26-SEP-2008
Unhappy Ending
Sadly, my monarch butterflies never emerged from their pupas. They turned black and kind of shriveled. I looked it up on the internet, and found out that they had been attacked when they were caterpillars by some kind of fly that laid eggs in them. The fly larvae hatched and killed the pupas. Gross. Maybe next year I'll get some butterflies.
25-SEP-2008
Brotherly Love?
It's been a bad couple of days at Ben and Jake's house. The bruise on Ben's forehead came when Jake knocked him off the ottoman and he hit his head on the corner. Jake's skinned nose happened when Ben threw a toy drill at him. I see a trip to the ER in someone's future.
24-SEP-2008
Yucky Bug
This nasty looking centipede was out on the patio today.
23-SEP-2008
Tiny Dancer
Allison asked me to take some pics of Eliza today. She is almost walking and teeters around. She looks pretty graceful in this one, but she plopped right down afterwards! The little dress is one I brought back for her from Nicaragua, and she is growing so much that this may be the first and last time she wears it.
19-SEP-2008
Security
I'm on a cleaning rampage right now. Today I was in the storage room and found a box of old memorabilia. Inside was Sarah's "nah-nah" and Allison's "paci". How many nights did I crawl under a crib looking for the paci, and how many times did I have to sneak the nah-nah away so I could wash it?
My grandkids have their own "lovies" today, and hopefully, their mamas will save them too.
18-SEP-2008
Back to School
I finally took the plunge and signed up for a digital photography class. I have been so intimidated by my camera. It has never fit into my schedule, but I decided I am just going to have to miss some other stuff. I have already learned a lot, and I am looking forward to the next few weeks.
13-SEP-2008
Class of 1983
This weekend was the 25th reunion of my husband's medical school class at Marshall University. They were the third class ever to graduate from this school, and there were only 36 of them. It was a tight knit family, and we had many friends in that group. So it was great to see many of them for the first time in 25 years. Lots of stories to tell and families to catch up on, retirement plans to discuss. Of course they all promised to keep in touch, and hopefully we'll see them all again in 5 years or so.
12-SEP-2008
Chrysalis
I'm happy to say that I didn't kill all of the monarch caterpillars. We were running out of butterfly weed leaves before I went to Chicago. So when I got back last night I was pleased to see 4 of these chrysales hanging in the butterfly treehouse. It was really hard to get my arm and the camera inside to try to get a shot. I think we have about 10 days before the butterflies emerge. Very exciting!
11-SEP-2008
From a Distance
We've been so busy while in Chicago I didn't take the time to look out our 16th floor hotel room window until this morning. It was very interesting to look at the other buildings, even seeing into some of the offices across the street. But my favorite was the view of the Golden Arches between two tall buildings down the block.
10-SEP-2008
The Big "O"
Today I got to cross something off my "Bucket List". My friend Anne and I went to see Oprah. We had a great time, sat in the third row, got to see Jennie McCarthy and Jim Carrey. No, we didn't get any gifts from Oprah, but we bought some nice stuff at her store after the show. Harpo Studios is definitely a well-oiled machine. Everything went like clockwork, and Oprah is a true pro.
09-SEP-2008
Marina City Tower, Chicago
I'm on a quick trip to Chicago for a little shopping and entertainment. Tonight we walked from downtown to the theatre where we saw "Wicked." As we came up to the Chicago River, I had to take a shot of one of the Marina City Twin Towers.
08-SEP-2008
Camouflage
I'm telling you, if you just put on that hunting jacket, you'd blend right into the scenery.
07-SEP-2008
Busy Beavers
Today while the boys played golf, Anne and took a hike along the lakeshore. We came upon an area where beavers had cut down a bunch of trees. For some reason they didn't finish this one. Being a city girl, I have never seen this before. And I still think it is amazing that they can chop down a tree and move it where they need it.
06-SEP-2008
A Walk in the Woods
Only a few more weeks and these leaves will be brilliant fall colors, but for now, the forest is still deep green.
05-SEP-2008
The Lake
We're spending the weekend at Stonewall Jackson Resort in a cabin on the lake. It is very nice and quiet here. We walked back from dinner at the lodge tonight and saw a beaver swimming in the lake. He slapped his tail and dove twice. The sunset was really pretty and it is very relaxing.
04-SEP-2008
Caterpillars
Ben calls these "paterpillars". I was out taking pictures and saw these all over the butterfly weed plant in my yard. I think they are monarchs. I collected 4 of them and went to Walmart and bought a "butterfly treehouse." Hopefully, I can keep them alive long enough for them to go through their lifecycle and turn into butterflies.
01-SEP-2008
The End is Near
Unfortunately, this is what happens to flowers when I plant them in pots around my house. It all starts well, and I keep them watered and trimmed up. But then I go on vacation, or it gets hot and I get busy, and before you know it, they are shriveled up and brown. But since it is the first of September, I know they didn't have much longer to bloom anyway. There's always next year.
