I asked for it, and I got it. A Red Admiral butterfly visited my garden today.
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Red Admiral Update
Posted by Lesley on April 30, 2011
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Nature vs. The Laundry Room
Posted by Lesley on April 29, 2011
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Last year, my butterfly observation took place indoors-in my laundry room to be more specific. I lost a couple caterpillars and a butterfly and wondered how or if my involvement played a part. One of the chrysalises fell to the ground, and I strung it back up. This was an example of good interference; the butterfly emerged happy and healthy.
But there’s always the possibility of unintended bad interference from an indoor environment. So this time around, I wanted to truly observe-hands off. It was a promising start from the caterpillars to the first chrysalis.
Now for the bad news…out of six chrysalises, only two became healthy Monarch butterflies. Out of the three chrysalises outside of the milk crate, only one survived. And although all three chrysalises inside the milk crate survived, only one produced a health butterfly. My outcome was actually much better in the laundry room – three healthy butterflies from four chrysalises. Outside the milk crate, the only success came from under the windowsill.
I didn’t see the butterfly emerge…of course! Only the empty chrysalis remained when I got home. The two chrysalises that attached under the eave of the roof didn’t last more than a day. One ended up crushed on the brick path. Either the wind or a bird must have knocked it down. How it got crushed? I can’t bear to think on it too much, but I did check the bottom of my sneakers and they looked clean.
The other chrysalis stayed in place but was attacked by something. John suggested a spider, and I can’t rule it out.
I’ve let the spider webs get out of control because they’re disgustingly fascinating. They trapped a lizard! So now on top of gross fascination, I’m too freaked out to pull them down.
But no matter what it was that initially attacked the chrysalis, the ants were what finished it off.
As for the three chrysalises inside the milk crate, two of the butterflies emerged infected with Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE). OE is a parasitic spore that can infect the caterpillars or chrysalises…more to come on that in a future post.
Catch Butterflies with Milk Crates
Posted by Lesley on April 28, 2011
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Six caterpillars and six chrysalises…I think. As caterpillars move and grow at rapid rates; it’s difficult to track them outdoors. The laundry room was a controlled environment; they were easy to track. Outside, butterflies continue to visit and lay eggs.
But at any given time, I never counted more than six caterpillars on the milkweed, and there are six chrysalises accounted for. The first three were easy to find; one attached under the windowsill and two attached to the eave of the roof. The other three went missing. I searched for days and only by chance found them while turning on the hose.
You may have to click on the photo to enlarge it, but there are three little chrysalises all in a row! It was quite the exciting discovery. Out of six caterpillars, half were drawn to the milk crate. It makes perfect sense; caterpillars seek out sheltered areas. They also need enough room to unfurl their wings. Milk crates suit both requirements.
And the handles are large enough for the butterflies to exit through.
The milk crate worked so well that all three chrysalises survived. Out of the first three, only one made it. Now that the Monarchs have moved on, I’m going to put the crate up against the fence near the Cassia tree. The Orange-barred Sulphurs have been visiting regularly for a few weeks now, mostly in pairs. I spotted two mating mid-air yesterday and spotted this caterpillar last week.
Searching for the Best Table in Town
Posted by Lesley on April 26, 2011
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When Bird Key Park was first renovated, I fell in love with one of the picnic tables. Its bright blue canopy offers shade, and its long seats offer endless views of Sarasota Bay. Turn your back to the water and native blanket flowers line the pathway.
I took John there for one of our date nights. As the sun set into the bay, we sipped white wine and snacked on shrimp cocktail and brie…just the two of us. The table sits by itself and is pleasantly private for a public park. Since that night, I’ve been convinced that the best tables in Sarasota are right under my nose and don’t have to come at the cost of an overpriced pina colada.
Lately John and I have been sneaking away from the office to O’Leary’s at Bayfront Park. A few perks of working for yourself are that you can stretch a lunch hour when needed and bring your dog to work with you. O’Leary’s is dog-friendly, and between the sailboat scenery and the guy singing Jimmy Buffet covers, it’s an insta-vacation even if it is only for an hour. But now we’re inspired to be both Luke-friendly and budget-friendly. Once a week, we’re taking our picnic basket on the road to find and lunch at the best picnic tables in town. We started today with Payne Park…
…and egg salad sandwiches.
When you get to Payne Park, look for the tall green fencing and netting of the tennis courts; the picnic table sits along the nearby pond. Travel the paved path and you’ll see it tucked into a line of trees. Beyond the sound of tennis balls bouncing here and there, it’s a quiet, private and peaceful spot.
The table conditions are perfect – part sun, part shade with a garbage can conveniently close by. There was a cool breeze flowing through, and the water lilies are in full bloom. We’re off to a good start with Payne Park and looking forward to next week’s table!
Get Your Bibb On
Posted by Lesley on April 20, 2011
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Our Bibb lettuce patch was a huge success this year. It was already two weeks ago that John looked at me and said, “I am so sick of salad.” And still we have a whole row left.
A month after the first head was plucked and I can’t remember a time when we didn’t eat salad. John has started going door-to-door offering the beautiful Bibb heads to our neighbors. Three gladly accepted, and one said he was allergic. For some reason, possibly an inner caveman desperation to move on from salad to meat and potatoes, I don’t believe him. If anyone has a lettuce allergy, comment and I’ll bring him some beans when they’re ready.
No matter how much salad I eat, there’s one recipe that never tires. I’ve posted it before; the recipe is for a homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Basil is a main ingredient, and my sweet basil is just starting to come in. The dressing is delicious tossed with the unlikely pair of grapefruit and green beans for a quick side dish. It completely tempers the sourness of the grapefruit.
This time the dressing was drizzled over a side salad of Bibb lettuce, strawberries, cucumbers, and pears with a main entree of Chilean sea bass. It’s as good as it looks and the perfect weeknight meal because everything besides the fish can be washed, chopped and prepared ahead of time. The minute you walk in the door, toss the fish (it doesn’t have to be sea bass) in a bowl and cover it with low-sodium soy sauce. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, then dip the fish in tea leaves, and broil on both sides. Celestial Seasonings has a line of Zinger teas. Tear open a few of the bags and coat the fish as if the tea leaves were bread crumbs. Tangerine Orange Zinger is my personal favorite but lemon, raspberry and red zingers work well too. Bon appetite!
Life is Good in Sarasota
Posted by Lesley on April 19, 2011
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I’ve always felt it inside but finally there’s proof that living in Sarasota is good for my health. Sarasota County ranked at the top of the 2011 Florida County Health Rankings. Basically, the rank indicates quality and length of life but the categories are labeled health factors and health outcomes instead. Out of the 67 counties in Florida, Sarasota ranked second in health factors and fourth in health outcomes. There were 22 different health factors ranging from education level to access to healthy foods. Sarasota scored well because its residents smoke and drink less than the state average; they’re thinner; and they have more access to recreational facilities. Here are some of the places and things that make me a healthy, happy person living in Sarasota…
Squirrel Crime Heads South
Posted by Lesley on April 17, 2011
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We celebrated Cooper’s 13th birthday on Lido Beach yesterday. It was a great day filled with boating, tubing, swimming, and eating.
But thanks to a couple of party-crashing squirrels, hanging on to our lunch proved more difficult than hanging on to a tube traveling at 30 mph. Luke’s begging has nothing on these squirrels. This one was trying to jump into my car as I unloaded the coolers and bags.
We can all use our imaginations to form the picture of how that ride home would’ve gone. Moths flew out of my air conditioning vents once, and I nearly crashed my car. It’s extremely difficult to steer while swatting. And it’s hard to unpack a car with stalking squirrels around every tree. First, I found the bag with all the hamburger and hot dog buns on its side with one package on the ground. I didn’t think much of it at the time, so I picked the package up off the ground, tossed it onto one of the picnic tables and went to get another load from the car. Two minutes later, three tops, and this is what I came back to.
I put the package away again, took one more trip to the car, and then this…
There’s no disputing it. Remember my last squirrel post, Squirrel Crime on the Rise? I’m now a full-blown victim. Thank God it was only after the buns! Because, of course, I did nothing beyond stomping my feet. After reading about Kevin McDonald’s squirrel attack, one of my latest irrational fears is having a squirrel “go ballistic” on me. I say one of my latest because the last one came about Friday while kayaking. I was scared a mullet was going to jump into my kayak. I find it best to acknowledge these thoughts and move on…also to keep a respectable distance from squirrels.
{this moment} Discovery
Posted by Lesley on April 15, 2011
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{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. -Soulemama
Soap Making with Bees
Posted by Lesley on April 14, 2011
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My obsession with soap continues. Everything around me is a possible scent or dye. My most recent inspiration came from a few wilting sunflowers.
The initial allure was the bright yellow color, but my next thought was that maybe it’ll be good for my skin. If you don’t have allergies, pollen is seemingly good for you. It’s marketed that way at least, but that’s why I’m not completely convinced. So while I won’t spend a bunch of money to buy pollen in pill form, it does make perfect sense to add it to some soap. Why not?
The picture above is proof that bees visited the sunflowers that provided the pollen, but it still isn’t considered bee pollen. Bee pollen is taken straight from the bees. It’s the pollen that sticks to their bodies as they fly from flower to flower. Although it does seem rather unlikely that a few particals from the bees aren’t mixed in.
Flower pollen is also bottled and sold, albeit to a lesser degree. The only information I could find on either one that didn’t appear to be an advertisement was on WebMD. While the article states, “Bee pollen contains vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids, and protein,” it also says, after listing a series of product claims, “At this point, medical research has not shown that bee pollen is effective for any of these health concerns.”
Good thing the fluorescent lemon color is enough for me. It’s absolutely brilliant. And the only other additive in the soap is something the bees were sure to have had a hand in – honey, and to be more specific, Sarasota raw and unfiltered honey from My Sweetest Honey off of Fruitville Road. I bought my bottle at the Phillippi Farmhouse Market; it reads, “No heat, filtering or processing is ever used. This is done in order to preserve its natural antioxidants, pollens, enzymes and flavor.” Once again, I’m pleased with my ingredients and results. Now let’s hope that lasts. Remember my pretty, purple Amaryllis soap?
It faded to brown.
I have no idea what happened. It was purple one day, brown the next. Weird, but that’s how experiments go. Now it’s on to the next bar; luckily, I just came across a recipe for rose water…
