This has been posted before, but I think it fits this discussion: Oh, Carrion eaters, you are welcome to my body. Turkey Vulture, take my eyes. When you soar on the wind I can see the trails I rode, the Oak groves I love, the Eel River of my blood. Coyote, take my feet so I can run in the blowing grasses, walk on the secret paths known only to deer and me. Fox, eat my ears. so I can hear the sweet song of frogs, the dreams of song birds at dawn. Bear, eat my nose, so I can smell the musty sweetness of Blackberries in late summer, the Steelhead and Salmon in the river, the first rain in a dry forest. Raven, eat my mouth, so I can deliver my eulogy with the poetic beauty you sent to the spirit of the Fox who was run over by a car. Composters, you are welcome to my body. Flies, there is a rotting crevice, a safe place to lay your eggs. Your children will balance the worlds of the flesh and the microbes. Earth Babies, scrape these bones clean. Wind and rain, grind my bones into sand. So the Blue Eyed grass, Meadow Foam, Elegant CatÂs Ears I always enjoyed will grow. When I walk the Earth again, I will pick a bouquet for myself Forgetting my part in the creation. J. Sims

I'm a mad scientist. I propagate all my plants constantly, and I'm always trying something new. Today I put down 3 blossom stems. Not because I particularly needed more of those AVs - I already have leaves down, of course - but just to see it work with my own eyes, I suppose. Forget being a crazy cat lady. I'm way more of a crazy plant lady. :0P

Glad to hear that you had a good butterfly year, Paul. Missed your posts this summer. I take it that you survived the drought with still having bfs around. I am no expert on Monarchs by any means. But, if you have had some unusually warm weather, and milkweed still growing, it's been my experience that the males can easily go out of diapause, and seek out newly emerged females, or elderly females unable to fight them off, and they will continue to lay eggs. The older females will continue to hang around and lay eggs until they die. Monarchs are tropical, and can not survive freezing temps. If they are in a very well protected wooded area, they may survive a light winter, but not a hard freeze with temps below freezing for a long period of time. They have trouble flying at temps below 55 degrees, and are paralyzed at temps below 40 degrees. Keep us posted on your Monarchs, Paul. Tdog, I can't believe that you are still finding eggs. :) Your temps must be warm enough for your milkweed to continue growing. How wonderful for them to find your haven. Wow, Miss Sherry. This is awfully early for them to be emerging. I am sure that they are very confused with the weather. Are your moths still overwintering?

I'm with Georgysmom.....water leak! ETA I'm sorry about your accident. Hopefully there's not too much damage. Sometimes those new fangled gadgets on cars aren't so wonderful....