“What the heck is that?”
That’s what I said – out loud – even though I was alone in the woods when I saw what looked like a large, red-freckled cotton ball perched on the end of a white oak twig.
kAmp =:EE=6 C6D62C49[ 2?5 x 7@F?5 E96 2?DH6C]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2 82==]k^Am
kAm$A64:7:42==J[ 2 H@@= D@H6C 82==[ H9:49 :D D@>6E:>6D 42==65 2? @2< D665 82==]k^Am
kAm%96 6?E@>@=@8J 56A2CE>6?E 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 z6?EF4<J 56D4C:365 :E 2D 2 “E@2DE65 >2CD9>2==@H[” H9:49 >2<6D D@>6 D6?D6 3642FD6 :E :D 2 H9:E6[ >2CD9>2==@H\D:K65 32== DEF4< @? E96 6?5 @7 2 3C2?49] qFE x 5@?’E <?@H 2?J3@5J H9@ H@F=5 H2?E E@ DBF:D9 :E 36EH66? 49@4@=2E6 2?5 8C292> 4C24<6CD]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 E9:D “>2CD9>2==@H” :D C62==J 2 (@@= $@H6C v2== (2DA ?FCD6CJ]k^Am
kAm%92E’D C:89E[ :E’D 2 H2DA ?FCD6CJ]k^Am
kAmx?D:56 :D 2 H9@=6 3C@@5 @7 (@@= $@H6C v2== (2DAD]k^Am
kAm%96 D4:6?E:7:4 ?2>6 7@C E9:D D>2== 3=24<\3@5:65 H2DA H:E9 2 5:DE:?8F:D9:?8 9F>A65 324< :D k6>mr2==:C9JE:D D6>:?2E@C]k^6>mk^Am
kAmxE 2=@?6 92D E96 A@H6C E@ 4C62E6 H@@= D@H6C 82==D @? H9:E6 @2< EC66D] p?5 :E @?=J 5@6D D@ :? E96 DAC:?8]k^Am
kAmv2==D 2C6 H6:C5[ 23?@C>2= @FE8C@HE9D @? 2?J A2CE @7 2 A=2?E[ 7C@> E96 =62G6D 2?5 7=@H6CD E@ 3C2?496D[ EH:8D[ 3F5D 2?5 C@@ED]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 >2?J EJA6D 2?5 7@C>D[ 7C@> 3C@H? A2A6C\=:<6 32==D[ E@ 7FKKJ 7=@H6C\=:<6 7@C>2E:@?D 2?5 6G6? DA:?5=6 82==D E92E =@@< =:<6 E9:4<[ 4@=@C65 92:CD 8C@H:?8 @? 2 =627] %96J 8@ 3J 2== <:?5D @7 DEC2?86 ?2>6D[ =:<6 C@=J A@=J 82==D[ @2< 2AA=6 82==D[ G6:? A@4<6E 82==D[ ;F>A:?8 @2< 82==D[ 9@C?65 @2< 82==D 2?5 >2?J[ >2?J @E96CD]k^Am
kAmv2==D 2C6 E9@F89E E@ 36 42FD65 3J 6?KJ>6D 8:G6? @77 3J :>>2EFC6 :?D64ED @C >:E6D]k^Am
kAm%96 :?D64E’D A@H6C7F= 6?KJ>6D :?E6C24E H:E9 A=2?E 9@C>@?6D 2?5 42? 5C2>2E:42==J 2=E6C E96 A=2?E’D E:DDF6 2?5 7@C> 2 82== 7@C E96 :?D64E’D 36?67:E]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D ?@E D@>6E9:?8 E92E E96 :?D64E 5@6D – :E’D D@>6E9:?8 E92E E96 :?D64E >2<6D E96 A=2?E 5@[” D2:5 {:D2 |] p>6D[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 9@>6@H?6C :?D64E 2?5 H665D 5:28?@DE:4D =23 2E &?:G6CD:EJ @7 v6@C8:2]k^Am
kAmp>6D 92D 2? :?E6C6DE:?8 DE@CJ 23@FE 9@H D96 7:CDE >6E E9:D H2DA]k^Am
kAm“x C646:G65 2 D2>A=6 E9C@F89 E96 >2:= 7C@> 2 9@>6@H?6C H9@ H2?E65 E@ <?@H H92E E96D6 H6C6 @? 96C @2< EC66D 2?5 H96E96C E96J 2C6 92C>7F= @C ?@E[” p>6D D2:5]k^Am
kAm$@ D96 E@@< A9@E@D @7 E96 82==D 2?5 AFE E96> 324< :? E96 D2>A=6 328 :? 42D6 D96 ?66565 E96> 7@C E6249:?8 AFCA@D6D]k^Am
kAm“$6G6C2= 52JD =2E6C[ x 962C5 E9:D <:?5 @7 E:4<:?8 ?@:D6[ 2?5 H96? x =@@<65 2C@F?5 E96 @77:46 x 7@F?5 :E … 2 3F?49 @7 =:EE=6 H2DAD 925 6>6C865 2?5 H6C6 :? E96 328] %92E’D 9@H x <?6H E96J 42>6 7C@> E9:D A2CE:4F=2C 82==[ 3642FD6 x 962C5 E96> :? >J @77:46]”k^Am
kAmp>6D E@@< E96 A9@E@ @7 E96 H2DA A:4EFC65 :? E9:D DE@CJ 367@C6 D96 D6E E96 H2DAD 7C66]k^Am
kAm“%96J’C6 AC6EEJ D>2== 4@>A2C65 E@ E96 D:K6 @7 E96 82==[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 82== 96=AD E96 3F8D :? D6G6C2= H2JD[ :?4=F5:?8 AC@G:5:?8 ?FEC:6?ED E@ E96 J@F?8 8CF3 5:?:?8 @? E96 :??6C E:DDF6 @7 E96 82== 2?5 AC@G:5:?8 2 D276[ AC@E64E:G6 6?G:C@?>6?E 7@C E96 56G6=@A:?8 :?D64E :? :ED >@DE GF=?6C23=6 =2CG2 DE286]k^Am
kAmp3@FE f_ A6C46?E @7 <?@H? 82== H2DAD 7@C> 82==D 6I4=FD:G6=J @? 5:776C6?E EJA6D @7 @2< EC66D] %96 @E96C b_ A6C46?E FD6 5:776C6?E DA64:6D @7 3FD96D 2?5 EC66D 7@C 82== AC@5F4E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 >2A=6D[ C@D6 3FD96D[ 2 ?F>36C @7 5:776C6?E 96C3D 2?5 6F42=JAEFD EC66D]k^Am
kAm(@@= D@H6C 82== H2DAD 2C6 E9@F89E E@ 92G6 2 4@>A=6I =:764J4=6 E92E :?G@=G6D 4C62E:?8 5:776C6?E EJA6D @7 82==D :? 2=E6C?2E:?8 86?6C2E:@?D] %96 H2DA E92E 6>6C86D 7C@> 2 H@@= D@H6C 82== =:<6=J H:== =2J 688D E92E 4C62E6 2?@E96C EJA6 @7 82==] xED 8C2?549:=5[ :? EFC?[ H:== =2J :ED 688D @? 2 H9:E6 @2< EH:8 2?5 4C62E6 2 ?6H H@@= D@H6C 82==]k^Am
kAm%96 H@@= D@H6C 82== :D 24EF2==J 2 8C@FA @7 D>2==[ 92:C\=:<6 82==D 2== ;@:?65 2E E96 46?E6C] qJ 8C@H:?8 @FEH2C5 7C@> 2 D:?8=6 =@42E:@?[ E96J 7@C> E96 H9:E6[ H@@=J 32== H6 D66] x?D:56 E96 82== 2C6 D>2== “D665D]” p (@@= $@H6C H2DA 8CF3 4@F=5 56G6=@A :?D:56 6249 @7 E96 D665D]k^Am
kAm%96D6 82==D 5@?’E 92C> E96 H9:E6 @2< EC66D]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96 E:?J H@@= D@H6C H2DA 5@6D?’E 9FCE A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm$@ H9:=6 2== E9:D D@F?5D 3:K2CC6 2?5 52?86C@FD[ :E’D 24EF2==J ;FDE 2? :?E6C6DE:?8 2?5 36?:8? 6I2>A=6 @7 9@H 2 E:?J H2DA 92D =62C?65 E@ 7@C46 E96 >:89EJ H9:E6 @2< EC66 E@ 3F:=5 2 9@>6 7@C :ED <:5D … 2?5 AC@G:56 7C66 >62=D]k^Am
