Dear Friends . . .

{KK 511}

"All of us are watchers - of television, of time clocks, of traffic on the freeway - but few

are observers, everyone is looking, but not many are seeing."  - Peter M Leschak

. . .  I know I've barely been here this summer, but I have been observing many beautiful

and wondrous things from my front porch. 

In fact, I've been doing so much observing {and participating} that it has left little time

for editing...I must get busy as I have much to share, and a monarch series to continue.

The past few weeks, I've literally been knee deep, okay maybe just ankle deep, but deep 

non the less in caterpillar frass - fancy name for caterpillar poop! lol

It. has. been. a. full. time. job.

I need a sign for my front porch/sidewalk that says, "CAUTION, Caterpillar crossing!"

I've found them on my front door frame, crawling on the front porch, crossing the sidewalk,

on my pantry door, and one that pupated on the edge of my dining room table, whew.

Currently on the farm; about 45 monarch chrysalids, about another 20 something monarch caterpillars,

10 queen chrysalids, 3 black swallowtail chrysalids, 8 - one week old polydamas swallowtail caterpillars and one giant leopard moth caterpillar! 

Two a day football practice has started, the college girl goes back this weekend, and school starts

for the football boy next Monday.

That means I will be coming out of hibernation shortly thereafter . . . 

I hope you have had a wonderful, restful, fun filled summer!!

Love, Kim

Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday

It happened . . .

. . . and I missed it!

Can you believe, that after 10 months of waiting, this fellow decided he just had to make

his debut in the hour I had to be gone at a doctors appointment? I knew that morning

when I left, that he wasn't gonna wait for me. I had even considered cancelling my appointment.

All I know is that I can't wait until this weather starts to warm

up so I can get started on my dill, and fennel.  

As the solder flows from my metals class - she is soldering on a bezel to attach

an enameled piece to later. Using a hammer, and a saw and a torch . . . all great

tools for reducing stress, especially when art is the end result.

This . . . is going to happen tomorrow! There is a 100% chance of sunshine in the morning and I'll

be there to report on it. It will however only be in the mid 30's, colder if there is a wind off the bay. 

{I got photo bombed, lol)

And then off for a coffee, a walk and the nursery. If I'm lucky, the poppies are blooming. I'll probably

stalk my "spot' and hope some people walk by for some more abstract photo making. I'm kinda liking

the ones with people in them. And my mind is wandering with some ideas that would include a cross and a crown of thorns. Now to figure out how to execute it.

As much as we didn't like the idea of having to back for the boy's infusions, we sure did love seeing

the nurses on floor 3 - it's also where the food court is. That's dangerous when you're there all day.

As soon as we got there, Roshanda says, "Sam's here, that's what I'm talkin' about. I've been waitin' all day for you to get here so we can talk football." To which you see the biggest smile on his face. And you know what's really amazing? One of the other nurses, the one that put in his IV, we hadn't see her for awhile. Turns out that she got lymphoma and went through chemo in the last couple of months . . . has lost all her hair, and is about to start radiation next week. And there she is, with a beautiful smile on her face, and telling us how she got to touch Justin Timberlake's leg at a concert and making us both laugh until our sides hurt with her stories.

On Tuesday's post I talked about the butterfly effect and how everything we do matters. Well, on that third floor of the critical care center it's not just a butterfly effect, it's a movement. An earthquake kind of movement that you can feel under your feet and in your heart and you won't just travel far forward, but to infinity to show the difference they are making in peoples lives.

Because people will remember how you make them feel!

Wishing you a weekend filled with sunshine and laughter . . . 

Love, Kim

xo

sharing with Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Random Five Friday, Friday Photo Journal

Photo-heart connection, October

(KK day)

My connection this month is so much more than a connection of the heart kind to the photo itself

and rather to an experience. This male Black Swallowtail debuted last week. Yes this has happened before,

but . . . this was different.

In fact it was nothing short of miraculous. You see, it was a chrysalis that looked much like this one

only it was on the frame of the butterfly enclosure and it had pupated there. . . 5. . . months ago!

And have I mentioned that the typical time frame for a swallowtail to emerge after pupation is more

like 2 weeks.

And honestly I think the only reason I noticed it was because I had put the Tersa Sphinx Moth caterpillars in the tent on a stalk of Pentas I cut from the plant, because they were eating faster than I could pick the leaves.

I had to wait a bit before releasing him outside as it was raining cats and dogs and after being asleep for 5 months I sure wanted to give him as much of a fighting chance as possible. It was last Thursday . . . and as soon as the monsoon rains stopped the skies parted and the sun came out. Heading out for a football game and knowing that we wouldn't be back until dark, I took him outside where he could rest until he was ready to take flight.

And much to my surprise, again, there he still was . . . completely covered in beautiful, sparkly, dew drops.

Right where I had left him. After a little photo shoot, he let me pick him up and I took him to a sunny spot on the trailing purple lantana to sun and dry himself. It wasn't long before he flew off.

Can you imagine if I had given up hope that he would ever emerge and removed it from the enclosure?

Yep, these photos, this happening, just remind me to not give up hope during those times when hope feels

lost. Not the hopeful "wishing" kind of hope, but the confident expectation . . . the trusting God for

the results kind of hope.  

Because hope is still moving forward even when you feel weary and uncertain and gives life to things that

are so questionable, an outline of sorts to things we cannot see . . . 

. . . and waiting for them with patience.

Love, Kim

linking with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Tuesday Around the World

Photo-heart Connection, I Heart Macro

This happened . . .

"Don't cry because it's over.

Smile because it happened."

- Dr. Suess

Well, it's a little bittersweet.

I think the time has come . . . it's getting to be late in the season.

I think this was probably my last butterfly to emerge.

This is my almost 30 something Black Swallowtail, a female, a tiny one at that.

1. You can tell the male from the female when the wings are open. The male has

more yellow spots and the female just has more blue in general.

2. Random act of kindness . . . after having lunch with the hubby I was driving home

and spied this coral vine growing along the fence across from where I turn. I had

my camera with me, so I pulled over to get some shots and I hear this voice.

"Ma'am, that's my house and vine and you are more than welcome to take

some cuttings with you." Oh yes, I will be going back with my sissors, thank you!!

3. My find this week . . . ah more caterpillars . . . but not just any caterpillars, Tersa Sphinx

Moth caterpillars. The ones that turn into a Tersa Sphinx Hummingbird (or hawk) moths. They

are often mistaken for hummingbirds as they can hover just like them. They have been coming

to my purple trailing lantana at dusk as they are nocturnal. I decided to try my hand at raising these

guys . . . flying by the seat of my pants on this one, wish me luck (well, or them)!

4. Last nights game 42-8!

Yep, that's my boy #22 with some serious vertical and hang time. He had a really great game (they all did), considering he was just playing two weeks ago with taped wrists because of a break through in his arthritis. My photog buddy David let me borrow his 70-200mm f2.8 lens last night . . . that was a treat. Usually when I get to borrow his lens(s) it's for varsity, so it was fun getting to use it for my boys game.

 I was lucky to get some shots of him with his tackles . . . it seems he is always on the opposite side of the field when there is a big play. OR, the ref gets in my way, how rude! Someone needs to have a serious

talk with these guys, LOL!

5. Hard to believe I haven't been to the sunrise in months. They have been doing some construction, in fact my birding trail has been closed all summer. It was only supposed to be closed for like 6 weeks? So this is a new spot, and I kinda like it! Oh but when the time changes, it's gonna be real early for a while!

So this is my week in randomness. I missed my normal posting yesterday because of random item #1. The

chrysalis had turned black so I knew it would eclose but they are so hard to figure out when. So I brought the dill plant is was on upstairs with me and set it down on my desk and kept glancing back and forth. But then I heard "the sound" of the chrysalis trying to open. So I grabbed my camera and the plant and tried

to get down the stairs and outside in time . . . I almost missed it. The poor butterfly, it was so windy she was

having a hard time holding on to the plant. She had an easier time holding my finger. Let's just say I got really sidetracked and it got late and then it was the game . . . 

I hope you all had a great week of randomness too!

Love, Kim

linking with Friday Finds, Random Five, Little Things Thursday, Friday Photo Journal