Yesterday, a wooly bear caterpillar was crawling very fast down our driveway.
It was too fast for me- by the time I went back with a camera, it was gone. I have not seen a wooly bear in years. They become the Isabella Tiger Moth, which is such a lyrical name.
There's a lot of fun folklore associated with the size of the bands, and whether the winter will be harsh. If I took it seriously, I would think this year is going to be harsh based on the size of the black bands on the one I saw.
NOAA has a page on the folklore:
Wooly Bear
I hope to see another one and post a picture!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Cottonwoods and Milkweed
Today we went on a long walk to see signs of fall. It was a beautiful, sunny, and crisp fall day that eventually became overcast and cloudy. Our walk was a success, though, because we saw a beaver swimming, meadowlarks (I love meadowlarks!), a garter snake, milkweed pods and seeds spilling out, and fall color in the sumacs and cottonwoods. I love how this tree seems to be changing from the bottom up:
We stood under a cottonwood for a while, looking at the leaves. The yellow is not as intense as the yellow of aspen leaves, but the cottonwoods also make a rustling sound. It is a peaceful, awe-inspiring thing to listen to trees in the wind. It is good to stop once in a while, and listen.
Trees have always been a source of joy for me. I felt lost without them when we lived in the desert.
The showy milkweed seeds were spilling out everywhere. It looks very different from the last picture of them that I posted!
The fluffy seeds were caught on the grasses everywhere I looked. And the grasses were beautiful. The grama was a purplish color, and the foxtail was a lovely raw sienna. I am still learning the grasses here! There are so many unfamiliar ones.
The goldenrods are finished flowering, and beginning to dry. Asters, mostly white ones, were everywhere. And there is something tall with yellow flowers in the highway ditches, but I have not been able to find any yet on a side road to pull over and investigate.
There were ducks out on the water, but I was not close enough to identify them.
We stood under a cottonwood for a while, looking at the leaves. The yellow is not as intense as the yellow of aspen leaves, but the cottonwoods also make a rustling sound. It is a peaceful, awe-inspiring thing to listen to trees in the wind. It is good to stop once in a while, and listen.
Trees have always been a source of joy for me. I felt lost without them when we lived in the desert.
The showy milkweed seeds were spilling out everywhere. It looks very different from the last picture of them that I posted!
The fluffy seeds were caught on the grasses everywhere I looked. And the grasses were beautiful. The grama was a purplish color, and the foxtail was a lovely raw sienna. I am still learning the grasses here! There are so many unfamiliar ones.
The goldenrods are finished flowering, and beginning to dry. Asters, mostly white ones, were everywhere. And there is something tall with yellow flowers in the highway ditches, but I have not been able to find any yet on a side road to pull over and investigate.
There were ducks out on the water, but I was not close enough to identify them.
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