What an ugly flower for your mantelpiece, you say?
This beautiful, gilded thing is in fact a monarch chrysalis. My colleague Mary gave it to us last week, and we have been keeping an eye on it, trying to observe any changes in color. When it darkens, the butterfly is getting ready to emerge.
Looking ready to burst--see the wings inside?
On Thursday we came home form school (with Aaron), and the butterfly was out! Since it has been so chilly and cloudy, it wasn't very active.
But Aaron knew what to do since he had hatched butterflies before, and soon the butterfly was crawling all over us. Mary said, too, that this is a time when they are tame. We were very careful not to touch its wings.
I was worried about the only-four-legs thing, but found out online that some insects who don't do much walking only have 4 legs (and two teeny front ones, just to remain in the insect club). I also leaned how to figure out if it is male (two distinctive dots on the wings) or female, and ours was a male.
Farewell, old sleeping bag.
On Friday, our butterfly began to fly! He was much less willing to be held, and we had to work pretty hard to get him outside safely. We had kept him in overnight to help him avoid the worst of the rainstorms, but he needed to set out on his own eventually. Once out, he held on for a minute or so, then flew up, up up...
...and landed in our river birch. He stayed there for more than an hour, but then wasn't there the next time I checked. Best of luck to you, in this cold and blustery world! May you make it to Pismo Beach or Montano de Oro, the best beaches in the world, safely.
Well, it's hard for me to take a picture these days without an apprentice needing to have a turn. Here are some of Theo's shots.
Coleus gone wild!
And Adam's picture. You be the interpreter...
What an ugly flower for your mantelpiece, you say?
This beautiful, gilded thing is in fact a monarch chrysalis. My colleague Mary gave it to us last week, and we have been keeping an eye on it, trying to observe any changes in color. When it darkens, the butterfly is getting ready to emerge.
Looking ready to burst--see the wings inside?
On Thursday we came home form school (with Aaron), and the butterfly was out! Since it has been so chilly and cloudy, it wasn't very active.
But Aaron knew what to do since he had hatched butterflies before, and soon the butterfly was crawling all over us. Mary said, too, that this is a time when they are tame. We were very careful not to touch its wings.
I was worried about the only-four-legs thing, but found out online that some insects who don't do much walking only have 4 legs (and two teeny front ones, just to remain in the insect club). I also leaned how to figure out if it is male (two distinctive dots on the wings) or female, and ours was a male.
Farewell, old sleeping bag.
On Friday, our butterfly began to fly! He was much less willing to be held, and we had to work pretty hard to get him outside safely. We had kept him in overnight to help him avoid the worst of the rainstorms, but he needed to set out on his own eventually. Once out, he held on for a minute or so, then flew up, up up...
...and landed in our river birch. He stayed there for more than an hour, but then wasn't there the next time I checked. Best of luck to you, in this cold and blustery world! May you make it to Pismo Beach or Montano de Oro, the best beaches in the world, safely.
Well, it's hard for me to take a picture these days without an apprentice needing to have a turn. Here are some of Theo's shots.
Coleus gone wild!
And Adam's picture. You be the interpreter...
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