Spring Not Far Off

As the month clicks away on the calendar, I am still up to my eyeballs in Monarchs.  Making sure there is food enough to feed them is a daily ritual.  Cleaning the terrarium with this much usage also becomes a necessary chore.  Its good I have that distraction to take my mind off one of the worst months I have ever had in business here, as I am still wondering when we'll bring in enough proceeds from the hordes of folks in town to cover extravagances like rent.  Hordes? -LOL, as they say on Facebook.  Or, and "damhikt", perhaps the throngs are just carying out their innocent "ifuee", (Don't worry those are not off-color, you just have to know your web lingo!

Thanks to the History Museum's offer of a small supply of Butterfly Weed from their Butterfly Garden, I have been provided with enough food to feed them.  Cleaning is done depending on the condition of the container. The lid has to be carefully lifted off as now Caterpillars are attaching their Chrysalis to that section also.  Bruce has to assist.  I lift all the plants out with their Caterpillars still clinging to them, remove dead leaf debris and bare stems, wash the containers, refilling with fresh water, then replace the plants with the still eating caterpillars.  I remove the paper towel flooring, clean that area, and replace.  I reassemble as quickly as possible (it all takes about 5 minutes) because Bruce is standing in the wings holding onto the precious cargo.  But the reward is to sit at my desk and watch this kind of miracle unfold right before my eyes.  This one's image was captured just seconds after bursting out of its Chrysalis; it now waits on that big fat body to pump the fluid inside into the wings to inflate them.  A lot like pumping up a bicycle tire.
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The wings quickly expand, in a matter of minutes.  Then it hangs in place for a couple of hours, I let them decide when they are ready by watching to see when they start moving away from the empty Chrysalis.  When that happens I carefully put my finger in front of them and they climb on board and are ready for transporting outside.  Usually they will just hang on their new plant perch for a while before heading up into the sky and away.


I have had one Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar and he seems to have done alright except that it seems it has taken a very long time for him to grow into any size.  I am not sure if this is normal or something lacking in his food source that may have interfered with his development.  I have kept it in a separate holding tank.  It only eats Passion Flower.


Even though the Monarch does not change colors it does shed all or parts of its skin during growing.  It then eats the skin as this fellow is doing.  Because I wasn't seeing the skin fall away I wasn't aware of this changing until Lisa pointed it out to me.  I keep learning things as I go along, as with all of life.


Looking like a brilliant stained glass window, this one catches the backlight from the morning sun.  They seem to like the small trumpet-like blossoms of the Rosemary plants, so I usually set them on it; so if they want a snack before hitting the road it is readily available.


Another girl's day out with Adrian catching her first big fish.  I have learned from her also that it is better to handle the inside of that mouth with a rag to prevent the blood loss I was having from each fishing trip as I reached in to remove the hooks.  The smell of human blood on the bait may have been more enticing to the fish in the creek but the sore fingers for days afterward was something it will be nice to avoid.  An artist must protect the tools of her trade.


Its twins!!!  It was fun to get up to check the terrarium, and see that we had two, a boy and a girl.  This gives a good chance to show the difference in the sexes.  The top one is a male with the thin black lines and the black dot on the back wing which interrupts the middle line.  It looks like someone tried to erase a spot on the hard black like with a dirty eraser.  The bottom is a female, with her thicker black lines and NO thick spot on her back wing lines.  Next time you can tell the difference too.  In the beginning we had mostly males but now the numbers have shifted and it seems that most are females.


The twins I freed by setting them on the New Zealand Tea Tree which is one of my favorite plants.  It blooms all winter.  They are difficult to get to grow but once established are very hardy.  Very pretty small blossoms which can vary with the different plants from a softer pink to a dark burgundy bloom.


I told you that the color would dramatically change on my Sumac.  I just love the brilliance and the way the low winter sun makes it glow as it changes from yellow green to vibrant orange-red.


As I sit at my desk this is the view, and the bright spots of color give me a nice break in the dark greens of the Oaks and brighter green of my shrubbery and the hanging gray Spanish Moss.  It does literally glow when the sun gets on the other side of it just like the butterflies wings did.


Another evening when I take the time to catch the Marsh sunset.  The colors are possibly slightly exaggerated by the camera in the intensity of the blue in the sky but doesn't it give a great contrast to the yellow and orange of the sunset itself?


It's hard to decide in such a scene whether it needs a tighter view, giving the pretty cloud effect, or the wider angled total picture.  I thought I'd just give you both and you can chose your favorite.  It seems like the "Mare's Tail" formations have been most prevalent lately, probably because we have not had the big rain containing clouds, which we need.


One of my overnighters had made it to the window and seemed to be gazing longingly at the world outside.  Her daydreams were soon fulfilled as the sun quickly warmed that outside world up enough for me to feel better about turning her loose.


I took the opportunity to take one of the not so clear photos of this scene and play with it with the new tools on my Picassa.  Usually I don't do that but this can give me some good ideas for a painting as my mind is shifting to wanting to do a big butterfly painting.


Well it looks like our thorny looking Gulf Fritillary is entering another stage in the transforming life of a butterfly.


On Sunday morning I had another set of twins waiting.  One a few minutes ahead of the other.  That is fun, and since I have the day off to fool with them, I can move them outside and keep an eye on them.  Its a drizzly cool day outside so I will not be tempted by the sun magnet in my posterior to be drawn outdoors for any significant amount of time.


When the rain started I moved the first that one I had taken out to the flower bed, and the second one, when it was ready, to a Mexican Petunia plant just outside my back door but underneath the eave in the dry.  They hung out there all day.  As the day wore on, I was in for more surprises as two more emerged.


WOW!! What was two is now four, and I decide that with the weather so damp and chilly I would just let them overnight on the dining room table since I had seen in them no interest in flying, such as exhibited by the outdoors couple.


Playing with my new toys I take this butterfly photo and turn it into a monochromatic concept for painting.


This female latched onto the one male in the group and was really going after him.  He was smaller than she was so I was afraid she would hurt him.  I moved her 3 different times to another part of the plant but she would always go back to him.  Bruce said "they are too young" and I say "when life is as short as theirs you are probably just born ready".


Outside, with our wonderfully warm winter, I find the signs of awakening and hormones starting to get ready for nesting season as Monday was a wonderful sun-shiny day.  It was evident in the love song of our little Carolina Wren as he sang for his soul mate.  Lets hope they once again nest in the birdhouse that was their home last year.


What I thought was a leaf stuck on my outside screen was instead this very amorous set of unusual moths involved in what must be construed as a lover's embrace.  There is probably a lot going on underneath that spread open wing that might be too risque for polite company.


The Florida Green Anoles are awaking from their winter slumber.  This one seemed to be wondering about the origin of this evidence of the passing-by, pardon the expression, of one of his own kind (the black spot with its white tip which has dropped off).  You can always tell Anole droppings by the white dot on the end.  This one was still in a slow mode as he sat in this one spot even when I put my finger toward his head all he did was open his mouth.  If I had only had a dead fly it would have been a first step in reinforced training to eat flies from my hand, but you can't find a dead fly when you need one.  I was even pretty sure I saw Lewis Lizzard, since he was not fearful of me, but was more grown up and a beautiful bright green color.  Good old Lewis, he was fun to keep for a while.  I would hate to think of him being kept captive forever though.  He seemed to be having a good time running around the front porch where I first found him lying, that cold day, when he was still in hibernation mode.  I had thought him dead but after a few days he revived.  But that's another story already in the archives; if you want to do the research and find it.

Lets hope that winter has gone, at least for the time my mom, Aunt Helen, brother Mike and Sister-in-law Denise are visiting me, till the end of the week.  The Northwest has been cold, damp and snowy for my brother, so they are certainly ready for warmer weather.  Here's to fun, family and Spring.

Work is beginning on two more commissions, one which will not be so difficult (I hope) and another undersea one which will be large and a challenge.

Into the New Year

What was a warm weather passion with the Sea Turtles has switched over to more beautiful and equally interesting creatures.  The Sea Turtles I have loved because of the ancientness, if that is a word, of the species.  They are one of the only species which was around to see the extinction of the dinosaurs and yet have flourished until recent times, each might live a century.  With the butterflies, they live such brief but beautiful lives, with just the process of change so fascinating to watch. They contribute to the workings of our natural world as they flit from flower to flower sipping nectar and spreading the pollen so necessary for all life, without which it would be a world without flowers, fruits, even coffee; and worse yet, -no chocolate.

This moment, as I type this, in the terrarium beside me part of the miraculous transformation begins to take place.  The caterpillar which had been hanging from his bottom end for a couple of days seems to be limp and I think, oh dear, it's dead.  Then I see the pale lime green start to show as his skin literally splits apart.  In a matter of minutes the skin is a crinkled black wad hanging by the  thread which holds the new chrysalis to the top.  Now the green form starts its dance, twisting, wiggling, gyrating and turning until the black old skin is shed dropping to bottom of the terrarium.  After two weeks this will be the result.  One of our releases just before Christmas.  Such color, such patterns, and such grace as they float with the greatest of ease, going from flower to flower to feed and lay eggs, starting the cycle all over again.  How can an artist not want to paint with such inspiration.

Sometimes we overnight them on the dining room table if it is a very cold night or if they hatch out too late in the day to take wing before dark.  This one was with us for dinner while Bruce's mom was here.  I bring inside whatever we have blooming outside and put it on the table in case they need a snack.  Sometimes if they are acting slow, we can trick them into sipping sugar water from a syringe.  This is a sticky wicket in itself.  Not aways are we successful, but sometimes it works.

Often they just hang around for a while looking like a Tree Ornament, then they will just be gone.  The ones I have watched fly away just seem to catch the wind and float effortlessly high above the big Oak Trees in my back yard and out of sight.  They don't seem to fly much in the morning or after the sun gets low.  I have found them sitting overnight in one spot clinging tightly to a plant not moving until midmorning.  We have only temporarily lost a couple in the house.  We don't know where they disappeared to, but eventually each reappeared on the dining room curtain sitting in the sunlight coming through the window.

Christmas dinner came and went as we all gathered at my nephew Chris's home south of Jacksonville.  Lots to eat and a nice visit.  A place with a child in the house although she made herself scarce playing with her friend, another Reagan from across the street.


Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" was what this Little Snowy Egret seemed to be saying.  It was after Christmas and a little time to relax.  After all the hustle of getting ready for the big day it was nice to have some down time to just show Bruce's mom around.  Unfortunately she thought it  was " very cold for Florida" even when we thought it was very warm for North Florida in winter, but  this day a cold front did come in.  Although I didn't think it very cold she was freezing.  I had hoped to take her to walk on the beach  for a little while so we headed on to the park.

Inside the park I spot some of our Christmas Fall Color in this Hickory Tree just as we make the turn toward the beach.  Our Fall is late as I told someone today we have Fall this week and next week we will have Spring.

On the beach I find my own forest in the beach trees left by the outgoing tide.  I sure do miss my time here.  Unlike last winter when I kept going, watching the turtle nest that never hatched, this year I have been too busy to make the time.  Instead my fishing trips have taken me to the marsh, which has been great fun also, but I do miss the beach.

I hope to make it over there (the two blocks) this next weekend to take in all the migrating birds who are visiting with us now.  Many species we don't have other times in the year.  In this group was a flock of some sort of tern that was larger than our Least Terns and were not our regulars at all.

Oh yes, then Lisa came to visit the island just after Christmas.  Of course I took her fishing, and we all gathered to eat our wonderful catch.  Keep in mind Lisa's stature and the angle of the photo when you think this might be over the size limit.  I can assure you it was legal.  It was a great catch and Lisa was soooo excited.  She even had enough meat left over to take to cook for her Grandfather, who has, along with her grandmother, mostly raised her.  Grandfather is in Hospice care right now, separated from his wife of so many years because they cannot afford a place for jointly living together in assisted living with his health issues and hers these last few months.

Monarch season is in the Fall in the South.  Just when I thought I was just about at the end as I only had about 5 Cats left, a friend brought at least 20 more to my door and left them with Bruce because of the cold front headed our way.  It took a lot of Butterfly Weed to feed that many hungry mouths and I had been begging, borrowing and stealing Butterfly Weed from everyone I knew who had any left.  I tried to be careful to not take it where there were still caterpillars eating on it.  Inadvertently, I managed to add to the stash of caterpillars even more by finding eggs and tiny caterpillars on the plants once I got them home.  New resolve:  Next year I will have plants galore for them to eat.  I have found out one good thing.  Once you cut the sprouts off to feed they will put out roots from the cuttings if left in the water.  If these all live, then I should be well supplied next year.

Enjoying a bit of time in my backyard one day, I heard this tap, tap, tapping.   I knew the sound, but now to find the source.  Looks like Woody himself is visiting.  This  branch was getting thinner and thinner as he sat on the big end and pecked on the top part where it was hooked into the tree.  Better watch out!  I have seen tree cutters make that mistake, but they didn't have wings, so I guess its not quite the same kind of mishap in the making.  I have new binoculars (Christmas present); the better to see them with.

On New Year's Day, niece Julie came for a visit.  She brought a good friend Steven and a youngster from their area, (Steven is his court advocate), that they were befriending.  We toured the park and found our kite-flying friends again, then we were off to fish.  We did catch some good ones, catching our limit, then bringing them home to deep fry once again. Deep fried fish and hush puppies, hard to beat.   I will start cooking them to be a little bit more healthy, once the "new" of actually coming home with a meal-sized quantity of fish wears off.  I need one of those enclosed grilles to contain fish while on the main grille, made like a basket so that you can flip the whole thing over without the fish falling through the wires; otherwise, I am going to look like one of those big round Puffer Fish pretty soon.

Frost was forecast, so I take a longing look at what might not make it through.  My Sky Vine was at its prettiest.

A close up of the blooms tells the story of why I like them so much.  They are very orchid like, and although the bloom does not last long, each is replenished by a new one, waiting to take its place as they make their way down the stem.  They bloom best for me in the winter but are not frost tolerant.  They were not destroyed, but they were "bit" back with many of the leaves turning brown, and the flowering has slowed with the frost bite.

I should have thought to cover these all up but it was dark when I went out to do it, and I forgot these pretty things further out in the yard.  One made it and one didn't, attesting to the spottiness of the freeze.  Of course the one which was sadly all limp the next day was the big beautiful one, while the smaller one is still fine.  The yellow flowers which the butterflies like so much were also causalities of the cold.

One nice shot of the beautiful blossom.  Yes, I know, these are not really the blossom, but leaves and the bloom is the part in the center.

Outside my front window, the sun always hits this Sumac, and it just glows as it is starting its "Fall" color transition.  Yes, I know it is almost Spring but the tree doesn't.   Wait until you see this week's change in it.

One of my Chrysalis is doing its change-over, as one next to it failed to fully shake off his skin; but you can see how shriveled that which what once was a caterpillar is now.  It was all for show.  The Green inner self is the true being...or maybe not.  They seem to change clothes as often as a teenager.  The terrarium has become a film of webs from all the caterpillar tracks on it, as they roam around hunting the perfect spot to hang around on and also when they hang themselves they spread a wide circle of web.  We are not sure how that happens.  Do they spray the webbing around or do they spread it around with their feet before hanging?  We haven't seen any such action going on.  It just magically appears.  If you try to move one when it is crawling around you will feel them sticking the webby stuff to the surface and you almost have to pry them off.

Here is our menagerie of Chrysalis' at this point. This continues to change as new ones come up top side and others emerge and get taken outside.  What causes them to all cluster on this end of the tank?  Is it the sunlight through the window?  The slick surface as opposed to the screen on the other end.  We don't know exactly.  Now we do have 3 which have attached themselves to the screened area today probably because it is just too crowded on the other end.  This has been better for us as I have to clean and feed through the other end.

A beautiful sunset was happening as I drove home a few days a go.  I was not alone in wanting to capture it.  I pulled into the property where Ten Acres' Kraft Athletic Club is located because it is one of the few places you can get an unobstructed view in my neighborhood.

The sun was sinking fast over the calm river and marsh area.  With a water sunset you get a double whammy with the sun's reflection almost stealing the show.

A wide view is not always as impressive as you just cannot take it all in with my camera.  A wider angled lens than mine would be necessary.

As I walk away I look back for the long view, which I love too, with the trees all siloutted against the pastel colors going from lavender to orange to yellow and pink to blue.  Such beauty; it is hard to image it can be real, but the camera does not lie...well not much.

Swinging into Spring

Finally it has happened; the cold snap has snapped and Spring-like weather has blessed our cold frozen bones.  I know it is all relative, but for us Floridians it has been a cold winter.  The sunlight on the Spanish Moss is such an interesting thing to me.  The glow is seldom ever quite as good in a photograph as it is in person...

...but I keep trying.  It was a special evening ahead.  We had been invited to watch the wonderful old love story of Dr. Zhivago in the equally wonderful home theater created by my husband for some good friends.  A walk to their backyard for a glimpse of Lanceford Creek at high tide was a must.

I tried to not spook Mr. Egret but was unsucessful, however I was able to get his leap into space caught in stop action.

Not a bad view to inspire an artist needing to get a painting of a marsh finished.

A few days later I wandered down to the waterfront to apologize to the sunset for having neglected it too much this year.  I promised that after I finish my tax reports I will do better--like have a real life.

When I get home I see Bruce with his back to me standing very still in the back yard near the squirrels feeding tree.  I know instantly that he has company.  I figured it was about time for a new photograph for all to see; our Ms. Shelly doing her usual, eating pecans and peanuts.

Her identifying mark now is the small notch in left her ear.  As I was expecting, knowing what I have learned about squirrels, Shelly had for the third time in her young life, disappeared for a couple of weeks.  That usually means that she is the one who is expecting, as in the family way.  During this time period she visits more often, is more relaxed, and lives a few weeks of freedom from responsibility.  She also starts eating lots of good fattening foods as well as hiding many for her future responsibilities as a new mom.

An addition on the beach which did not make me that happy to see, is a long dredge pipe stretching the length of the Park's oceanfront.  It is supposed to only take 5 weeks to finish the dredge job with all of the sand deposited South of the park but must be piped in via our beach.

Last week was full moon week so we made it a point to join friends and sit out on the deck at Sandy Bottoms Restaurant to enjoy watching it come up from below the horizon.  Not a great photo but with the low haze the color was pretty and orange.

Climbing higher we began to enjoy orange sprarkles on the water also.

As it gained height it became the more silvery moon now painting the water with a much broader stroke.

Lewis Lizzard is still with us and has moved into a 10 gallon aquarium.  We were advised by a friend who does rehabbing that we should keep him inside until we are sure that it will stay warm and not just what might be a fleeting warm spell.  He really wants out and stays in the end of the terrarium next to the window, wishing greatly that he could get his life back to normal.  He does seem pretty content as he stays bright green most of the time now.  It is very important that he get enough UV light so I raise the blind in the day time even opening the window so the light is more direct as well as keep a lamp on him during daytime.

Outside everyone living in and around the backyard seems to be waking up to the signs of spring and nest building.  This young lady seems to be thinking seriously about building her nest in the Jasmine trellis and screen alongside the patio.  We wish it were Shelly instead.

This Carolina Wren was trying to decide whether to build his nest in the same area.  He sang and sang even though his mouth was full of nesting material.  I have been told that the male will build several nest sites and then let his lady help choose the one she wants.  Such a thoughtful little fellow.

This cute little Tree Frog isn't quite sure that it is warm enough for him to awaken as he just kind of peeps at me then closes his eyes again.  He is sitting on the front porch area of my house.  He blended in so well with the leaf I almost didn't see him.

This hedge type plant, of which I do not know the name, was a surprise as I never knew it had this fruit like seed.  It felt soft like ripe fruit and I wondered how it would taste but did not have the nerve to try it.  Maybe I will though.

My Cape Cod friend Anne, with roots deeply sprouting straight from Tennesse, who used to enjoy lots of adventures with me, took me on a, 'new for me hike'.  These days it seems our schedules seem to prevent us from doing as much while she is here.  One of her favorite walking trails is in Fort Clinch State Park but I had never hiked it.  She is saying "this is one of my favorite parts" as the trail wound up what used to be a dune in days gone by.

The trail winds along only a short distance from the road but gives the feeling you are deep in the woods of a forest.  The wind was blowing causing the Spanish Moss to sway and swing in front of us.

We took time to find some new things as we use our artists' eyes to be aware of patterns and interesting formations on the trees.  We decide this must be a gall of giantic proportions on this tree.  There were several very old Southern Magnolias along the trail, with Yupon shrubs, an American Holly, Live Oaks of course, lots of Palmettos, and Palms.  There were also many wild Bay trees trying to resurrect themselves from the roots after almost being destroyed by that invasive bug which attacked them a few years ago.  We are "rooting" for their ability to survive, unlike the Chestnuts trees which used to fill the forests of old which also tried, but unsuccessfully, to regrow from their roots.  Each time they were always knocked back down before they could have a chance to grow.

Nothing here is quite as beautiful in the sun,especially to an artist, as Palmetto leaves as the patterns play across their angular surfaces letting the light make magic as it filters through the rich and waxy green of their fronds.

I first noticed this lovey pink Lichen when I was on Cumberland Island.  It is almost the color of the Roseate Spoonbills.

There is beauty even in death.    These beautiful patterns are all that is left of an Armadillo that once rooted its way around the forest floor looking for grubs on which to dine.   If you have never heard of Go-Go Ferguson then I will tell you.  She is a wonderfully talented jewelry artist who takes things like this beautifully patterned shell, casts it in silver and creates some very collectable jewelry.  She lives on Cumberland Island (and other places) and her jewerly is cast from molds she makes from these and other of the life forms (collected in their dead forms) from the island.  Her Armadillo Shell and Rattlesnake Rib brackets, as well as her Racoon "Pecker" Earrings are well known and worn by many.  She designed the wedding rings for John Kennedy and his bride when they were married on Cumberland.  Her beautiful little Sea Star necklaces were chosen as gifts for the G-8 wives when the G-A Conference met on St. Simons Island a few years ago.

We also found a live version of the Armadillo making its way through the undergrowth.   They don't hear or see very well so probably never saw what was most likely a Bobcat which decided on a different menu for his dinner.  I never realized that the armor was quite as hard as it was until I was able to touch the pieces we found.  Usually an Armadillo will roll up into a ball and be pretty safe but there is that soft underside that is alway vulnerable.

Another day another short adventure as a friend happened to mention that there was a Bald Eagle's nest in his neighborhood.  My ears perked up and my mouth immediately voiced my desire to see this.  We are experiencing our first Bald Eagle nest in modern times here on the island and I wanted to see for myself.  I have spotted a few of the adults around the island and knew they were nesting somewhere.  Although the adults did not show up we did get to watch the kids as they are almost grown to fledgling size.  We believe there are 3 chicks.  This fellow moved into and out of the nest a couple of times while we were there.  Although it seemed as if he were ignoring us, once we enlarged the photos we could see that he was actually watching us pretty closely.

The nest was very high up in the top of a large pine tree, where I am told is a favorite nesting site.  They have a very large nest.  The wings of the chicks were also very large when they spread them to balance moving in and out of the nest and to flex them in preparation for the time when they will be flying on their own.  I understand the Southern Bald Eagle is smaller then the Northwestern ones.  This was a day to really wish my camera lens would have been stronger. Shameless plug time! (If you would, indulge me a mention of our other family business.) Note  that my husband, Bruce, has over twenty years in the custom residential electronics field, and is an independent designer, licensed reseller, and troubleshooter.  So if you fall into the group of folks who only wish your electronics would perform flawlessly, and up to their potential, give him a call. Among many areas, the main ones you'll be familiar with are Home Theater, Home Automation, Whole house AV, Computer/Data Security, and Personal Safety.   His company is Alltech Systems Design and Consulting, 904-261-5115. http://www.alltech-systems.com