Every day I go across the Moss.
Some days the Moss comes to the office.
Or what could be thriving out there.
In fact, it was thriving in Jack Richardson's garden.
But what was lurking in the undergrowth of Palmer Crescent had him baffled.
After all, what is as thick as your finger, even longer, and has four false eyes at its sharp end?
Jack didn't know. Nor did his pals who tried to find out on the interweb.
So he brought it into Elbow Lane.
A little bit more research on the interweb threw up the answer.
It was an elephant hawk moth catepillar.
It was a great thing, too. When walking it stretched out to around six or seven inches. When worried, it retracted its head and thrust up its "shoulders" with the double pair of false eyes, hoping to scare off any predators.
Now Jack has returned it to the undergrowth where, hopefully, it will pupate over winter and in spring emerge as a beauitful lilac/pink moth with a wingspan of 70mm.
What a beauty.

Music On The Moss: Perhaps it's a good tune for a reporter in transit, False Knight On The Road. I've been listening to two versions of it this week. One by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior when they were a duo on the folk circuit, the other when they were part of Steeleye Span.
The first showcases Maddy Prior's heavenly voice as she composes a slow version over the twinkling accompaniment of Appalachian dulcimer. The second is faster, grittier, with Martin Carthy's voice twinkling at the ironies in the lyrics while the electric accompaniment gives it a hefty punch.
TH&MP were a favourite of mine from the late sixties and SS produced some great music, although I've rather lost touch with them in their present days.

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