Usually, swallowtail caterpillars spend all summer munching the rue in the garden, along with any dill or parsley I’ve planted. This year, I’ve checked the rue nearly every day since May. Until yesterday, I didn’t find a single one of these fat little stripey guys.

This has been a strange insect year for us. No swallowtail caterpillars. Tons of wasps. A yellow jacket nest under the stairs. Mosquitos in the house. At least we had the monarch caterpillars and chrysalises, and the butterflies and bumblebees have been a constant.

I’ve got the garden in a better place than it was a couple of weeks ago. I just remembered I need to water all the plants I planted last weekend. I hope I haven’t already failed them, less than a week in. Cool weather makes me forget the watering step.

And thank god it’s finally cool. The weather has been spectacular the past few days. With the garden in a tamer state, but still filled with plenty of seeds and shelter for the critters, I can enjoy the cool air, changing colors, and dying back, and know that our one little swallowtail caterpillar will have a safe place to overwinter in its chrysalis.