The first of the monarchs (Danaus plexippus) I have been fostering on my kitchen counter this past month hatched today and it’s a female. Like any proud parent, I think she is perfect and beautiful! I feel hopeful for her future, but it will be a long road for her, fraught with obstacles. After fattening up on coneflower, Joe Pye weed, zinnias and other favorite flower nectars, she sails 2,500 miles to the Michoacan Mountains in Mexico.
Overcoming human activity such as speeding autos, loss of nectar feeding habitats, as well as excessive cold, drought and predation will be daunting. If she reaches her winter roost site in the few remaining acres of oyamel pine trees (which are cut for their valuable timber by the local people), she must safely survive possible severe cold or snowstorms, predatory birds and mice that take advantage of the bounty of millions of clustered…
Reading today in EurekAlert! – The Global Source for Science News (www.eurekalert.org) comes an article entitled: Your Dog Remembers What You Did
Henry, the Asylum’s mascot (to your left) and resident mischief-maker does indeed remember what we do here. He remembers that if he picks up a Locust pod and starts to chomp away on the poisonous seeds in the pod, that we’ll chase him all over the compound. Never mind that all pods have been raked and properly disposed of – he seems to have a cache of pods stashed somewhere outside that can be magically retrieved within seconds of departure time from the back yard door. He delights in the chase. Once the game is on, he blitzes in full gallop, pod proudly in his mouth, taunting us to even try to catch him. We never can.
He remembers that if guests come to the compound, he is NOT…
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After my post about the benefits my pets get from a good daily brushing, some folks asked about the kind of brush I use. Here they are. They're called slicker brushes. They dig deep into my pets' fur and I have yet to find a cat or dog that doesn't love getting brushed with them.… Continue reading Here’s the Brush I Use on My Cats and Dogs→
What’s it like to foster parent butterflies? Eliza Waters fills us in colorfully …
The first of the monarchs (Danaus plexippus) I have been fostering on my kitchen counter this past month hatched today and it’s a female. Like any proud parent, I think she is perfect and beautiful! I feel hopeful for her future, but it will be a long road for her, fraught with obstacles. After fattening up on coneflower, Joe Pye weed, zinnias and other favorite flower nectars, she sails 2,500 miles to the Michoacan Mountains in Mexico.
Henry, the Asylum’s mascot (to your left) and resident mischief-maker does indeed remember what we do here. He remembers that if he picks up a Locust pod and starts to chomp away on the poisonous seeds in the pod, that we’ll chase him all over the compound. Never mind that all pods have been raked and properly disposed of – he seems to have a cache of pods stashed somewhere outside that can be magically retrieved within seconds of departure time from the back yard door. He delights in the chase. Once the game is on, he blitzes in full gallop, pod proudly in his mouth, taunting us to even try to catch him. We never can.
Media Credit: Pixabay
“Fake it ’til you make it.” Smiling puts you in a better mood. Media credit: Pinterest 
Smiling decreases stress! Media credit: Pinterest 
Smiling is contagious. Media credit: Pinterest. 
