Saturday, September 12, 2009

Things that fly...

I look out my window in the morning, and there perched on the end of my car antennae, is a dragonfly. I step outside, and a whole squadron of dragonflies are patrolling my back yard.. flying around my head, landing on the fence posts of my dog yard. Bright greens, reds, with sheer wings, some with bold black stripes. They hover, they zip, they land on a plant and sit really still.

I wish they'd eat more "love bugs". It's love bug season again.. once a year, we are over run with swarms of love bugs. On windshields, on grills, in your mouth if you're not careful. In your food. They look like a push-me-pull-you (for those of you familiar with the *original* Dr. Doolittle) Little black bodies, little black wings, bright red thorax, end to end, copulating as they fly, land, eat, etc etc etc. Everywhere. Fortunately, love bug copulation season lasts for only a few weeks. Then you're free again to open your mouth when you talk and you can refill your windshield cleaner reservoir.

But my favorite... are the butterflies. I have never seen so many butterflies of all varieties. Lizzy had brought home chrysalis that she would find on her way home from the bus stop, we'd put them in a container, and wait to see what comes out. So beautiful! Not long ago, we went to a birthday party at the lake, and all along the shore were yellow butterflies, sitting on the damp earth, drinking and resting. I've seen huge (and I mean huge) black butterflies with gold and red markings. And monarchs. And a host of others. Never saw butterflies in Calif the way I see them in my own backyard out here. Although there was once at the Los Angeles zoo... they had a special butterfly exhibit come through, that was great. But it wasn't in my backyard.

Then there's the grasshoppers that look like butterflies when they "jump". There's MANY of those in my backyard. Greens, tans, browns, spotted, yellow... teeny tiny and HUGE. I'm willing to bet that's why I have 2 or three toads living in my yard as well... so much yummy to eat :) I just set a toad loose that I was keeping in my house a few days. He was so cute! I caught grasshoppers for him to eat, which he did so very happily. When I set him loose this morning, he chirped at me. He stayed still when I set him down, so I petted his back.. and he chirped at me again. I shut the door, had some coffee, then checked again... and he was gone. But I'm sure he hasn't gone far, I'll no doubt see him again hopping under my porch or through the grass.

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