Authentic Compassion

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

What's snew?


Not much and everything - what's snew with you?
Our lives have revolved around trying different medications, doctors and treatments to get my DH back to a fuller life. Hasn't happened yet but with the Lord's blessing - we are working on it! Life is a work in progress for anyone isn't it?

Current series was my fascination with our dill plant - grew beautifully and was so full and fragrant. We've used a little to season a sauce or two
- but mostly enjoying it's lacy beauty.









Yikes - an invasion - dill plant was suddenly covered (total of 13 caterpillars at one time) with small army devouring dill devotedly.
















Hard to believe these small critters can eat so steadily - but in a short time we were seeing them peel off the stem coverings to eat those also.














Each day I was seeing fewer and fewer caterpillars -a friend identified them as fourth instar (stage) of swallowtail butterflies.





As far as I can tell - only one made it to the chrysalis stage just under rim of planter pot. Hopeful it will be able to fully develop without some nosy bird finding a meal from it. Always something to see on Buhlaland - that's good


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda, Nice to get an update from you. Continued prayers for you and your husband.

The dill must be a marvelous host plant for these butterflies. You'll have to keep us posted on this one.

Paula said...

So good to hear from Buhlaland, Miss Linda Sue!
Those are (were) some brightly colored caterpillars... no wonder they were easy prey for the birds.
I've never grown many herbs- what do you use the dill in/with?
As always, I'm praying for you both...

LindaSue said...

Hi Mildred and Paula - the dill is wonderfully tasty with cucumbers in a yogurt (I like Greek yogurt - creamier) and chopped up dill topping. Also fabulous for home made tartar sauce - lip smacking good on fried fish and hush puppies!
Thank you all for the prayers - we know that is the primary health care source!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Hey Linda - hope you're dealing with the heat as well as you can; I'm melting here. My fennel is doing well and so is my dill but the basil isn't. Take care of youself and of Skip; I know it's difficult, you're both in my prayers and thoughts.

Eggs In My Pocket said...

Just want you to know that you and your husband are on my prayer list. Such vibrant and beautiful catipillars.

Wobegon Cottage said...

Life is definately a journey with lost of twists and turns. will keep you in our prayers. I like the way the catapillars blend well with the plants. I didn't know they liked dill.

GretchenJoanna said...

Since you couldn't use all your dill anyway, it was kind of you welcome the future swallowtails to nourish themselves on it. You are a loving gardener.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't have guessed that those voracious caterpillars would be such beauties later... nicely captured!

Lanny said...

Oh to give my dill to such a greater cause, the Swallowtail Butterfly! Sometimes it pays to know what is chewing on ya doesn't it!

Catching up on blogging reading. I don't get upstairs much save for business and even then not enough. But would it be cheating if I were to say here that I love when I find whole songs or whole poems or unabridge books. Then you find out what the author was completely thinking at the time. Have a splendid weekend. You all continue to be in my prayers, that's the nice thing about praying, I don't need a portable computer or to even come upstairs!

Back to the dill and the caterpillers for a final thought. Your postmMakes a person wanna make sure they plant lots of dill and other plants that the caterpillers can feed on as well as nectar plants.