Got Milkweed?

This is our vacation souvenir.  The 2nd Grader found a tiny monarch caterpillar on a milkweed leaf outside the New York lake house our friends generously shared with us.  By the end of our stay, the caterpillar, who occupied his own bunk in an empty peanut butter jar, had more than tripled in size, and my oldest was lobbying hard to bring it home.  We agreed.

After the five-hour car ride back, however, it seemed a little lethargic.  Later in the day, it climbed up on the stick propped up inside the jar as if it were ready to spin its cocoon, but Husband noted that it was still way too small.  It needed fattening up and I knew just the person for the job.  However, the caterpillar was completely uninterested in the spread I set out for him: chocolate cake, ice cream, pickle, Swiss cheese, salami, lollipop, cherry pie, sausage, cupcake, and watermelon.  It’s weird because I got the menu from a very reliable source!  They ought to write a non-fiction book entitled The Very Finicky Caterpillar.

Instead, Husband went on an emergency milkweed run.  Husband knows about monarch caterpillars: they like milkweed and that is all.  Now the caterpillar is happily munching away again.  It’s almost big enough to undergo its transformation and the kids are awaiting the event with much anticipation.  (They’ve seen this at school before, but it’s different with your own caterpillar!)

I just hope this particular butterfly doesn’t mind the extra 300 miles he’s going to have to tack on to his 2,000-mile migration to Mexico.  Have an extra tequila on me, Flutterby!

Comments

[Fish Sauce Hater]

You screwed up. You were supposed to start with one apple, then two pears, etc. ... You can't jump right to the good stuff. He's not Hansel or Gretel!

[KC Quilter]

Loved this post!!!! Please update us when The Great Emergence takes place! Monarchs rule.

[Cindy]

We're cooking up a few ourselves. It needs to hang off of a stick or something with a semi-rugged surface. A nice thick stick usually does the trick. It hangs upside down and spends a day molting. We fatten them up nicely with a fresh leaf two times a day.
I'm obviously way too into this. Let me know if you have any questions.

[cookiecrumb]

Are you pregs?