New York dancer visits our pasture

Chip Taylor is our neighbor and also the head of Monarch Watch in Lawrence.  Monarch Watch is a nonprofit dedicated to the study of Monarch butterflies at Kansas University. 

Recently, an article on Monarch butterflies in the New York Times quoted Chip. Gwynedd Vetter-Drusch, a professional dancer in New York City, read the article and contacted Chip.  She had an idea of using her art to help the Monarch butterfly. (Here is a link to an article in today’s Lawrence Journal World for more about the project.)

So, this is why the lovely Gwynedd was in our pasture.  She did not put on her wings as she did here at the Monarch Watch butterfly garden in Lawrence,

but she posed among our milk weed for about an hour.

Here is part of the crew.

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From our pasture, they are headed to the Konza Prairie.  Certainly a little culture in our rural Kansas pasture

A Birthday, a butterfly and an egg

It is a tradition that I post a picture of family member’s birthdays.  It is hard to believe Evan’s birthday has rolled around again.  Last year I posted a video of Evan beating his brothers to blowing out the candles on his cake.  Evan invited a friend over for the little party, so the brothers were on their best behavior. 

Can you tell that Evan loves his birthday.  

Our neighbor who does all our haying, etc has already put up our brome grass.   It will be a few weeks before he puts up the native grass.  So, we are enjoying the wildflowers for a while.  According to neighbor Chip, we have an unique growth of sullivants milkweed in our native grass—very much loved by all butterflies, especially Monarchs.

 

Of course, this is butterfly milkweed not sullivants and this is not a Monarch.  I love the orange colors in this picture, though.

Dan and I were putting around the pasture in the atv and came across this egg.  It was in a brome field so whatever was sitting on it was probably scared off.  If anyone knows what might have laid this egg, please let us know in the comments.  It is all white, no speckles.  It wasn’t broken. I was tempted but I thought maybe momma would come back. 

Busy times

Lately I sit down to write something and, BAM! I’m asleep.  What’s that about? 

Tonight a messy kitchen is calling.   Here is a little cartoon I picked up off the internet. 

Enjoy….