Day 203 Clitellum

June 30, 2015

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70^th years where I write and illustrate a blog on each day’s gift.)

It’s not that I love earthworms so much but rather the sensory awakening that occurs when they crawl onto the sidewalk after a rain. I like the darkened drama of a summer storm—gray sky, cracking thunder, rhythmic rain, earthy scent of freshly moistened soil.  The gyrations of the annelid’s tiny glistening body remind me of the slithering of seasons through a lifetime and the comfort of seasonal repetition.

I wonder why this creature has left its natural surroundings for hard concrete. Many people believe it is to avoid drowning in the rain but it was not in danger of drowning. The rain actually makes travel easier for earthworms because they can move without drying out—a matter of life and death for them. They breathe through their skin, which must remain wet for oxygen to pass through it. 

My high school biology class dissected a worm. At that time, I thought it was the most uninteresting thing we could have dissected. I missed most parts we were supposed to identify, with the exception of the girdle, which is the organ near the middle of the body. I never learned in high school science class that this is called a clitellum, which swells and secretes nutritive liquid that makes reproduction possible. Was this too delicate for an all-girls high school class in the 60’s? Our teacher missed an opportunity to spice things up with a little sex and make us wonder if these two words have anything in common—clitellum and clitoris.

My gift today is a seasonal slither.

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> Day 204: Among the Weeds

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 133 Writhing

April 21, 2015

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

 

Brothers Jude and Jack proudly display their collection.

When this new season springs, I am always thrilled with each first—the first crocus, the first daffodil, the first tulip. Just a few days ago, I had been wondering why I hadn’t seen any worms yet. Yes, I may be a grownup, but I also get excited with the first worm sighting. Maybe it is because I associate these creatures with the scent of fresh soil and the color that the dark dirt promises. Many years ago, even though I was a girl and not supposed to like such things, I used to pick up worms and delight in how they wriggled in my hand.

Today, a friend and his two sons stopped by. Shawn, my former middle school student who is now a teacher himself, and I have been friends for a long time. It had been a while since we’d gotten together and the kids must have each grown a few inches—or at least it seemed so.  As we sat outside on the back porch, Jude was engrossed in a video game, Minecraft, and admitted with his nine ½-year-old grin that he was better than his dad at playing the game. Younger brother Jack concentrated on Play-Doh, artistically mixing green and yellow, studying how the colors blended and creating a three-eyed monster. Before long, the boys were running about in the yard. 

They raced around, staying away from the brush with poison ivy, and then eventually settled on the ground, engrossed in something in the dirt. The kids focused down, cupped their hands and talked quietly. Curious, Shawn and I investigated what had caught their attention. Another first spring sighting! The boys were digging in the dirt and collecting handfuls of earthworms. They stretched out their hands to show us their squirmy treasure. As they were leaving, they put their catch in my flowerpots and told me that the worms would be “good for the soil.” Their dad did not admonish them for getting their hands dirty because, after all, that’s what happens with you collect worms. But before leaving, they washed their hands and then hugged Aunt Bonnie.

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> Day 134 The Wisdom of Fortune Cookies

My gift today is a handful of worms.

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html