Don't touch!

By now, everybody knows that when there is anything new (to me) or even remotely interesting, to yell "Daniela, come, and bring your camera!"  Sometimes I just come across pretty things.  The good thing about being in our little town is I can grab my camera whenever I want (something I can't do in the city).

 

One day I found a strange, huge, hairy caterpillar-looking thing.  From her house, Papi's Mom said it looked like I was taking a picture of the papaya leaf, which she found strange since the plant didn't even have any mature papayas on it.  She yelled out her door, "Daniela, what are you taking a picture of?"  Thinking that she would find it strange that I was always taking pictures of what they find silly because it is 'normal' to them, I said "oh, just a worm or something."  She asked, "what kind of worm?" and started walking towards me.  I said "Don't worry, I'm smart, I'm holding it by its hairs so that it can't bite, if it is the kind that bites."  About halfway to my house she started yelling "put it down! Daniela! Put it down NOW!" 



 

 

After being relieved that I did listen, and that I was still alive, she informed me that just touching the hairs can make you very sick.  I had never heard of such things, and she kind of knew that I didn't believe her.  So, knowing that I was going to get a picture, she put it on the end of the stick and tried to set it on the papaya leaf for me.   I got a great picture, if I say so myself. 

 

And then, I went to my friend Google to prove that that was nonsense about scary caterpillars.  Ooops. What she warned of was right there on the list of symptoms of contact... bad headaches, nausea, rapid heart rate, strong body pains.. and redness, swelling, and bleeding where it touched you.  Great, even the pretty caterpillars are out to get me!  From now on, poke or pick up everything with a long stick. Got it.