I suppose that the creature above turns into an even nastier winged nefarious instrument of destruction. Jesus spoke of moths destructing wordly apparel. The mere moth, agent of doom. We put our hope in o' so flimsy things. Conservatives, many of them Christians, put their assets in gold. It just shows what they trust in...

I have to confess to being a dumb-ass. I had noticed for the last month or so holes in my Kale as if shot by a shot-gun blast. Because I am the lofty philosophical type, I did not ask the next question of what is eating it? It took a spider jumping out of the picked Kale in my kitchen for me to begin to solve the mystery like Sherlock. I thought the spider was the guilty party until my buddy, responding to my Facebook post about splatting the spider with a spatula, noted that the spider was eating whatever was eating the Kale. He is a Biology teacher. I am a School Counselor. Figures.

So, I downsized the Spider Temps (there were a couple of them who obviously were not doing the job) and peered underside the Kale leaves out back. Eeeks. It was a caterpillar convocation. I don't know how many I squeezed then or since, but it is probably over a hundred. I pinch them until there frame gives and toss them aside like butts of a cigarette.

I have noticed that once the Kale is eaten, the hole always remains. The plant may continue to grow, but is has a lot of scarring. True for Kale, true for Kids.

Two of my Kale plants, I had to strip completely because the leaves were so damaged. I have been grinding up the damaged leaves in my high-powered Cuisinart blender. In fact, I am on day 8 of Kale and other ingredient shakes. I don't like eating Veggies. Though, I can drink them down. No fruit, because pulverizing the pulp negates the slow-digestion of sugars. I do straight vegetables, shudder a bit, and get over with as soon as I can. I am sure that I have eaten some of these caterpillars although I really would rather not think about it. Serves them right. I am just getting back what is mine. Plus, some protein!

Ever since I had Lyme Disease, I have sensed my immune system has been on the ropes. I am hoping that the Kale and Co. starts to hit back. This whole deal reminds me that foes can be big or small. A lot of small opponents can do as much destruction as a couple of big enemies. The math of adversaries. Maybe it is better to have big enemies because they are easier to spot? Little compromises cause major problems. I hate to be petty but the difficulties of small things like being on time, being completely open and honest, keep the wolves at bay.

If I have noticed one thing that ruins a reputation and a career is small dishonesties piling up day-after-day. I need to take heed. I was recently in a couple of situations where two different people challenged a pronouncement that I had made quite correctly. One was good naturedly confronting me, the other was just being a pain-in-the-ass. Both were right and I was wrong even though it didn't effect their bottom-line in any manner. It took the lesson to heart.

I think everyone should have a garden. Jesus used a lot of agricultural references and we miss the inside-out nature of it all when we pile the compromised produce in our COSTCO cart. I suppose there are spiritual metaphors available in the aisles of COSTCO but the garden is where Jesus did His work.

Learn Ye' the lessons...