Wow, that is a pretty photo! And thanks to Danita for reading our past threads. I should do that every now and then. It's fun to see what was going on throughout different times of the year. And thanks for the kind words, everyone. They help me to get through until I can see my therapist (Tuesday) and psychiatrist (Jun 1) again.
So, I'm actually somehow still awake and I'm not sure how. I didn't have a nap today, even! I just made a Starbucks run but I still feel like I'm drunk-typing. Sleep deprivation is no joke! My mom is narcoleptic so I know all about that.
Let's see...caterpillar update. Well, I hope Meredith's Spicebush cats are doing better than mine. In case you lost count, I had three big ones (had turned green), one small one (still brown), and four eggs. One of the green ones died today and I fear another is close. They all stopped growing just like that one I had last year. The good news is, the little brown guy molted the other day and he definitely seems like he's growing. He even stinkhorned me when I unfurled his leaf shelter. He's still too small for it to stink that bad, though. And then he ate a lot of the leaf I had in there so that was good. The four eggs appear to be changing color so that's also good.
My Giant ST cat is molting so he's just sitting still while the Black ST cat I added in there roams around. They're super small but I know that won't last and they'll be super devouring my Rue! I also had some Long-Tailed Skippers which can be really tricky to raise. The host plant I use, butterfly pea, dries out so quickly that I think they get dehydrated. There was a decent patch of Desmodium spp. in the backyard and that always lasts longer so I was adding that in there. Somehow, one caterpillar managed to survive. He's built an elaborate shelter that I don't want to move, but through the blurry plastic of the Gladware, I think he's changing color and going to make his chrysalis. So yay!
Another Orange-Barred Sulphur went into wandering mode so I stuck him in the chrysalis tank where he very promptly found a stick he liked and made a sling. He made his up high with plenty of room. The last one made his down low and I thought he was fine but when he made his chrysalis he must have wiggled too hard and shifted the stick because the pointy end of the chrysalis hit the bottom of the tank. From what I can tell, no actual parts of the butterfly form in the pointy part, so it should be fine. I'll have to take a picture tomorrow to show you guys. That leaves me with two Orange-Barred cats and one Cloudless Sulphur cat. Still wondering how that Cloudless managed to sneak in amongst all the others. I've been doing this eight years now and it always seemed like it was pretty even between the Orange-Barred and Cloudless population, with the Cloudless having the advantage of making it through the cooler months. Maybe it's because we've had some mild winters but the Orange-Barreds are whipping the Cloudless in population. It's super weird.
Also, my Senna is still blooming a little which is strange. It's supposed to have a big flush around November usually, and then bloom periodically throughout the winter. But each year that I've had these plants, it seems like they bloom longer and later. Not that I'm complaining!
I need to do some gardening and I might try and get out there a little tomorrow if I don't sleep all day. Danita, I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue so I know all about cruising ATP. If I can't garden as much as I want to physically, I can enjoy the virtual gardening of others!
Margaret, I like the sound of a Silvery Blue. That reminds me, Florida, like many states, has a lot of specialty license plates. I have one that supports the Florida Wildflower Foundation and it has a Coreopsis (our official state wildflower) on it. It's a fairly popular tag. But a year or two ago, I saw a different tag, and I saw it again today. It's the Save Wild Florida (or something like that) tag and it has what I believe to be a picture of the endangered Miami Blue butterfly on it. I renew in August so I'm going to have to look into that. We also have a plate with a Monarch on it but that's the Support Hospice plate and that's not quite the message I'm going for. Not that hospice workers aren't angels on earth, but I like to support environmental causes.
Okay, that's a lot of talk and I didn't even give you a picture! I'll try to do better tomorrow.
I'm going to keep sipping this latte, but I think I'm going to lose the fight to my pillow pretty soon.
Ann posted as I was typing so now I have to continue. Ann, you have much to learn, but I will teach you, grasshopper (or young Padawan, choose your reference accordingly). That is no Red-Spotted Purple. That is a dark-form female Tiger Swallowtail! Now send her my way because I have three Sweetbay Magnolia trees and no eggs!
