Revenge of the Pillars

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar. - Bradley Millar

So, it rained all day yesterday -- frequently POURING as if someone was dumping buckets down on us. I admit to being a bit worried about the new plants -- that's a lot of heavy water to be beating down on them -- but for the most part, they took it just fine. The petunias lost some flowers, the ageratum was pretty well squashed (but should bounce back), some of my taller tomatoes tipped over a bit. But the rain really helped the stuff I moved around to perk right up (I had some gallardia, echinacea and annual bachelor buttons that looked nearly dead after being moved).

The best part, though? It killed the humidity. Hallelujah. I walked out this morning to cool, CRISP air instead of the oppressiveness of the 90% humidity we've been having. Maybe I can finally take my frizz ball hair out of its pony tail without looking like Diana Ross on a bad hair day.

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We have a few new additions to Pillar Place. On Saturday, my SIL happened to be here when DD found a pillar. Despite telling her we were using the Greek alphabet to name them, she begged us to call it Hercules. So... we have a Hercules, lol. Yesterday, in between cloud bursts, DD went out hunting pillars (she was terrified they'd all be killed in the bad weather .... they weren't).

We now have Kappa, Lambda and Mu to go with the other ten, all of whom are happy, healthy and eating like pigs. In fact, Alpha has been put into The Box -- the one with sticks to make his pupa on.

I was watching a video on raising Black Swallowtail pillars yesterday and the guy makes these little pupa containers out of half a toilet paper roll and a paper towel. When the pillar "purges" which is rather icky, but indicates he is done eating and ready to make his pupa, this guy picks them up and plops them inside.

While I understand his motives (it sure makes life easier to keep them well contained) it seems sort of cruel... the pillars will "walk-about" for a day or more before making their pupa, and I have visions of the poor critter doing a thousand loops around the tiny paper holder.

I know, maybe that shouldn't bother me so much, but it does. So... mine will have The Box to use instead. Also, with The Box, I don't have to move the pupa once it's made.

As an aside, every time I name one of the pillars, I'm reminded of the movie "Revenge of the Nerds". Remember Omega Mu? Or Lambda Lambda Lambda?



LOL...

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You Are Circus Circus

You are fun loving and outrageous. You are always looking for the next good time, and you are easily entertained. You are daring and open minded. You'd run away with the circus if the offer was good enough... You are unpredictable and zany - no wonder people love to be around you so much. You're not just the life of the party. You bring the party with you!

What Las Vegas Casino Are You?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... no.

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