Updates!

Yesterday, I had to go the hospital for migraine problems. I had left sided numbness, vision difficulties, and of course a headache. I am taking a chillout day today. I love chill out days, don't you? Anyway, we have been to Home Depot this morning to buy a water plant. They didn't have much really nice stuff, but what they did have was a lily pad bulb. It is what's in ds's hand. They call it "drop and grow", so that's what we did. Of course you all will get pictures as it starts to emerge. One piece of advice. If you are going to do a pond that is in a black tub or with black lining, I would suggest that you use some light colored rocks and such so that you can see your tadpoles and frogs. They can be very difficult to see against that dark background. I guess I will have to find my flashlight.

7 out of 9 caterpillars are in chrysalis form. Yesterday, we had some drama as one of the caterpillars was trying to assault a chrysalis. He kept wrapping his body around it and pushing it etc. The way that the caterpillar in the chrysalis "defends" itself is to shake violently. It is SO weird looking. Even my mom was looking at them and fussing at the guilty party for mistreating his cupmate. Anyway, the two slow pokes should be on their way in a little. If they take too long, I may just release them, but then something might eat them.

What's up with ds giving me the "joker smile" on the picture? IDK, but he keeps doing it. I have decided to just go on and post them. He will be sorry later. LOL Thanks for hanging with us.

Worms and chrysalises and tadpole! Oh My!

Okay, here are a lot of very unclear bad pictures of our caterpillars. The main thing that I want you to see is that in these pictures one is attached to the top. This is what happened right before it forms a chrysalis. They will hang there for a while, and then their skin will split. They will be green and slimy at first and then it kind of hardens or something.



I hope this movie plays. You can't really see anything, but I thought it would be cool to watch the movement.



On the far right is the one that already has formed a chrysalis. The other two are just hanging there doing whatever it takes to do the same as the one on the right. It is really hard to take good pictures because they have a lot of webs that they have spun on the inside.


TADPOLES! Yay us!
We bought 3 because that was all they had. I will go and get more on Wednesday. I was supposed to let the water sit for 5 days, but I opted to use the water conditioner instead. They are in the pond now. I will take pics of them outside tomorrow if I get a chance.

The pond is finished...as it's going to be.

Okay, first let me say that I am fully award that the pond is not fully submerged. Look, we are in North Carolina which means this is red clay country. We really intended on making hole deeper, but to add insult to injury the tree roots were a beast. I aske my dad for the pick ax, but he sent me a plain pick. I am not the most patient person in the world so I just made do. Anyway, I still think it turned out really well. It will look even nicer once the clay soaks back into the grass. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

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