08/27/26

 The Common Milkweed in my yard has been done blooming for a good while now.  It is still serving it's purpose though as I have been seeing Monarch caterpillars on them recently.  This one was the largest one I have ever seen so nice and healthy.  Shortly after I took this image it disappeared.  I hope it has made a cocoon somewhere and will be a monarch soon. 

 

06/25/26

 I have several stands of milkweed and the yard and I am pleased to see when Monarchs are on it.  I was even more pleased to see that I had caterpillars that resulted from it.  I couldn't find it the next day but I choose to believe it was just somewhere I couldn't see.  

01/29/26

 Today's image is one I hope I get to see again this year.  I grow Milkweed that is the Monarch Butterfly's main source of food for it's young.  I had several caterpillars this year which was very cool.  I hope they grew into the Monarchs I saw in my yard later on.  I have yet to find a cocoon.  

10/02/25

 Speaking of Monarchs, as they have been traveling through, they have been apparently laying eggs as I saw this guy very recently.  As he was about to run out of leaves to eat, I broke off the plant and carried him to another one and leaned it up against it so he could climb over and eat some more.  While doing this, I discovered there was another one eating on a Common Milkweed plant there.  So glad I have these Milkweed in the yard for them to take advantage of.  We had rain the day after I did this so I am not sure of it's fate as neither one of them were on the milkweed any longer.  Hopefully they were in the trees nearby cocooning.  

07/03/25

 I had transplanted about 3 or 4 Common Milkweed plants a few years ago when there was going to be some major road work and they were going to be wiped out.  They have been doing well and spread more each year.  I was very pleased to see that a Monarch had found them and produced this caterpillar this year.  Hope it survives and continues on it's journey.

7/21/22

 ! was so pleased again this year.  The Monarchs once again found my milkweed plants.  I captured this Monarch caterpillar on the plant.  There was another smaller one that was actually eating, this one was moving between leaves.  Common Milkweed is the young Monarch's primary food and so the prime place for them to  lay their eggs.

7/27/21

 I am so happy, I saw my first Monarch catarpillars on my milkweed!  I had rescued this Milkweed from some road construction by my house several years ago now and each year it has continued to thrive and produce more plants.  I saw this little guy on one of the leaves a few evenings ago.  He was pretty small so must have been fairly newly hatched.  There was another larger one on another plant.  Yay.  Hope they both survive and do well.

2/18/21

 I grow Milkweed for the Monarchs but I have yet to capture a shot like this on it.  I got this image at my in-law's home in Missouri.  A Monarch Caterpillar enjoying a Butterfly Milkweed plant in their garden.

6/22/20

My mom-in-law in Missouri has some Butterfly Weed growing in her garden.  Look what we found munching away on it this weekend, a Monarch caterpillar!  Cool!  I would love to see some munching away at mine.  So far just Swallowtails visiting which is good too but..  

4/18/16

Well I was wrong and I am happy to be wrong.  It did rain yesterday and it rained again today!  Woohoo!  We have been so dry.  They were both nice rains and not downpours so what we got should have soaked in some.  I forgot to put out a rain gauge but my collection tank was about 3/4 full so it was a significant amount and not just sprinkles.  Yay!
My image for today is one I took over the weekend.  I saw this hairy guy on a wooden retaining wall.  In researching what type it is, I found it is an Eastern Tent Caterpillar which I believe is similar to what we call Bag Worms though it is not the same.  Tent Caterpillars can defoliate Ornamental trees but the tree usually recovers.