wildlife

Recently I've been learning more about the wildlife in my yard and having a good time with it.  A red admiral butterfly just thanked me for not pulling the pellitory (and all the other weeds in my backyard).  I've got so many cool butterflies that hang out in my yard, from skippers to monarchs to gulf frittillaries.  Some I feed deliberately (hello, milkweed and passionflora and citrus), some I just don't remove the food source (castor oil tree which I just keep in check).   It's a lot of fun.  

It's also fun to learn about the plants in my yard.  I know it looks a weedy mess, but today I learned two more plants are here - chickweed and veronica persica.  So many cute little flowers around.  

When I was young, I knew all the plants of my habitat.  From trees to berries, I recognized them and then learned them.  I thought I was going to grow up and be an ethnobotanist.

And then I moved from place to place and never learned so much.  But now it's fun again.  

I think the red admiral may have also been pointing this out, because I'm contemplating taking a little trip a few hours away for a naturalist class.  It would be just one day from work, and I can leave the dog with friends who are moving away soon so this is the last chance for that (and her last chance to charm them).  The butterfly may have been telling me to take this break.  I would like to camp, and then it's not so expensive.  

Years and years ago, I used to go regularly to Joshua Tree National Park for naturalist classes and always had a great time. I love that wild desert.  I was at some sort camping and it was WAY colder than expected.  I was miserable, and a lovely classmate offered that I could stay with her for the remaining days.  Her place was amazing and magical, her retirement dream come true.  

The generosity of strangers has always kept me safe.  

And friends may actually join me on this venture.  One friend I've known for years asked to come, and two people I only know through Facebook (one I gave all my bulbs to and the other I bought a case of sweet potatoes with).  It would be nice to share the driving; on the other hand, I quite like the magical solitude of doing things like this alone.  Either way works.  

And yes, I realize it sounds silly to say that butterflies tell me things, but ... I don't disbelieve it.  And dragonflies are often around to cheer me on.  

I quite like my wildlife.