Spring Update: Oliver and the Magical Cocoon

Well... I'm happy to report that our winter is coming to a close here in North Florida, and I for one, am soooooo relieved as I tend to suffer quite well with the winter doldrums.  I don't think I would survive very well at all in the colder, longer winter climates. (shout out to my northern friends, ya'll are tough cookies)  Not only do I not handle the cold temperatures well, but I think I get that seasonal depression junk. I NEED sunshine... and I am extremely grateful to be planted in Florida : )

My weeds are always the first to let me know winter is officially almost over...
I think weeds get a bad rap... and even though I also tend to rid my garden of most of them, they are just another flowering plant for peats sake!! And you don't have to hunt them down and pay for them at the nursery. They just show up allllll by themselves♥ and offer up their enjoyment and beauty for free... I even press them and use them in my art work : )

My best of all news is... I'm thrilled to say that Oliver did well and made it through our freezing temperatures this year. The plant he was residing on is another story... which is also the plant the glorious caterpillar decided to cocoon apon. Well... it was a money tree which is a tropical plant  and I couldn't bring it in doors because of Oliver. The warmer house temperature would have brought him out of his brumation (a type of hibernation) and when that happens they begin to move around more, and if he got loose in the house and I couldn't find him, dying from dehydration would be almost a certainty.
 I have known for weeks now the plant was not gonna make it. I had hoped the heat lamps I used on it to keep Oliver safe would save the plant too, but Saturday I noticed the poor plant was seriously dropping leaves by the minute and fixing to be bare... I had to go find Oliver a new home. And what to do with the cocoon? Oh my..... I was totally fretting over it : (

 Here is Ollie and the cocoon on the healthy plant last September.
                                   
 Here it was on Saturday morning.....

So... I went plant shopping Saturday and decided on a loquat tree. They are a slow growing tree that is evergreen in our area. This way, I won't have to worry about this next year...and so on ..... Here's a video I took when I got home and put the new tree out. I apologize about it being quite blurry at times.

Below is a clearer picture of the magical cocoon.... I soooo hope it's okay : (

Well... my hope is that this is of some interest to others. I find myself wondering, but I'm determined to stay focused on things here that really mean something to me. Things that  I feel to my core... and the things that bring me my peace...  Oh, and by the way... he moved into his new condo shortly after I shot the video : )

  ♥ajae

ps. This will be my 4th year with Oliver. If you are just now reading this and intriqued, I first posted about Oliver and the magical cocoon last Oct. here: http://ajaeunleashed.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-10-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&updated-max=2010-11-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=1