Chasing the Fuzzy Inchworm

Watching through the glass wasn't enough! I nudged the cracked patio screen with my snout until the mesh rolled aside just enough to squeeze through. Out on the patio tiles, the air smelled like warm stone and crushed herbs! The striped yellow caterpillar had already crawled off the concrete into the rim of a terracotta flowerpot. I scrambled over, planting my front paws on the warm curved rim. Tap! My nose touched a broad, velvety green geranium leaf, making it bob up and down like a springboard. Every time the leaf dipped, the caterpillar paused and curled into a tiny arch! I cocked my head, listening to the soft rustle of leaves as I kept guard over its slow, deliberate climb.