My Life in Pictures

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~Eudora Welty

Several of my Asiatic lilies had flopped over, so I cut them for a vase inside:



DD decided she needed to paint them:



I think she did a pretty decent job! I'm putting her in homeschool art lessons at our local art museum this fall -- they work in all different mediums and, because it's a homeschool class, too, delve a bit into art history and the famous masters. I think she'll enjoy it.

I've been trying to lose a few pounds this summer and have been taking long walks every morning -- good for me, DD and the dog. But I've found that my dog has a fetish... she can't pass a water bottle and leave it.




She'll carry the bottle with her through the entire walk and when we get home, she'll toss it around the lawn a bit, playing with it, until we finally dispose of it properly. She has a thing for paper, too, but luckily we don't find much of that on the road.

I found a flower growing on the side of the road during our walk recently that looks a little too much like milkweed for comfort. I wonder if it's one of the plants that the monarch lays her eggs on and then, when the pillar hatches and tries to eat, dies. This is the plant:



This is milkweed:



Pretty close, huh?

In Pillar Place: Swallowtail, we released a butterfly yesterday -- Georgina (formerly Greg) hatched and was healthy! PHEW.



The only one left is Carole, the one I had to glue in place. She should have hatched before Greg/Georgina, since she made her pupa several days prior. I wonder if my handling killed her? At this point, we're six healthy butterflies released, two handicapped butterflies, and one question mark. Not horrible, I suppose, especially considering that the likelihood of their survival was pretty low outside due to the constant rainfall after they hatched.

Still... I'd prefer 100% success.

Today looks like it's going to be sunny, so I might play a little hookey and work in the garden a bit. It needs weeding. My plants are still pathetically small, except the squash which are getting huge and happy (I'm trying not to think negatively, but can't help but assume the squash borer has laid her eggs on them since I've see the moth buzzing about). I hope to get enough squash to eat (my new fave recipe? Slice, brush with olive oil and sprinkle a bit of seasoned salt on them, then toss on the barbecue) and to grate and freeze for squash bread and muffins through the winter.

Have a great day!

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