CROSS MY ART AND HOPE TO FLY....

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Forever Grateful... and the Magical Cocoon♥

 One of my mornings last week was just so amazing!  I usually spend a fair amount of time in the mornings in my backyard with my dogs and the yard critters that frequent there. But this particular morning was different. Well to start with,  our fall days have been far and few... and it was a glorious fall day here for us, so I think that had a lot to do with it.  I felt like the birds were actually serenading just for me. Truth be known, I'm sure they just love fall weather as much as I do : )

 I heard this one sweet little song ♪♫ in particular that was new to my ears. Try as I might... I couldn't spy the little beast!  So I just enjoyed it's lovely tune and choose to imagine that it must be a passerby, stopping to hang out and catch it's breath,  have a little seed and a quaint birdbath before passing through on it's migratory journey further south. And then I choose to believe it decided to sing me the proper thank you for the nice little rest stop..... ; )


 I wish the sweet little lovlie knew how happy it made me. I wished that it somehow knew that because of that beautiful song... it made my morning, and set the mood for my entire day! Because of that one little gift from nature,  I smiled more and had a constructive and more productive day.... all because that sweet birdie's song was music to my ears and cheered me right up!

 (  As long as I can remember..... I've always been my happiest self, most centered and at peace when I'm outside appreciating what's naturally around me. I can become completely enamoured simply by watching and ant carrying something 10 times it's own size over leaves, twigs and such.... it's like magic to me! )

 Speaking of magical....( to me anyway )  On one verrry fine day this past September , we hosted a wedding reception party for some dear friends of ours.  They had just eloped the week earlier down in the Florida Keys... how cool huh?


Anyway,  Just as the party was fixin' to get going Steve-O and Kimmy (bride and groom) came running up to me with this most amazingly huge green caterpillar!
 ( I'll insert here that nature lovers know other nature lovers and we keep each other's company : )
Well.... Steve-O found the chunky fella out in the middle of the road , where it would of surly been squashed by all the cars fixin' to show up. So we collectively decided to "free" him (or her) on the largest tropical tree in my screen enclosure, (which is a very large area, not just a typical screened in  porch.)
I can't believe none of us had the mindset to take a picture of it then, but I think we all had party festivities and preparations on the brain.....   but he looked just about like this guy below!!!! As big as your finger, no joke!
Luna Moth, Actias luna, caterpillar

For days and days after... I kept looking for our freak of nature. Other than   a    few munched on leaves...no sign of it.   Then FINALLY one day... I spotted IT.  It had been verrrrry busy spinning up a fantastical cocoon!!!   Oh how I wished I could have witnessed that amazing feat!  Talk about MAGIC!


So now........we wait.  We're all joking now about how like, Steve and Kim are going to be proud parents : )  I've declared myself the God-Moth-er..haha!  Being the nature lovers that we are... we proceeded to the internet to research what kind of moth or butterfly we have and when it may emerge.  Steve believes it's a silk moth, but since it cocooned so late in the fall,  we suspect ( from what we've read )  it will over winter here till spring. We all are hoping for a light winter, as we're not sure how it will effect him.  (or her)  : )

Here's the funny part... this is hilarious....my pet lizard Oliver,  has taken it upon himself to "babysit" the cocoon! (hehe)
Seriously... he's there EVERYDAY!!  I'm so curious about his behavior. My best guess is that somehow,  he recognizes the cocoon as food and he's waiting for it to hatch and to try and gobble it down!!


My hope for next spring is... that I get to witness this magic in action, and catch the process in time and be able to cut the branch it's on ( before it's all the way out ) and take it out to the backyard. I'd love to save  him (or her)  from the fate of meeting Oliver, and I'd really love it... if the timing was such  that Steve and Kim could come and watch it get ready to fly....
Another reason for a partay!! But usually though... we don't need much of a reason : )

Last thing I'd like to share is this amazing gift Steve and Kim MADE for Harvey and I as a thank you for hosting their celebration....
It is sooooo pretty! They made it out of stamped metal, fishing line and swivels and little round mirrors.







You should see the light show it gives you at different times of the day......  flecks of light all over the yard!  It makes the garden even more magical


And then the best part..... Isn't it  lovely : )


Well thanks so much if you stopped in to hear me ramble... I realize I was a little long winded, but I just love stuff like this

Xo'sssssssss   ajae

7 comments:

  1. Oh, I hope you get a picture of the results of that magical cocoon!

    Such a lovely post.

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  2. That caterpillar was the COOLEST color!! I love your connection with nature, it seems so special to me...

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  3. so much loveliness~
    how kind of you to have that celebration. And look a all the wonders in your yard. I love how you appreciate and enjoy it all.

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  4. Excellent post Ajae, love the caterpillar, Josephine would be joining you in checking what it was at the first opportunity. Love the mobile, I might try to make one similar for our garden, I love the idea of it casting light. Beverley xx

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  5. You and I are sooo cut from the same cloth when it comes to our love of nature and all creatures great and small. I have a multitude of spider "eggs" that I am watching. Those pretty HUGE yellow and black garden spiders...Ariope's I think they are called. The mamas spent the entire summer hanging out in their webs but sadly have passed on with the shorter cooler days. I HATE that part!! But soon there will be hundreds of teeny-tiny lil baby spideys to carry on and keep me company over the next summer. I hope that your cocoon adventure works to the advantage of the resident and NOT mr lizard....as we already know he is well fed!


    What a lovely gift from your friends...a beautiful and constant reminder of that special day and your friendship. Enjoy.

    ♥AK♥

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  6. Gorgeous pic of the caterpillar. I miss going and playing in my garden. Sadly the bites from the ants, mozzies and midges combined with reactive skin makes it all kind of prohibitive

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  7. I love my art friends!!! Thanks everyone for the kind words. Goog, Bev, Ak... you guys have been constant for me (or rather... we all for each other) Thanks so much for the friendship.

    And yes Ak... we are soooo very similar :)
    I am also concerned about the cold weather of winter, if we have as many freezes as we did last year, I'm sure to lose some of my lizard friends... sad.

    And Tal it took me a bit to figure out who you were!! Your a fab new addition♥ xo'ss to all you cool chicks....ajae

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