One summer Dad planted tomato's in our backyard. It was the first time we'd ever grown food, and I loved watching the tomato's form and grow on the vines. I checked on them regularly, and reported back to everyone about how they were doing.
One day I told Dad that it looked like leaves were missing from several plants and that I found chew bites on one. That weekend, I was rolling skating in the drive way and Dad came through the garage and called my name. "Come with me, Pam," he said, "I want you to see something." I followed Dad to the backyard and then to the tomato garden. "Come look at this," Dad said, as he squat down and pointed. I squat beside him and looked. "Oh my Gosh!" I said excited. I was looking at the biggest, fattest, greenest worm I'd ever seen. And it had a long curved stinger on it's butt. "We've got tomato worms," Dad said. "That's what's eating the plants."
"They're so big," I told him, "and that stinger!" We have to remove them from the plants, he told me. "I'll be right back." Dad returned a few minutes later with a miracle whip jar, and proceeded to show me how to remove the worms from the stalks. He explained that if you found one tomato worm, you definitely had more than one. Then I watched him slide the stick under its front feet which were sticky. Then, once the worm attached itself, Dad just pulled it from the plant. As he did, the worm immediately bent it's stinger forward over it's back. "Do you see that?" Dad said. "You have to be careful so it doesn't sting you."
It was Summer, so Dad asked if I was game for finding and jarring more worms while he was at work. Our first one now sat in the bottom of the jar which Dad handed me. "If you find more, put them in here. You'll know where to look for them by finding the eaten or missing leaves. You're in charge." Dad left me by the garden and I sat there staring into the jar I was mesmerized by this crazy big worm. I broke of a piece of a tomato plant with a leaf attached and put it in the jar with the worm then took the lid off so it wouldn't die. I wanted to watch it climb with those sticky feet and eat with that mouth. I was fascinated.
I can't tell you how many hours I sat with the tomatoes that Summer, but it was a lot. Within a week or so I had 4 worms inside that jar, and sometimes I missed the call to dinner. "Pam's in the garden again." My sisters would yell, "she's always looking for those nasty worms."
"They're so big," I told him, "and that stinger!" We have to remove them from the plants, he told me. "I'll be right back." Dad returned a few minutes later with a miracle whip jar, and proceeded to show me how to remove the worms from the stalks. He explained that if you found one tomato worm, you definitely had more than one. Then I watched him slide the stick under its front feet which were sticky. Then, once the worm attached itself, Dad just pulled it from the plant. As he did, the worm immediately bent it's stinger forward over it's back. "Do you see that?" Dad said. "You have to be careful so it doesn't sting you."
It was Summer, so Dad asked if I was game for finding and jarring more worms while he was at work. Our first one now sat in the bottom of the jar which Dad handed me. "If you find more, put them in here. You'll know where to look for them by finding the eaten or missing leaves. You're in charge." Dad left me by the garden and I sat there staring into the jar I was mesmerized by this crazy big worm. I broke of a piece of a tomato plant with a leaf attached and put it in the jar with the worm then took the lid off so it wouldn't die. I wanted to watch it climb with those sticky feet and eat with that mouth. I was fascinated.
I can't tell you how many hours I sat with the tomatoes that Summer, but it was a lot. Within a week or so I had 4 worms inside that jar, and sometimes I missed the call to dinner. "Pam's in the garden again." My sisters would yell, "she's always looking for those nasty worms."
By the end of the summer, the tomato worms were gone and the fruit on the vine flourished. I think I captured a total of 8 that season. I don't remember ever planting tomatoes or finding worms again after that summer, but I'll never for get it. .
I hadn't thought about that garden and those worms in a very long time, but this year my husband and I planted our first bed of tomatoes in our Round Valley home. I planted them and smelled them. I watered them and staked them, And as I did, I couldn't stop thinking about that summer I spent as a girl gathering those fascinating worms in my Miracle Whip jar. I realized then, that I badly them wanted them to return to my life. So I checked regularly for missing leaves and chew marks on the plants, but never found any. I remember being sad that they didn't come that summer to visit me. It was strange how I missed them. Funny how a worm with a giant stinger can bring a young girl fascination and joy.
Maybe I find one again one day. I'd like to think I will.
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