milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
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Post by milee on Jun 29, 2014 13:35:58 GMT -5
Oh, and in front of the house I've planted all sorts of things to attract butterflies. The butterflies seem to hatch/emerge in waves, so sometimes there aren't many and other times there are clouds of them.
We always have Monarchs and Black Swallowtails and sometimes Zebra Longwings and Sulphur somethings plus others that come seasonally.
The "landscaping" in our yard looks kind of scruffy - I don't use any pesticides since those would hurt the butterflies and birds and only occasionally use compost or other organic fertilizer - and many of the plants look like weeds (but that's what the butterflies like!) but I don't care. I enjoy watching the birds and butterflies much more than I'd enjoy watching the manicured plants.
Are there any books, sites you use to look at to find out what type of butterflies you get? We get a lot too, and I'm interested and think DD will be too as she gets older (turns 3 in about a month). Also would like to know which plants are good for attracting butterflies. DD and I would enjoy it once we get our front yard and back yard fixed up. The local county extension agency publishes a guide on what plants attracts which butterflies in our area. You could also check with some of the locally owned nurseries and greenhouses; around here the local ones often have people that know what to plant to attract things. Or maybe if you google which butterflies are common in your area, you could then look up their favorite plants.
If you're in an area that has Monarchs, the milkweed is really easy to grow and attracts them like crazy. It does look like a weed and will spread as it produces seeds, though, so might not work in your yard if it's really well manicured. Also, the whole idea of many of the plants is to be caterpillar food, so you need to be OK with the idea that sometimes the plants will look raggedy when the hungry caterpillars eat all their leaves. Along those lines, you will need to stop using pesticides outside or you'll just kill any of the butterflies and caterpillars that come around, but IMHO pesticides aren't great for little people anyways, so I'm OK with that tradeoff.
The boys have really enjoyed watching the butterflies. The cocoons of the Monarchs are so beautiful they don't look real - they're an impossibly vivid green and have gold (not yellow - metallic gold) dots in a row around the upper rim. We know when the butterflies are almost ready to emerge because you can start to see them through the cocoon - the cocoon darkens and if you look closely, you can see the black and orange stripes of the butterfly. It never gets old. I'm not tired of it at all.
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morrisr2d2
Established Member
Joined: Mar 3, 2011 12:47:41 GMT -5
Posts: 422
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Post by morrisr2d2 on Jun 29, 2014 14:27:20 GMT -5
Never tire being in awe of science and how God created it all. Never tire of trying to figure out what my purpose is and what I am suppose on this planet. And I never tire at being amazed at how blessed I am especially when I see what other people all across the globe have to deal with.
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milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
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Post by milee on Jun 29, 2014 21:31:12 GMT -5
Ok, just got back from watching the new Transformers movie with my oldest son. It was fun and reminded me of a few more things I am not tired of:
Linkin Park Dinosaur Robots Mark Wahlberg
And big, huge props to them for working in a motorcycle scene (albeit brief.) Now, if only they can make one of the Transformers into a motorcycle, my joy will be complete.
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toomuchreality
Senior Associate
Joined: Sept 3, 2011 10:28:25 GMT -5
Posts: 16,890
Favorite Drink: Sometimes I drink water... just to surprise my liver!
Member is Online
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Post by toomuchreality on Jun 30, 2014 1:19:23 GMT -5
I'm not tired of reading this thread! Good one!
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swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,619
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Post by swamp on Jun 30, 2014 6:26:05 GMT -5
Days on the river.
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genericname
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Joined: Jan 31, 2013 11:36:33 GMT -5
Posts: 378
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Post by genericname on Jun 30, 2014 10:15:57 GMT -5
My relationship with the Lord. My DH and my 2 wonderful children. They are the joys of my life. Playing hockey (badly). Looking at the Rocky Mountains outside my bedroom window when I wake up every morning. My wonderful family and in-laws and the way we genuinely care for each other.
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andreawick
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Joined: Oct 3, 2012 9:28:04 GMT -5
Posts: 258
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Post by andreawick on Jun 30, 2014 10:49:20 GMT -5
I am not tired of my typical Saturday morning happening now: the cats sitting on our necks when we wake up and hubs cupping my boob after they move. I'm also not tired of wine, running, kabobs (two Saturdays in a row!), procrastination.
LOL - do all husbands do this? I thought it was just mine!
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