Butterfly Birthday

The first porch butterfly hatched this morning.  I knew he (watch for the two black dots on the lower wings) was close to hatching so I hurried with the barn chores and came back to the house to watch.  While I was killing time I decided to wash the dishes...and missed the first 30 or so seconds.  Housework...

While the weather is just as ugly as it could possibly be (way too hot and humid for a September morning!), it's perfect for a newly hatched butterfly and his wings were dry and he was ready to release in just a couple of hours.  

I carried him out to the zinnias and carefully turned the hamper over so the top was open, gently set it on the bench, grabbed my camera...and zip, he was gone!  This was the only "release" picture I got.

He immediately got to drinking...probably because he was dehydrated because it's 9 million degrees...well, 90 degrees...

He had lots of company.  I thought this delicate butterfly (moth?) was very pretty.

And a swallowtail!  I usually don't see many of those, but I'm hoping after all the caterpillars I found this summer there will be a big influx in the next week or so.  I need to look up their hatch schedule.

Better than tv!

The 2019 August Snow Report

It sounds like the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a colder and snowier winter than normal this year.  It will be fun or interesting (depending on which camp you are in regarding winter ;-) to compare their forecast with our August fog forecast.  

We really didn't have a lot of big fog this year.  There were several that I counted that were probably a bit questionable, but I figured flurries were better than nothing and maybe those light fog days were forecasting light snow.  The pictures below, taken August 24th, were pretty standard for the month.

Interestingly, as happened last year, on the very last day of August I woke to a big fog.  And on September 1st as well.  Maybe that means the snow will be late again this year...just in time for the Iknitarod.

Enjoy!

Back To School Photos

I've been submitting photos for the cover of the Kentucky Wool Festival program for many years now.  Some years I have a photo ready early in the year.  Many years I don't and find myself out in the field at the end of August taking pictures, hoping for that perfect head shot.  I think of this as taking my "back to [the wool festival] photos".  Here are a few favorites.

Maisie!

"What?"

Ah, the innocent kindergartner, Big Moose.

PPPP (Popcorn PeePee Pants), the grand dame.  

The ever enduring Renny.

Handsome Andy.

Spud...the sofa ;-).

Those Too Good Mommas

I should have done this weeks ago...but they were so darn cute together and it was so darn hot and I was so darn sure she'd eventually get the boy weaned herself...but she just couldn't bring herself to do it and it's a sure bet he was never going to step up.  Boys... 

Boys who are taller than their mothers!

At least they can still sleep together at the gate between Easy Breezy and the outside stall.  I'm sure she'll be a little upset when it's time to wake up and gather her boys to go out to graze this afternoon the way she likes them to, but everyone will get over it.  

Time to move outta the kitchen, Big Moose ;-).

Caterpillar Camp

The nursery is back open for business.  Sigh...

I planted a bunch of milkweed seeds and plants this spring in hopes that the caterpillars could all grow up out in the "wild" this year and I could just walk out and enjoy them without all the set up and care...and what I think I did was plant a flashing neon sign that says "ALL YOU CAN EAT CATERPILLAR SMORGASBORD!" :-(

This is mostly what I see.  There was obviously a caterpillar here not too long ago.  The leaf has been eaten and the green balls on the next leaf down are caterpillar poop...but there is no longer a caterpillar.

My first thought was birds, but I think a bigger culprit is wasps.  I see them swooping in and around the plants all day long.  There are apparently several that are known to eat caterpillars.  While I am a firm believer in live and let live in situations like this and that maybe surely wasps have a productive purpose in life, my fun trips to the milkweed gardens...have not been fun.

Frequently I see this - a baby caterpillar happily eating away on a fresh leaf, just the way nature intended.  I have yet to see one make it to maturity.  They are now coming in to the nursery where they are probably not as happy...but they have a much better chance of staying alive and turning into beautiful monarch butterflies.

In order to put the cut stems down in a water bottle or container, I have to pull off the two lowest leaves.  I almost missed this super tiny baby on one of the discarded leaves.  Into the nursery he goes!  At least I'll have easy access to plenty of fresh leaves this year.