Prairie Royalty comes to visit

Despite the threats to monarchs' migration habitats, for us this has been the summer of the caterpillar. We've now had four caterpillars in the house - one successfully reared in June (Ken), one found recently and now in chrysallis mode, and two just found today on the very milkweed stem we'd brought home to feed # 2! They are hungry little suckers!
Lawrence is lucky to be home to Monarch Watch, a conservation and education program whose greatest annual event is the tagging in September. Next month, a quarter of a million monarchs make a pit stop at the wetlands south of town en route to Mexico. One day is specifically designated for the public to come out, attempt to net and then put ID stickers on the little guys to track their migration to Mexico. It's a sight to see entire trees plastered with orange and black "leaves".

Frighteningly, a Google Images search for "monarch watch" yields mostly photos of Prince Charles. Ick!

Ah nuts . . .

There are some great big old pecan trees in our apartment complex and one by our back windows is falling apart this week.
I was told the trees are TOO loaded down with big pecans, because of the wet season. I don't know about that, but what I do know is those limbs make some racket when they are coming down. The "1" is the branch that came down this weekend, it's laying across the parking lot to the left. "2" is the branch that came part way down last night at 12:30 and "3" marks our kitchen windows.

Bragging rights

Go here and pick Teachers, then Fifth Grade. :)

http://www.norman.k12.ok.us/122/

Grateful harvest

Here is a photo of the five color chard I will be planting next weekend, hopefully with my sister in check (as she will probably not be camping, I am the # 2 option. Being number 2, you try harder.) I also hope to plant more spinach and maybe even some broccoli.
I bought the chard in Ames, Iowa, from the Seedsavers' Exchange, which is exactly as it sounds: a group dedicated to saving older, often colorful and more flavorful kinds of familiar veggies that just didn't make it in the larger market because they don't ship well, etc. (Compare home tomatoes with those mushballs in the grocery store). So I am eager to have this little fiesta growing in my own plot.

The photo won't load. Booo hiss! So, you'll have to use your vibrant imaginations, or look at

www.seedsavers.org/images/46_s.jpg

Meanwhile, a landslide of tomatoes coming in and we are picking as fast as we can, while under seige of mosquitoes galore.

Digitally challenged,

C.L.O.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Wasn't Fuzzy Waz He?

Of course the pic does not do it justice - but here it is.

Campground

The floodwaters have receded and our usual campground is dry but not yet open for camping according to the gatekeeper. The swimming beach is stil closed but not sure I'd want to swim anyway...the pit toilets were definitely flooded...Flushed?! We're in a bind for time and will probably not be able to camp til Labor Day weekend anyhow.

Recycle

Found some info after reading recycle article online. Good info in the FAQs. http://www.metrecycle.com/index.htm