What fun!!! Do hope to see photos of them!!!

Do you have Kim Garwood & Richard Lehman's book "Butterflies of Northeastern Mexico? It's a wonderful photo guide. If you don't most of the butterfly parks in the Lower Rio Grande Valley carry it...or you can order it from their website.

Hopefully you'll find time while you're in the McAllen area to drive over to the NABA Park and Bentsen World Birding Center in Mission for a look see at the butterflies there...if the weather permits...once the sun it up and shining you should see at least 100 species. We've been having some cool mornings so they don't come out as quickly. That book can probably be purchased at either of those places...I think. I've had mine for about a year and refer to it often as we get lots of the same butterflies out here.

Couldn't see photos of your cats...any chance one is an indoor de-clawed and spayed female cat that gets along with indoor dogs and doesn't know how to use a doggy door?

~ Cat

Geni,

What a great way to spend the winter!!!!!!! Hope you will give us regular reports. Have you made any contacts with some of the "regulars" who study the Monarchs in Mexico each year?

mike

Wow!
I sure hope you'll set up your computer and send us pictures and reports from Mexico. If you make it your permanent home, think of all the new host plants you can plant for all those new butterflies!
By all means, keep us posted!
MissSherry

Wow, Geni, WOW!
What an adventure...I am envious. Do let us know how things go...I am sure you will. :)

Geni - lucky you! Please send us photos and updates as you can. We would love to see them! What a wonderful way to spend the winter......I'm full of envy!

Susan

How great is that...You have the hutzpah (sp?) to actually up and do what I've wanted to do all year.

And you actually have a someone, Larry, to share the adventure....

Can I tag along....

Maryann from CT

Hey, thanks for all the good wishes. And Cat, thanks for suggesting a good butterfly ID book for Mexico. None of my current books focuses enough on Mexico and Central America, so I knew I'd be looking for another.

The link is really messed up. It should be www.landofcotton.com/pets/. In my first post, the link also has the name of the link pasted in at the end. No wonder it didn't work. Your questions about my kitties made me laugh. All these cats are fully equipped with claws and they use them with relish and skill. They all know how to use a doggie door, although they prefer to have doors opened at their bidding. I have found homes for two of them (bless my daughter and niece), and I have my fingers crossed that I'll get a definite affirmative today from an acquaintance who lives nearby. However, there are two more strays that hang around here part time, and I'm pretty sure I can catch them if any of you really, really want me to bring you a cat. MissSherry, Biophilia, Mimidi, I'll be coming right by there ...

We are taking a laptop and we should be able to find highspeed Internet. Larry and I will keep some sort of journal and I'll take pictures by the thousand. I'm not much on blogging, but I'll probably set up something on Land of Cotton. Pics from our trip last spring are at www.landofcotton.com/southernsun/. There's no index page there yet, so for now you'll get a clickable list of photos. No captions yet, but the names of the files are descriptive.

Four days and counting ...

g.

Truely a chance of a lifetime! Do keep in touch, and send lots of pics.

Geni, you have mail.

Oh, Geni, those are THE most beautiful photos. I love the trees loaded with Monarchs. Such a beautiful sight. No wonder you want to go back.

Will you be looking for any tagged Monarchs to report to Monarch Watch?

Susan

I'd take one of your cats, Geni, but when my daughter moved in, she brought her schnauzer, so now I've got 6 dogs!! I just can't take care of another pet!
Good luck - sounds wonderful!
MissSherry

Dear Geni,
wow, wow, wow....! That sounds fantastic..I know we haven't chatted since a while and I am barely on this Forum, because life is keeping me so busy here..
Now you are moving away from Alabama and we are coming..I am closing on our new home which is in Pisgah/Henagar on Sand Mountain hopefully next week and we are moving everything between 1st and 2nd week of December..
I wish you and Larry the best of Luck, hope that we can stay in touch and whenever you come back to Alabama maybe we can meet...
We are very excited about the entire move, kids cannot wait, same as me..Most of the stuff is packed, we are slowly living and moving around boxes here..
Since my son wants to take all the animals, especially all his reptiles, it will be a FUN MOVE up there...
My lil daughter already told me what she wants when we get there:
a chicken , so she can have daily a fresh egg and a sheep, so the sheep can eat the grass and I do not have to mow the 3.5 acres..lol
Oh well, Best of Luck again and Happy Holidays
Your's Susanne(SUE)

Sue, my thoughts have been with you. Best of luck with moving with all of the animals. Hope that all goes well for you. Please keep in touch. We love you. :)

Geni...

Glad you got a good laugh about the kitties =^..^= saw the photos and write ups...they are all characters indeed!

Had a tomcat before but he figured out how to use the doggy door and scaled the fence and was gone before I could get him neutered! I still see him roaming the neighborhood but he refuses to come inside. Guess he was meant to prowl!!!

Will say it again...that Garwood/Lehman butterfly book I mentioned is very nice...but it is strictly a photo guide...no wording describing butterfly markings or such. They also have a website with photos of Mexican butterflies...that works just as good :o)

Have a safe trip and get settled in quickly so you can share photos of places many of us will never visit!!!

If you drive out to Mexico through the Pharr Bridge look towards export dock on the west side right before you come to the first yellow barricades - I'll be working if it's a weekday (but ya gotta have xray vision as I'll be inside!!! Ha! Ha!)

If you drive out through the Hidalgo/Reynosa bridge...good luck!!!

~ Cat

Oh, yeah, Sue - don't drink the water! Hee Hee!

Susan

Dear Susan,
that was very sweet of you, what you wrote..
Why can't we drink the water there??
We will have City Water.... ;-)
I am so getting fed up with packing..lol
Greetings
Susanne(SUE)

Hey, Sue! I'm just so happy for you, just so happy! What a wonderful thing to be able to do during winter! Sigh......just wish I could hitch a ride, errr, rather, migrate!

I've always been told and know many folks who have gone to Mexico and had a bad experience if they drink the water, or eat fruits and vegetables raw, uncooked. There is some kind of virus or bacteria in the water that the indigenous folk are tolerant of, but we USA'ns are not. It attacks the stomach and colon and can make a person quite ill. When we went, our doctor always gave us a round of a certain type of antibiotic to prevent this B or V from attacking those of us who were not immune to it.

It seems the same thing may happen to hispanics who travel to the USA as well. Don't quote me on that, though.

But, if you've been there before and didn't have any problems, maybe they have treated the water there to get rid of it.

That's why I would exercise caution! I had a friend who went there and ate some kind of raw cabbage dish, similar to coleslaw and she became violently ill and had to go to hospital upon her return for treatment. I kid you not!

Susan

LOL, now you'all know how exhausted I am..
I meant to thank LINDA for the kind message she wrote me and I addressed SUSAN...
Susan, I am the one moving to Fort Payne, Alabama soon and Geni is the one leaving Alabama and moving to Mexico soon..
Hope everything is back in order now... ;-)
Greetings
Susanne(SUE) soon to be Alabamian..and back in the Country..

Here I thought it was me who was confused.

Now I got it straight.

Geni to Mexico, Sue to Alabama.

What about me? I'm still stuck in CT with NO butterflies for the Winter.

Maybe I'll go to Southern Texas, at least for a little visit!

Best of luck to you both!

Maryann

Hopp along, MaryAnn,
thanks for those nice wishes,moving is a huge pain in the neck..lol
Susanne(SUE)

Tee!Hee! I had to reread a couple of the messages. Glad that we got that all straightened out.

Geni update: I did get an e-mail this a.m. from her that they were planning on taking off at 12 noon today. Yeh!!!
I do wish them well, and hope that all goes safely.

I did give her a few contacts, and she said that she would check on them, particularly with the reforestation projects.

She said the hardest thing she found was unplugging her computer, and taking the modem back. I can indeed identify with that with all of my wonderful friends here on the Butterfly Forum. :)

Sue, I'm sorry that we will miss each other this winter. It's unfortunate that you are arriving in Alabama just as I am leaving. I'm writing tonight from Lake Charles, La. Although the water is wonderful in the Appalachian foothills where you will be, I'm a little hesitant to drink it here. May as well get accustomed to being careful. Tomorrow night I'll be in south Texas and cross the border Monday morning. The cold front that crossed Alabama earlier in the week appears to have left gorgeous but chilly weather behind it. I am still hoping to see some butterflies as I proceed south.

Oh -- the cats. My niece took Lizzie, my next door neighbor agreed to feed Kristall, and we dropped Slim Shady off with my daughter. We are cat-free for the first time in 12 years. Feels strange.

Dear Geni,
yeah I am kinda sad that we are missing each other, but when you come back to Alabama(hopefully) we can meet up... :)
The new home is in Pisgah/Henagar and sits on 3.5 acres...I cannot wait to start my gardening there, and bringing a whole bunch of plants with me..Over winter I will keep them inside of course..
The closing is planned for Dec 12. so please keep your fingers crossed..
I am hoping you have an awesome wintertime and tons of Butterflies in Mexico,cannot wait to see pictures..
Butterfly-Hugs..
Yours Susanne(SUE)

WOW, I have goosebumps right now as I type this! Two veterans moving...(and of course, I just sent both my holiday newsletter, too) all these new beginnings! WOW! (again) :)

Looking forward to all the news. This reminds me so much of Paul and his garden. Do you remember how it all started? Now look where he is with it! Such an oasis for wildlife- particularly butterflies!

Hey Sherry,
yeah, we are finally getting out of here..I had awesome experiences with my Gardening here,for Butterflies and also for other Wildlife,but Florida is getting way too expensive, overcrowded etc..
I am so craving back to Country Life,the way I grew up..we cannot wait to go..
It will be hard to leave the Garden here behind, but I am hoping someone will appreciate what I did the past years..
I still have tons of Butterflies, I should cut my Dutchman's Pipevine which is looking way too wild in the Backyard, but I have so many caterpillars on it, it would break my heart to just cut everything down..
So if anyone is here in my Palm Bay area, please contact me and get the caterpillars and as much cuttings as you like..
I cannot take all of them..
Greetings
Susanne(SUE)

Sue,

Best of luck in your move to Alabama. I just reread your member page about getting started in Florida. It reads like you've created a great garden in Florida. Given your excitement about getting back to the country life on your 3.5 acres in Alabama, I'll bet your new garden will be even better! Our best wishes for you and your children and MAY THE ALABAMA BUTTERFLIES DISCOVER YOU QUICKLY.

mike

.....and I remember Mike when he first started Camelot! Look what he has now! Tdog and MissSherry have been doing it so long, that they belong in the Butterfly Bible. "....and in the beginning.....".

Sue, I've always been curious, does Butterflyer1966 have special meaning to you? That's the year I gradutated from High School! Boy, giving away my age! Forty years, and it seems like yesterday. Unfortunately, HS was not my most favorite time in life - is it anyones? My sister was the popular one in the family (younger than me); cheerleader, BB Queen, you name it. I was the quiet, introspective child.

I hope we hear from you when you are settled in your new home. Does anyone live near you that would take in your pipevine cats and some pipevine to grow?

I know you've been talking about this move to Alabama (or somewhere further inland) for awhile, due to the hurricanes and other reasons. Are property and taxes just incredible? I know there's no state tax, but usually in those states (I lived in Texas for awhile), they make up for it in other ways, like higher property taxes, etc. Will you be in northern or southern Alabama? I've been thru Mobile on the way to Ft. Walton Beach, but that's it. Of course, butterflies weren't really on my mind then - sun and sea and wearing a bikini (like that's gonna ever happen again now! LOL!) were close to my heart then.

Susan

Dear SUSAN,
my screenname popped quickly in my mind because I love Butterflies, = Butterflyer and the Year I am born=1966..
Yeah getting old here..lol...
Fort Payne is, when you look on the Alabama map, south of Tenneesee and on Border to Georgia, close to Lookout Mountain area..
I fell in love with this area when my girlfriend who is from there recommended it to me after I told her I miss my home in Bavaria, Germany..
It is very laid back up there, the kids have place to roam, schools are awesome and I hope I can find peace of my mind again..
I love that Pisgah,the town we found our home has only 700 people, I never was a City Girl..
I have been doing my Wildlife and Butterfly-thingy for almost 5 years now and I know it will be different there climate wise..
But, hey I used to do crafts all the time that is what I will start again when wintertime is there which is usually very mild anyways..
I will definetely stay in touch and b4 we move and the pc is turned off I will give you my addy and we can stay in touch the good ol way..
Butterfly-& Season Greetings to everyone
Susanne(SUE)

You're getting old? Remember, I said I graduated high school in 1966! Hee Hee. You're just a young chickadee.

Bavaria, Germany? Were you close to those lush Black Forests? It always calls to mind the children's story, Hansel and Gretel.

Susan

Hola from sunny Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan. Well, actually, at the moment, it's starry Tzintzuntzan, but it was sunny today with temps in the mid-70s. Nights are quite chilly, but not freezing and they absolutely sparkle with stars. I can see the Milky Way clearly for the first time since my childhood in the sticks in north Alabama -- very close to where Sue is moving in a few days.

We arrived on Tuesday, but today was the first time I had a chance to do any serious butterfly watching. We are staying this first week at a lovely B&B called Posada Espiritu Libre. The owner, Didi Rubin, has spent the last two years building gardens along with renovating the house. She's not done yet (never will be because she always has three plans for each one she finishes), but the gardens are doing a fine job of attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, along with songbirds. Of all the flowers blooming here today, it was the good old lantana that was the butterfly magnet. I saw maybe 10 different species, and all of them could be new to me. One looked like a Cloudless Sulphur and another looked like a Fiery Skipper, but the sulphurs and skippers are so difficult to identify that I won't even swear to those. All the others were definitely lifers for me. I took pictures, but I can't upload them yet. I'm using Didi's computer for now, but I expect to have my own Internet connection next week, after we move into our own place. We decided to take a little house with a yard for the whole year. That way I can garden and we won't have to lug all our stuff back to Alabama when we go home in the spring. Then we can bring more stuff down next fall.

Sue, I am so excited for you. I know what a beautiful and peaceful place you are going to, and with all that space to spread out, you're going to just love it. I promise that I will come up and see you when I get back in the spring, and we can exchange some favorite plants. In fact, I'll ask you to take some cuttings of your Dutchman's Pipevine for me. That's one plant I haven't been able to find in the local nurseries. And remember that Terramadre will be fairly close to you when you move -- closer in fact than I am when I am at home in Munford. She has been a dear friend to me and she is a fabulous gardener and a generous soul.

Cat, we did cross the Pharr Bridge, and we remembered to wave.

Although this adventure is wonderful fun, it is also a little terrifying. Logging in and finding you all here brings a great sense of calm and security. What a terrific group! Thank you all.

geni

Dear GENI,
awesome to hear from you.. :) Between all the moving, packing etc we are doing right now,I have always checked back here to see if you wrote how you were doing..
Today was a big day for us, we picked up the first!!! UHAUL and brought it to our home here in Florida..As we started loading it, my son's friends joined us and within a short time it was packed..I bought them 4 boys some Pizza and they just loved it..I so appreciated their help..:)
We will drive up to our new home on Monday since the former owner was so nice to give me the meter number of the Power and Water Reader and I was able to get both turned on..I am glad the Coldfront is moving away from Alabama it has been freezing cold there the past days..Closing is next Tuesday so we are good to go..
I have never taken cuttings from my Dutchman's Pipevine but if you tell me how I would love to bring you some..The Vine is here out of control, growing over my pond area etc..and also covered with eggs and cats from the Goldrim SWT..
I am so excited it is getting unreal..I was very nervous about driving the UHAUL and also having my VAN on an AUTO TRANSPORTER behind us, but I think it is a piece of cake..lol we will drive slow with the flow...
I wish you Best of Luck in Mexico,please keep us updated and also start taking tons of Pictures..
xoxoxoxox
Best Wishes
Your friend Susanne(SUE)
I never spoken to TERRAMADRE before, where is she located at?? I would love to hear from her and I am so glad to have you all here, since I will be moving from Zone 9b to Zone 7 and I know there will be quite a difference with plants etc..

How exciting, Geni! I can't wait to see your pictures!
And Susan, I graduated from high school in 1966, too - interesting!
MissSherry

Silly me. I have no idea whether Dutchman's Pipevine can be propagated by cuttings. A Google search brought me right back to our own forum and a few other pages which suggest that it is best grown from seed and is not hardy in zone 7 anyway. Oh, well. Sue, you have more than enough to worry about in the next few days, so you just have fun and keep feeding those boys pizza.

Terramadre posts sometimes in the butterfly forum but more often in the Alabama forum. Here's a thread in which all three of us posted: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/alabgard/msg0618180512130.html

MissSherry, it's good to hear from you. I sent happy thoughts to you as we went through coastal Mississippi on I-10. I hope you felt a little breeze of good feelings as you were working in your garden last Saturday.

Don't forget that Rob had serpentaria roots for sale at one time. I don't know if he still has it or not, but it's Loess Roots.

Geni, so glad you made it and everything is going well. A cottage? How romantic (in terms of gardening and butterflies)! I'm just imagining what it must be like to be there amidst the winter home of the Monarchs! Ah......bliss! I hope we hear lots of good stories and see lots of great images of the butterflies there, and know you ALWAYS have a home here.

MissSherry - how cool is that?

Dreaming.............

Susan

Thanks for checking in, Geni. Sounds like a dream come true. Can't wait for you to get internet connection, and links to your website pics! Keep in touch.

Btw, I don't know which Dutchman's pipevine that you are talking about, but Aristolochea tomentosa and A. macrophyla are hardy to Zone 7, and can be propagated by cuttings. I do not know about the Aristolochia fimbriata as have not tried it yet, but it is hardy to zone 7, and should be able to obtain cuttings from.

Be safe, Sue. REMEMBER that you need more room to turn corners with all of that length behind you. Keep in touch.
Love you. :)

Geni,

Great to see you checking in on your post...and already having fun watching butterflies.

I do hope to see some clearwing photos from you. The Greta Oto and Pteronymia Cotytto strays we had in 2005 and 2005 were said to have come from Mexico...and if you find any of their larval host cestrums (lanatum, racemosum, san luis) or solanum nudum do let me know - I haven't been able to find a source for it.

Also hope you post photos of all those gorgeous butterflies that we don't get to see in the US.

~ Cat

Geni,

Your adventure sounds more and more wonderful with stars, lifer butterflies, rental for a YEAR, opportunity to garden, and of course the opportunity to commune with the Monarchs. I'm sitting here typing and about 3 feet to my right is the Christmas tree with butterflies that your gave us!!!!!!! Thanks again for a gift THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!

Enjoy and happy holidays,

mike

Now Geni...you went and left without me! And I had my bags all packed and ready too.

So happy for you that you are getting to live a dream. I've been having a similar dream to just up and take off to warmer climes where it's warm year round. I don't know why I don't, I have no personal obligations that I can't break from for awhile. Just afraid I guess, or lazy.

What are the people like in the town where you are? Are they American, Mexican, or from elsewhere. What do the locals do for a living? I've always wanted a clearer feeling of the area where the Monarch Preserves are located.

Please keep us posted....

Maryann

There has been increased drug trafficing in the Michoacan area. Geni, please be safe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Increased drugs in Michoacan area

Wow, so much going on right now. :)

Geni, so glad you are posting again. Get that internet connection up soon.

Sue, let us know about your new home. Looking forward to pics! :)

Lots of love,
CalSherry

We are also moving to Mexico.
We have traveled there every year since 1985..
After retiring in 2002 we started leading RV caravans through the Yucatan and Colonial Mexico.
Now we have retired from that also.
We purchased a home in Mazatlan last winter. For now we are also keeping our home in Washington, to have a place close to our Moms.
?Have you found any Mexico gardening books.
Dona

I'd love to hear more about this. Posts...pics, how to love...etc. I hear Americans used to be able not to buy property in Mexico....not they can? Or 100 yr lease? I've always worried that it's not safe. But I know some tows there must be idyllic.