Monarch 1 & 2

#1's chrysalis is starting to turn clear today! #2 started pupating last night. I wasn't able to watch it happen, but I did see it in its "J" form. Today, I woke up to it turned into a chrysalis...albeit a fresh one. It was really pretty too! Striped just like it was before when it was a caterpillar! Backlit...you could see the space in it too. It didn't even eat the four leaves I gave it last night.

Update and Mysterious growths

Mysterious growth on Acorn Squash:



Mysterious growths after a rainstorm:





Squash #1:



Squash #2:



Squash #3:



Squash #4:



Squash #5:



Squash #6:



Tillandsia xerographica in spike:



Lots of green tomatoes!



Epies enjoying more sun as shown by the awesome huge new growths!



Mini bell peppers, habañeros, and a Meyer Lemon:



Black Cherry tomato, Tiny Tom tomato, mystery tomato, Zinnia, Cymbidiums, Banana, Camellias, Gladiolus:

Monarch Progress

Day 7: Molted





Sulking...No food!



Where's the food?



FOOD!



Cup packed with milkweed for Fattie while I was gone to NC:



Milkweed Paradise!



Within hours he grew to 2" long!



Day 12: Fattie was in a chrysalis when I got home from my trip :(



Went to pull the excess milkweed out so that Fattie could have a place to dry his wings when he comes out of his chrysalis and found this little guy!



Day 14: 8/10/10, you can see a faint image of the wings to be!



Day 15:

Apple Tree

So this morning as I am worrying about finding a dentist that is open I heard a loud crack! I looked outside and saw right away what had happened. The old apple tree in my neighbor's yard that was struck by lightening a few years ago....broke. The only surviving mature branch, laden with apples, finally succumbed to its own offspring's weight :( It has a few little twigs on it left, but they are no where near big enough to be bearing fruit. Hopefully it survives since the top has been dead since that strike. I went over and salvaged as many, non-bruised apples that weren't infested with apple maggot, as possible. I've really enjoyed watching this tree over the years.

The owner, who passed away last year or the year before, was the one who sold us our house. Every fall he used to come and pick up all the fallen fruit. He said, at the time, 30 years ago he bought an apple, pear and peach tree for $1 each! They were only a few feet tall and little twigs at the time! The peach tree died early on and I can still see the stump today. I hope the apple tree isn't next. The pear tree is SO pretty each spring when it loses its flower petals. While the house is a rental, I hope the man's sons do not decide to cut down these trees.

p.s. It's really hot out!

Monarch

A few days ago Adam came over for a visit, bringing the flava he got me as well as some other things he wanted to show me. As I was giving him a tour of my patch, he found a little monarch caterpillar!

This was the first day we found it...looked to be at L2 stage, 1/4" long:





Day 2:

You can tell it is getting fatter!

Look at its cute little stripey face!

Day 3:

He looks like he is about to burst!

This is how tiny he is compared to my hand!

Look how much bigger the body is than the head! Definitely a porker!

Day 4:

L3 stage. Looks like Fattie molted! Check out the new antennas!

Looking more like a caterpillar!

Day 5:

L4, Fattie must've molted again last night. Look at those loooong antennas!

Add a caption

I think he was sleeping here.

I think he was sleeping here. I wish I could tell in their larval stage whether they are boys or girls. For now it's a he to me :)