June 23rd, 2105

This morning I found a really neat-o caterpillar! I didn't have time to take its photos (okay.... you got me... I didn't have my camera..... ) But when I came home I was able to find it again!

It is a Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae)caterpillar. They were introduce to America to control Ragwort in 1960.

Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris)

 
Ragwort is native to Europe and Asia. It is poisonous and tastes bitter, but when it is dried it looses the bitter flavor so horses and cattle don't know it is bad. It too much ragwort is ingested it can cause liver problems. It can be used to make very lovely green and yellow dies, but that is pretty much it......

Turns out the caterpillars do such a great job eating the plant.....

they will eat each other. They will also randomly eat each other..... very few make it to pupate.

Good luck little guys.....

I'm going to keep a good eye on this plant and these caterpillars. Maybe I will see a cinnabar moth, next year, because they pupate over winter.

Thanks Wikipedia for all the great info!

April 21st, 2015

Joel found me some leaves. It turns out those leaves were the home to some little critters.

Hope you have a great night!

October 16th, 2014

Went out to Rood Bridge Park with Jen today.

May 22nd 2014

Today could have been a better day.... The woman we hired to take my place decided that she didn't actually want to do it. That means I pack a u-haul on Saturday, drive to Beaverton on Sunday, unload the u-haul, then drive back to Seattle on Monday without Joel.... awesome....

I found some individual caterpillers to take photos of today.

A yellow rose:

Joel and I checked out a new to us Chinese restaurant. The food was alright, but this Foo Dog is pretty awesome.

And their table offered neat reflections!

Hope everyone has a good night! Tomorrow is my birthday....

February 9th 2014

I guess I will have to jump on the Seattle snow bandwagon. It does help to have something different to take photos of every now and then.

Even Abby had fun in the snow today!

 I even saw this! I didn't know Seattle even had a snow plow! (we were moving in opposite directions sorry for the bad quality!)

I have been waiting to take some photos of a small bunch of crocuses I found.  I was going to photography them today any way. The snow just made it better.

Joel and I took a walk to the coffee shop that is near us.

at least he is wearing a coat....

 Along the way we found this casualty of the snow fall.

                                                                                                  I hope who ever hit it was okay......


 We went to Kaffeeklatsch, a German coffee shop on Lake City Way.

I had a Chai Latte

Joel has some hot chocolate.

 And we shared this!

 On the walk home I found some more flowers in the snow.

Before Joel went to work he helped me take these photos when we went to let Syd and Abby out.

That is the E from yesterday!! On a GIANT stuffy caterpillar!! It is the hugest stuffed animal ever, and we got it on sale for only $25. It is soft and wonderfully cuddly!


 On the way home I thought I would visit the crocuses and see how they looked now that the snow was melting.

It was nice to have a snow day when I wasn't working!

 Hope everyone stays warm!