Woodys & Nutties & Hummers, Oh My!

The feed I have been putting out for the birds is finally paying off! As I sat in the recliner this afternoon, I could see that Nuthatches and Woodpeckers finally found the thistleseed and suet I put on the big pine out front. But I was most amazed with all the Hummers that were dive bombing each other to get to the nectar feeder. One little, gutsy female was fighting off all the others....males included! She even took up a post on top of the shepherd's hook that the feeder is hung on, looking left and right watching for any intruders that would dare to try and sip from HER feeder!

As for my little monarch caterpillar (no, I didn't name him!) he is growing by leaps and bounds! Thankfully I have been able to keep him stashed with plenty of milkweed leaves! The girl that works next to me brought hers in to work this morning because it broke out of its cocoon this morning and once the wings are dried, needed to be let loose. We kept watching it from time to time as we worked, but the beautiful creature just hung from the roof of the butterfly box. Once we stepped outdoors to go home however, it came to life and started to flutter its wings. I had the priviledge to coaxing it onto my hand and take it out of the box as my co-worker is afraid of "insects". How beautiful it was to watch it take flight from my hand and gracefully flutter away! The one we let go was a female butterfly because it had dotted wings all around the edges. The male has solid black on the back edges. (At least I think that's what I read!) Now I can't wait for mine to get to the butterfly stage!

What to do on a rainy day?

I'm still having an major love affair........with old barns! I just can't get enough of them and even came home from the library with 3 more books of them. That will keep me busy for quite some time! I even asked my cousin (a big farmer in this area) if he knew of any unique barns with lots of character around this area. He couldn't think of any at the time, but I could see the wheels turning in this mind. I am sure he will think of a few by next week! I just may be out taking pictures during the week I am off work this month!

I DO have a new "project" that I vowed from the beginning I wouldn't do, but the girls at work sort of drew me into it, and it all came about from tramping through our woods looking for milkweed! I am now the proud mama of a baby Monarch catapiller! The girls at work have been "harvesting" monarch butterflies all summer and was having trouble finding the milkweed that they feast on. I said I would look in our woods for some and in looking at the leaves, trying not to take one that was "occupied", I overlooked and plucked one leaf that had a baby catapiller on it. Instead of casting it aside (none of the girls wanted another one to care for), I now have my own butterfly box and am "nurturing" this catapiller through to the butterfly stage. That means I will have to go out and regularly find milkweed for the next month until it goes into the chrysallis stage. No problem. We have plenty at the back of our woods! Anyway, I just may do some sketching of my little fella ....so much more fun to sketch the process rather than take photos!

Its a rainy afternoon and I plan to sit and do some sketching. I have started another sketch like the one of the girl and lamb. The proportions of the first drawing was pretty bad and I love this subject enough to try it again. Here's  a poem that would go great with the picture:

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring Him a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him? ---
Give Him my heart.