Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 3

Things are moving forward at the moment. Four of the caterpillars have turned into the chrysalis stage. Three others are hanging, waiting to turn. I managed to video one but it was slightly out of focus. The other three changed when we weren't around. It's silent and quickly over, so you have to be fortunate to catch it.

A special hi to G, who's been watching progress on this site with the caterpillars but been unwell for a little while. All the best.

Three chrysalis caught here, along with some hungry caterpilars

One in the process of settling down. They wriggle at this point

As above

The final chrysalis 

To follow the series from the beginning, simply click here.
For the next in the series, please click here.

Orca

Some friends were at the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand and saw two Orca swim by. They followed in a boat and this is one of the photos they took. It would have been a great time to swim with them but apparently a person wearing a black wet suit and flippers could look like a seal. Although not generally a threat to humans, it would be very brave to try something like that.

Although often called killer whales, they are more closely related to dolphins. They are intelligent, sophisticated hunters and have no predators. This day they may have been after sting rays.

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 2

The moving of the caterpillars inside seems to have worked so far. The evenings in autumn are cooler so the warmer temperature inside the house should help them.

Four of the caterpillars have now attached themselves to a leaf and curled up ready to embark on the  chrysalis (or pupa) stage. Two of them are in the top picture and one each below. The lower pic shows the first one to go. Hopefully all will go well for them. Part three will reveal all.

To follow the series from the beginning, simply click here.
For the next in the series, please click here.

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 1

Our property backs onto undeveloped private land. On that border we planted two swan plants but didn't seem to attract Monarch butterflies. A self sown one popped up on the unused land too. This year in what is now autumn the plants have many Monarch caterpillars. Most of them on the one not on our land.

Wasps are known to kill the caterpillars so we have been watching them. Today looking out of our window a man with his son walked passed. The boy must have said he wanted some caterpillars and the father (a rough looking character) ripped off a branch.

We went out to see what he had done and he had taken some caterpillars but also shaken some onto the ground with his aggressive action. We decided to gather them all up and bring them inside as these people regularly pass.

Autumn is cool and the warmer temperature inside the house is agreeing with them. They are eating with gusto but they defecate a lot too. Hopefully we can help most - if not all - turn into butterflies. Here are some pictures just after they arrived. There are now five jars with seventeen specimens, at various stages of growth.

For the next in the series, please click here.

Simple Tips

Using the ring on your opening tab to hold the straw

A staple remover opens a key ring without ruining your nails

Spreading a sauce container makes dunking easier

A nifty way to hold your wooden spoon and it makes no mess

A wooden spoon stops bubbles spilling over

Silly Pictures

Skating On Thin Ice

An elderly couple lived on a cove and as it was early winter, the lower portion of the cove had frozen over. The husband asked his wife if she would walk across the frozen part of the cove to the general store and get him some beer. She asked him for some money, but he told her, "Just put it on our tab".

As a good wife, she walked across the ice, got the beer at the store and then walked back home across the cove. When she got home with the items she said to her hubby, "You always tell me not to run up the tab at the store. Why didn't you just give me some money?"

He replied, "Well, I didn't want to send you out there with cash when I wasn't sure how thick the ice was!"

Photo source: Fineartamerica.

Corny Jokes

Why should people have flaky pastry when they don't feel happy? Because it helps when they filo.

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I've been to the dentist many times so I know the drill.

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The scientist with only a door knocker won the 'No Bell' prize.

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I was asked if I found saunas too taxing and I said they were no sweat.



How did I escape Iraq? Iran.
 
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A man just assaulted me with milk, cream and butter. How dairy.

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A friend of mine tried to annoy me with bird puns, but I soon realized that toucan play at that game.