I think we had a dozen of these beautiful Swallowtail butterflies in the release. I have replanted the parsley and dill for the next crop of Swallowtails. Gorgeous colors.
Photo of the Month – September 2023
Category: Photo of the Month
I love to take photos of places I go and things I see. Here is a collection of photos that I have selected to represent the month.
Photo of the Month – August 2023
After losing all of the Swallowtail caterpillars to the wasps, I got a second chance to protect them. Here are two of the dozen or so caterpillars that did make it to chrysalis stage.
Photo of the Month – July 2023
While my Swallowtails didn’t make it after the caterpillar stage, I did have three queen butterflies make it to release.
Photo of the Month – June 2023
My dill has collected a large selection of tiny Swallowtail caterpillars munching away. The sad part is, I didn’t have these guys fully protected, and all it took was one big swoop from the wasps to make them all disappear.
Photo of the Month – May 2023
I’ve been playing Angry Birds a lot lately, and this cardinal was giving me the look I see on all of the cardinals in the game. It’s a dumb game, but it seems to clear out my mind.
Photo of the Month – April 2023
Hidden in plain site. The little anole has the ability to make himself blend into his surroundings. This one was daring me to take his photo.
Photo of the Month of March 2023
You’re going to have to look closely, but this guy is an inchworm. He thinks he’s a stick, and the best I can figure is that he is a moth in waiting. I didn’t move him or dissuade him from hanging on the front porch, and I don’t know where he wandered off to, but he left. At first I thought he was a larva stage walking stick, but finally found him in the geometer moth family. They like to eat plants and leaves, so hopefully, he will stay on his side of the house and out of my garden. I already had two beautiful red tomatoes with little squirrel bites out of them.
Photo of the Month of February 2023
New monarch butterfly ready to come out of his chrysalis and flit about my milkweed. This is what they look like about 24 hours before they emerge. He is hanging on the side of my milkweed box since I didn’t try to capture any more caterpillars and put them in my cat box. It seemed late in the season, and I was trying to discourage them from laying eggs. They ignored me and 20 or so more butterflies took off in February.
Photo of the Month of January 2023
I fancy myself a gardener now. These are my baby beans just sprouting up from the ground. I have done a lot of things wrong with my first serious gardening attempt, but having enthusiasm isn’t one of them.
I planted beans, peas, carrots, radishes, lettuce, onions, potatoes, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, basil, parsley and dill. I am either going to have a great harvest, or I am going to find out I am a terrible gardener.
Photo of the Month of December 2022
My Christmas cactus is in full bloom this year. Last year was my first year with it, and it bloomed around February instead of December, so I guess we’re all on the same month now. It hangs on my front porch in a macramé hanger. I haven’t had one of those since the 1970s!
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, this is not a dry desert cactus, but a rainforest cactus. So, it’s a succulent that likes its humidity and grows in trees. Maybe I should move it? It seems to be happy where it is, and with me, the less I fuss with something, the less likely it is to die.