Monarch Butterflies - Update (#12 in the series)

We're up to number eleven now, with ten coming on the 28th (NZT) and another on the 29th. The twelfth should be out soon, going by the chrysalis below. The wings are quite visible, which shows that they are nearly ready.

#9 nicely drying and #10 somewhat crumpled after its exit

#11 out with #12 still in the chrysalis but looking ready

PS. Unfortunately, #12 struggled to get out of the chrysalis and then its wings wouldn't open properly. It couldn't quite finish the journey to butterfly. #13 opened on the 31.05 NZT and is doing well. #14 came along on the 04.06.

To follow the series from the beginning, simply click here.

It's True...Maybe Some Are

To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

Make love, not war. Hey, do both...Get married!

If voting could really change things,
it would be illegal. 

Sign over a urinal:
'Express Lane: Five beers or less'.

Sign over a mirror in a men's restroom:
'No wonder you always go home alone'.

Sometimes I hide my emotions...
but it doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings.

Monarch Butterflies - Update (#11 in the series)

I can't help myself. I just wanted to update you on two unusual developments.

One is how two butterflies have taken to a Swan Plant and are staying put. We had some windy, wet weather and they didn't have much protection, yet they hung on. I would look out of the window and see them getting buffeted but they took it all. They reminded me of children who have grown up but don't want to leave home.

Here are #6 & #7 after they burst out of their chrysalises

The two that have taken to some sort of hibernation

The other is about a wire we had used for runner beans. When the bean foliage was stripped off the wire, it came lose and needed refastening. When we went to do that, a chrysalis appeared attached to the wire. We have left things alone and will have to wait for it to turn into a Monarch Butterfly. It either crawled along from the Swan Pant about four metres away or was transferred on some foliage when things were being tidied up for winter.

The mysterious chrysalis attached to wire

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

PS. #8 came on the 25.05 & #9 the 27.05.16.

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 10 (Final)

Part 9 was going to be the final, but no, Part 10 is. Really. Today started with rain and I was wondering how the second Monarch Butterfly would cope. The sun soon arrived and I took the container outside onto the verandah. Number two was soon sunning itself in the autumn sun, opening and closing it's wings. About noon, number three started coming out of the chrysalis.

By the time #3 was starting to take shape, #2 departed and after flying around briefly, settled on the guttering. It knew it needed the warmth of the heat reflected off the metal. No one taught it this or any of the other amazing things it will do in its life. How did that untaught wisdom come to be inside its pinhead sized brain?

#2 sunning itself as #3 starts to come out

#3 continues its acrobatics, while keeping tight grip on the chrysalis shell

#3 is fully out but the wings are concertinaed

#3 is taking shape, while #2 decides its time to move on

#2 has gone, leaving #3 to do its thing. So where did #2 fly off to?

After a brief reconnaissance, just above on the gutting, was deemed suitable

PS. On 19.05.16 NZT #4 and #5 emerged from their chrysalises at around 10am, a matter of minutes apart. Then during that same afternoon #6 burst forth.

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

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 9

Well the dilemma has passed. The caterpillars were being eaten (we think by Praying Mantises*) and disturbed by people passing. They came into our home where the warmth and safety were to their liking. The first two have left the chrysalis that allowed their metamorphosis to take place. One flew to the fence where it sat for hours before leaving.

The second came a few hours later and the cool autumn afternoon may have showed its preparation for flight. As the day cooled, we have moved that one back into the garage, along with two chrysalises still intact on that plant. We hope that is the right thing to do.

The other 12 or so will hatch over the coming days. We hope for a 100% strike rate of success but the reality may be different. The main thing is we have given some Monarch Butterflies - a species plagued by predators - a chance.

First one out

Taking in the sun

On the fence before disappearing

Number two just arrived

Slowly drying out

* Many people in our area say how many Praying Mantis insects are around here and I concur with that observation.

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

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 8

Some of the chrysalis' are looking like they are ready to turn into Monarch Butterflies. We have moved the most likely into the garage to both condition them to cooler weather and when they hatch, be able to get them to the outdoors more easily. Notice the colouration on a couple of them. You can see the wings inside.

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

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 7

Well we now have 14 chrysalis' waiting to turn into beautiful Monarch Butterflies. We have since found three more caterpillars, which are now munching their way through leaves. One is sizable while the other two are still very small. We had two young ladies visit and they wanted to name them. They gave a name each and I added one for good measure. So here is the new trio...

This is Mon, short for Monarch I guess. The biggest one

The next is Stripes, thanks to its appearance

Finally is Stars which I named to complement Stripes' name

So there you have the next generation, Mon, Stars 'n Stripes.

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

Tech Support - Funny But True

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slowdown in overall system performance, particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as: Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as: NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and House cleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail. What can I do? 

Signed,

Desperate

                                                      **************

Dear Desperate,

First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Please enter command: I thought you loved me.html and try to download Tears 6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.

If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5. However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT, under any circumstances, install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources). In addition, please, do not attempt to re-install the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend: Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Regards

Tech Support.

The British Weather & Political Correctness

In deference to The Archbishop of Canterbury and The Royal Commission for Political Correctness, it was announced today that the local climate in the U.K. should no longer be referred to as ....''British Weather..'

Rather than offend a sizeable portion of the population, it will now be referred to as 'Muslim Weather'. In other words - 'partly Sunni, but mostly Shi'ite'.

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 6

The project so far has gone well. Of the eighteen, twelve are in the chrysalis stage, two are hanging, one is still a caterpillar and three didn't make it as they tried to become chrysalis'. One transformed as we looked today and I got the whole thing on movie. There is already one blog but only of the latter stages.

Update: One more chrysalis and one caterpillar didn't make it through transition.

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

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Dilemma : Part 5

How a caterpillar becomes a chrysalis is fascinating. It hangs for a while as you can see in the first picture, with its head curled up. Then it starts wriggling and the skin splits and is pushed up toward the top of the body (pic 2). Then it is almost removed by picture three and is so by #4. It knows the skin is sitting on the top and wriggles until it falls off.

Then the ridged chrysalis smooths out and a black stitching line appears near the top. It ends up looking like the chrysalis' you can see back in the top picture. The instinctive design behind this behaviour leaves me convinced that a superb designer has to be responsible.

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

The Last Request

Three sons had been educated and set up in life, thanks to the guidance of their father. When he got near to dying he contacted each son to say that he had a request for each one of them. To express their appreciation to their father, they were to each put $1,000 in his coffin as they paid their last respects. He duly passed away.

The first son, a tradesman, visited the funeral parlour and did as asked by putting a bundle of one hundred $10 notes (bills - US) and left. The next son, a teacher, likewise brought his $1000 in $100 notes and left. Finally the third son arrived, an accountant. He looked down in the coffin and looked at the cash. He then wrote out a cheque for $3000 and placed it in the coffin. He then took out his $2000 change.