Where Have I Been?

I started this as a way of keeping in touch with friends who don't live near. My friends weren't interested in the whole blog thing, preferring Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. I didn't want to do any of those, so that was that, and this blog was abandoned. But now, Melanie has asked where went ye olde blog, and I am tentatively reviving it.

Here goes...

Well Melanie, you pretty much know how I've spent the past six months: wrapping up home improvement projects, hosting scores of company, getting ready for grad school, living in denial that I live in an animal shelter that doubles as a homestead, planning vacations that will never materialize because the pennies aren't in the bank to finance the wild adventures of which I dream. But, I remain optimistic, and feel good about my life.

Two weekends back, I thought my dog was on the brink of death, so Steve and I freaked out and took him on field trips around the area. Then, because Turner (the hound dog) improved (the result of a drastic change in diet that requires us to cook his food - and is going to be the death of me), Steve and I have mellowed...some. We have decided that we're not going to vaccinate him anymore, so that means no more doggie daycare, because [understandably] they won't accept animals that aren't vaccinated. That's that. Steve & I will not be going out of town together, unless we can bring along the hound. At Christmas, when we go to his parent's, we'll be able to bring Turner, but that's the only place we'll go together. I'm a little bummed.

This is from this morning

They quickly pump the fluid from their abdomen into their wings

Those yellow "horns" are a defensive adaptation

I am shocked that I was able to capture this bee. My garden hums with bees all day long, but they move so fast, they are hard to get on film.

The butterfly factory is cranking along. As of today, we've released 50 Monarch butterflies. There are Gulf Fritillaries and Swallowtails in the pipeline. We are on track to release 100 butterflies in total by the end of summer.

I love having a butterfly garden, but sometimes, it feels more like work and less like a fun hobby. I question if  I'm doing the right thing by helping to keep butterflies going when more and more habitat is lost daily. My yard is a lone oasis in my area, and I worry that I am releasing all of these butterflies only to starve if they leave the protection of my yard. In fact, most of my neighbors spray harmful chemicals intended to decimate the insect population in the area. 

Hopefully, I am keeping something important going until humanity annihilates itself, and the insects and animals will have the planet to themselves.