Watching a Miracle

I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me. ~William Hazlitt

Yesterday, when I went out to bring in my clothes from the line I saw my first live monarch butterfly. I hollered for DD and she came tearing out. I said, "I think it's a female... look how dark her lines are."

And then came the most amazing thing: she started laying eggs. I swear, seeing nature up close and personal feels like witnessing a miracle. We held very still and watched as she fluttered around, selecting just the right leaf (she only chose the healthiest milkweed -- one side of mine is in the direct sun and isn't doing as well, but one side is in almost complete shade and is near the faucet so stays pretty damp and cool and is thriving. She fluttered around the unhealthy milkweed, but always came back to the good plants) and then she'd land, curl her little butt around and ... POP... out came a tiny egg.

Here's a YouTube video I found showing a backyard butterfly doing just that:



In any case, we gathered most of her eggs after she was done (she got chased off by a Fritillary -- who knew they were territorial? I hope she'll be back). It was a little dicey collecting the eggs because our milkweed blooms are absolutely covered with bumblebees (it sounds like a distant motor outside with all the buzzing), but we pulled in nine. I'll check again today.

So, along with Xi, Pi, Omicron and Rho (all of whom are growing like weeds) we now have: Sigma, Tao, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega, Alex and Bonnie (who share a leaf). We ran out of Greek Alphabet letters and have moved on to the 2010 Hurricane names *G*.

Another swallowtail has hatched this morning -- we've lost track of who is who, so ... we'll let her remain nameless. Only two left, but I'm all but positive one is going to overwinter. Her pupa is a completely different size and color than the others. We'll see (I really hope not).

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No rain yesterday. There's a 15% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, so we'll see... really, our best chance comes on Saturday with a 50% of rain off and on all day. Then it clears up again, so I really, really hope it pours on Saturday.

So far, my garden isn't dying (I do admit to cheating and watering my spinach and swiss chard that's in pots). :::fingers crossed:::

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You Are Cheerful

You are a friendly and welcoming person. You know how to make the best of a bad situation. You tend to think most about yourself. You can't help but look inward and introspect. You are open minded and tolerant. You believe strongly that people should be allowed to do their thing. You have the most fun when things are simple. You don't like making a big fuss out of anything.

The Surreal Test

About half and half, I guess...

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Bring On the Rain

I think we are bound to, and by, nature. We may want to deny this connection and try to believe we control the external world, but every time there's a snowstorm or drought, we know our fate is tied to the world around us. - Alice Hoffman

Well... it's official. Our well is hitting bottom. DH changed our sediment filter yesterday morning, and in less than an hour, it was already clogged. So -- this means we aren't going to be able to water anything outside (bye-bye grass and garden) and we have to conserve water indoors as much as possible (hello five minute showers).

I'm praying for rain. I'm desperate. None in the forecast for today... maybe tomorrow?

I'm not in my happy place.

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I wrote 1000 words yesterday. Forced myself to sit down and do it. Set the timer for 20 mins and just wrote. It was good. I'm going to do that again today. Apparently I work well under pressure. Maybe I should try Write or Die.

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Your Money Personality is Reasonable

You are likely very financially savvy. You probably track your purchases down to the penny. Even if you have money problems, you try to avoid letting them stress you out. You try to stay on top of your finances. You are a careful and reasonable person. You think clearly before you make a decision. You are the type of person who has trouble throwing things away. You tend to have a bit of clutter in your life.

What Does Your Wallet Say About You?

Up until that last, it was pretty close.

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Heatwave

Extremes, though contrary, have the like effects. Extreme heat kills, and so extreme cold... - George Chapman

Okay, I realize for those of you down south, it may not sound like much ... but we're in the middle of a massive heatwave up here in the northeast -- temps in the high 90s to 100+ and incredibly humid. What makes this worse is that we don't typically get temps like these, not for more than a day or two, so just aren't prepared for it.

I have no A/C in my house. Not even a window one. So, I sit and sweat and suffer.

This morning, our sediment filter for the house was full. DH changed it out this morning, and it's already getting full again. What this could indicate is that our well is drying out and we're hitting bottom. We aren't expecting any rain for almost a week so it's conceivable that we may run out of water. He seems unconcerned. I'm exactly the opposite, and am VERY concerned about the possibility. I'm praying for rain, and a lot of it.

I can't walk the dog, even first thing in the morning. I tried today, but it's already almost 80 out, and feels like I'm swimming through the air. I don't know if I can take four more days of this. Today is supposed to be the worst day and then it's "cooling off" into the low 90s for the rest of the week (but the humidity is increasing -- I didn't think that was possible).

I want a summer home in Alaska.

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In Pillar Place: Swallowtail -- just to prove me wrong, we had two butterflies emerge yesterday: Epsilon and Zeta (both males). This morning, five more were fluttering around: Nu, Mu, Eta, Beta, and Theta (three males and two females). This leaves three more (I think ... the butterflies are still drying their wings so I don't want to open up the box and check).

In Pillar Place: Monarch -- Xi has about doubled in size. It's incredible how quickly they grow. We found Omincron, inside a small curl in the leaf, little bugger. We'd like to go on another egg hunt, but it's just too hot to be tromping around outside in the sun, so it may have to wait until next week.

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Got more writing done yesterday. It's a bit frustrating, though. I can SEE the scene in my head. See the characters as they move and speak, but I'm struggling to convert that into words that bring it to life. Still, I like the story and the characters, so I think it'll work itself out.

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You Are Sideburns

You are quirky and a bit of a goofball. You don't take yourself too seriously, but you do pride yourself in being unique. You take something ordinary and put your own twist on it. You have a naturally funky sense of style. You are the last person you know to get stuck in a rut. In fact, you're well known for not really having strong habits or patterns. You shake things up before they get boring. You're constantly changing and evolving... no one can keep up!

What Kind of Facial Hair Are You?

HAHAHAHAHAHA... no.

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Fourth of July Hangover

Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. ~Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros

I'm exhausted. I had a great day yesterday, and it ended with my neighbors setting off what was pretty much a professional fireworks display (that lasted around 45 mins -- absolutely incredible). Dakota (who is oddly unafraid of fireworks) and I sat on the front steps and watched them. But, there were fireworks going off until almost eleven, and I don't get to sleep in (between the cat, the dog and the fact I have to load up the day's pages for the LASR/WC/Aurora site).

So... **YAWN**.

How was your weekend?

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In Pillar Place: Swallowtail, things are STILL very quiet and none of the pupae are getting dark yet (which means they'll hatch). I'm beginning to worry that all ten or so are going to overwinter.

In Pillar Place: Monarch, Xi is growing like a weed -- he's probably 1/2" now. Rho and Pi are no longer microscopic and Omicron's egg has disappeared (which should mean he's hatched) but I can't find a pillar anywhere. I'm beyond puzzled.

Tomorrow, DD and I will probably go on another monarch egg hunt at the library to see about increasing our numbers.

As a side note, I got an email from a gardener out in California who works at a public garden and is creating a monarch garden there. He asked me for lots of milkweed seeds (as I've noted, mine is common milkweed, which is pretty much indigenous all over the country). I'm just tickled pink. In California, especially, there is a need -- they have MASSIVE migrations there and the butterflies need all the help they can get.

And, again, I have thousands of seeds every year, so if anyone wants any, email me at authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com.

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I got some writing done yesterday -- about 700 words -- on one of my sequels. I intend for it to be as long as the first story (about 20,000 words), so if I can do 700 words a day it should be done (first draft anyway) in less than a month.

I really need to get something completed.

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DH is off this week, which means my days will be full and completely outside routine. Will make life interesting. We're taking my car in for repair tomorrow as well, which means I'll either be driving HIS car or the truck for a week. I hate driving his vehicles ... he's very particular about things. Ah well, at least we're blessed enough to have a spare vehicle and I'm not stranded.

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You Are Red

You are a highly passionate person, and you'd stand up and fight for anything you believe in. You're a lot like the founders of the United States. You are a bit of a revolutionary. Like most modern Americans, you are have things you love and hate about the USA ... and you're not afraid to say what they are. Keep expressing your opinion and acting to fix what's wrong. People like you are what makes the USA great.

Are You Red, White, or Blue?

I'm thinking that should have been yesterday's quiz... and it's pretty much right. You don't see it a lot here, but I'm passionate about politics.

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Happy Independence Day!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. - from The Declaration of Independence

Wishing you a wonderful day of enjoying the freedoms our people and armies have fought for.

Remember this, too:

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. - Ronald Reagan

As a daughter, niece and wife of war veterans, I hope you never forget that freedom isn't something to be taken for granted.

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You Make Big Waves

You're type of person who gets carried away from time to time. You tend to think and life big. You believe that there can't be too much of a good thing... until you get too much. You can overwhelm other people with your enthusiasm, but they know that your heart is in the right place. Once you get rolling with an idea or plan, it's hard for you to stop. You can get really caught up in the moment!

The Waves Test

Maybe? ... you'd have to ask other people, I suppose.

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This and That

What do you suppose?
A bee sat on my nose.
Then what do you think?
He gave me a wink
And said, "I beg your pardon,
I thought you were the garden."
~English Rhyme

Feeling better today. I think I was just flat out exhausted yesterday. Thankfully, no more dizziness today.. that's the worst!

Things at Pillar Place: Swallowtail are still quiet, but that should change very soon.

In Pillar Place: Monarch -- Xi is eating like a pig, and Rho and Pi both hatched yesterday. They're nearly microscopic and difficult to see. When they first hatch, they're opaque in color and blend (a good move for their safety, but makes it hard for me!).

I found some great videos about the hatching and their growth. If you're interested, they're here embedding is disabled):

Monarch Egg Hatching (0:43)

Monarch Caterpillar's growth (2:20)

Monarch turns into a chrysalis (1:23)

Monarch transformation into a butterfly (0:52)

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Was serenaded yesterday evening by the sounds of fireworks (the people had a particular fondness for bombs that were loud enough to shake my house) and dirt bikes. It was such a joy.

I imagine tonight will be even more noisy.

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Your Style is Natural

You prefer things that aren't overly fussy or ornate. For you, simple is best. If possible, you like a more natural look - or at least a look that was inspired by nature. You are turned off by wild colors and too much flair. You don't think style needs to be complicated. You know that less is often more. You strive to live a simpler life than most.

What's Your Personal Style?

That's about right.

Monarchs!

Let no one think that real gardening is a bucolic and meditative occupation. It is an insatiable passion, like everything else to which a man gives his heart. ~Karel Čapek, The Gardener's Year, translated by M. and R. Weatherall, 1931

Pillar Place 2010: Monarch has begun!

Yesterday, DD and I grabbed some containers and went on a monarch egg hunt behind the library. I really didn't expect to find any because it's a bit early, but since spring started early here, and since we found the swallowtails two weeks earlier than usual, I decided to give it a try.

We didn't find very many, so that was a little sad, BUT we did find a itty bitty already hatched pillar. He's probably only a few days old (if that) and DD named him Xi.

We have three eggs (hopefully they hatch this year) who will be: Omicron, Rho and Pi.

We'll go back and check the next time we're at the library -- probably on Tuesday.

A funny about our hunt: I found this little hidden parking area behind the condos that are next to the library and pulled in there. It's actually where we found all the eggs. When we came out of the woods area, there was a lady on the phone standing next to my car.

I walked toward her and she said, "Is this your car?"

"Yes. I'm here looking for monarch eggs." I showed her a milkweed leaf. Pointed to the nearly microscopic dot. "That's an egg."

"Oh." Then she spoke into the phone. "Never mind." Back to me. "I saw you drive up here and didn't know who you were or why you were here."

Do you suppose she was calling the cops? Can you see it? My one phone call from jail. "Honey, come bail me out -- I was arrested while looking for Monarch eggs."

Anyway, we had a long talk about monarchs and conservation and their nearly endangered status, so that was good.

No eggs on our milkweed that we've found though. At least not monarch eggs. We're fairly certain we found Milkweed Tussock Moth eggs. Those are the coolest critters! Here's a tidbit I found on the Tussock Moth caterpillar on how they protect themselves from their main predator, the brown bat:

FAVORITE GAMBIT: Sounding gross. Literally. They don't taste gross, at least not to bats. But they deter their predators, which hunt by sonar, by imitating the high-pitched clicking sounds of certain other moths that taste so bad that bats steer clear.

Isn't that funny?

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We saw our first squash vine borer moth yesterday. My SIL came by in the afternoon and said, "Is a squash moth red and black?" So, she has them, too. Of all my garden pests, I hate those the worst because I can't pick them. I have no problem going into my garden every day and picking bugs. I can pick cucumber bugs, tomato worms, potato bugs ... the squash borer? Once the worms hatch, pretty much your plant is going to die. Period. End of story.

So ... I've resorted to pesticide, which breaks my heart. But every few days, I'm going to spray the base of my squash plants, which is where they lay the eggs, and hope that I kill the eggs before they hatch. I really need the squash. Not only do I love it and use it to eat and bake with, but I use it in Dakota's food -- which is why I planted so much. I want to freeze it and hope that I will have enough until next year.

Unless my plants all die an early death from bugs. :::grumble, grumble:::

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I woke up around 3 a.m. feeling really dizzy. I'm hoping it's just because I'm so tired (I haven't been able to sleep well for some reason the past few days) and not because I'm getting an ear infection. I seem to be prone to them -- have had three the past ten years -- and I HATE them. They make me dizzy and nauseous, and for a day or two, if I move at all I throw up (on those days I literally sleep on the bathroom floor, lol). I can't be down for two days ... especially not over this weekend, because DD and DH have huge plans for the Fourth which don't include staying home and taking care of me and the dog.

So, I hope I'm just really tired. But if I don't blog for a day or two, don't be worried.

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