Albert: have you noticed these fluttering by this week?me: hm.
no...
Albert: look for 'em
big migration this week
they're called painted lady butterflies
they spend winter in southern california and mexico
migrate up around this time to northern california/oregon/washington?
migrate back down in august
this year has seen a lot more than usual
I'm trying something new here. Leave a comment if...
- you've spotted one or spot one in the near future: note the location and time at which the Vanessa cardui graced your presence.
- you'd like to share a moment in which you were wowed or even repulsed by nature/the Outdoors.
Happy Spring.
Update on 4/12/09: Congratulations, Monica and Nick! Monica has chosen Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, and Nick, Rapid Viz: A New Method for the Rapid Visualization of Ideas by Kurt Hanks. Enjoy, and watch out for future interactive posts that involve drawings!
Posts
19 comments:
me: oh how neat!
i think i killed a bunch of them on my drive up and down the coast over break
poor things are all around the 5
Jessica: the 5?
me: the freeway
i would see them fluttering ahead of me
and then they would hit my window
i felt really bad
but it was unavoidable
it sure does explain a lot
Jessica: are you serious
umm.
morbid.
me: what!
just relaying a story
its not like i did it on purpose
I love your entries.
They are so unique =)
Just like you!
Hmm...I really can't think of anything right now but I wanted to just post to let you know I read your entry =)
See you tonight!
yes i saw tons hiking this weekend. it was amazing!!
Here are a few interesting facts about these little guys.
- They will migrate pretty much in a straight line. If needs be, they will go over an obstacle rather than around it.
- The yellow splat you see on the windshield after hitting them is the fat they've accumulated for the migration.
Once learning what that yellow splat was, I've been curious on how it tastes. Since butterflies drink nothing but nectar, does the fat taste sweet? I imagine licking the windshield after I hit a butterfly . . . and I get all grossed out.
haha i don't have a moment where i was wowed/repulsed by nature, but the other day i saw something hilarious. while i was walking to class, i saw a squirrel who had apparently gotten his/her head stuck in a thing of yogurt (like the yoplait kind). the squirrel couldn't get his head out so he was just jumping up and down aimlessly, and jumping pretty high/far at that-probably 6 or 7 feet. his/her friend squirrel didn't know what to do so it was just following the squirrel with its head stuck wherever it happened to go...i hope it was able to get its head out okay.
Gently gliding across the Bosphorus from Asia to Europe, I witness the small orange sun lean towards the horizon, making magical silhouettes out of the majestic domes and minarets of various mosques of Istanbul. The old city area, known as the Golden Horn, is embraced by a vast expanse of gleaming, silky Mediterranean waters. The ferry breaks the waves, now a rippling teal and crimson, as if to lift up a corner of a flowing soft blanket, quietly inviting the night.
lets get a net and capture some butterflies! it's super fun. :P
see ya tomorrow, hopefully!
Gasp, capture butterflies? What!
These are all great glimpses of nature. My reactions have ranged from laughing really hard (Tim's squirrel) to being slightly disturbed (Monica's roadkill) and moved (Nick's minarets).
Let's get some more!
i can't believe no one has mentioned the annual stanford caterpillar invasion as an example of nature at its worst.
hehe jelly it looks like your ploy to get more comments is working :)
Although I don't do this very often, I enjoy rolling out of bed at 7am (if I'm well-rested) to watch the sun rise just past Hoover Tower. It's not much, but it makes me feel great =)
I visited an active volcano in Hawaii when I was eight...started crying because I was convinced that the lava was burning through my shoes (it wasn't)...
HAHA, oh my goodness to Sherrie's point! If you don't already know, every Spring, these hairy caterpillar creatures invade the Stanford campus...to the point where you randomly find them in your hair or in your backpack.
My story: This caterpillar happened to be on my bike seat, and in my hurry to get to class, I sat on it. I didn't realize the gravity of what I had done until my ahem behind area became unbearably itchy, and I was diagnosed with, yes, caterpillar dermatitis. I had a rash in this unfortunate spot for three months. Try sitting through class like that.
Andrew, I like your Hoover Tower moment. In the early morning, campus is so quiet and peaceful - a nice contrast to the day. Same thing in the evening when you're walking/jogging around the Quad.
Baby Michael encounters nature at its scariest. Nice.
Thanks for your responses! I'll be posting the lucky winners at the end of this week, so you still have until Thursday noon to submit a little something.
And, thank you all for trying something new with me.
Jelly. I've seen these butterflies all over the place, but the place I really notice them is sitting at tennis matches. I actually looked them up to see what kind they were several weeks before I read your post.
Story - same as yours/Sherrie's...I found your rash mildly amusing until I had the same issue with a caterpillar that got crushed into my leg. :-(
i... cannot believe you are selling yourself for comments! wow. and how much disposable income do you have?!?!?!
fine. i will play.
i get the oddest sense of magic when i walk outside in a relatively rural area and see how many stars are out there. breathtaking.
glad to hear the alcohol event was a success! nice.
I can't say my story has any relevance with the topic of nature..but I'll just write a story so I can get drafted for the book.
FYI: I am terrified by any living animal. The only exception I have are humans..which are probably the scariest animals alive!
In high school, I used to go study late at night at the library and come home around 11 pm.
One day- i was walking home..and from afar, I saw a huge dog standing at the top of the hill. I am scared of dogs- but, I told myself to get over it..it won't come after me.
I was completely wrong.
It started sprinting down towards me. I was terrified and I ran to the closest 7/11.
Once I got there- I guess I was so scared my legs were wobbling..and I fell on my knees and started crying ( yes, I know it's pretty stupid).
The owner thought a man was chasing after me. He asked me what was wrong..I was so embarrassed I didn't want to tell him. After her heard what happened he looked really mad.
Conclusion: I called my house and had my brother come get me. As we were walking up the hill he asked me why he had to come out. I told him, "Because if the dog came after me again- i'd jump onto your back and have him bite you instead."
Sadly enough, I still fear every day when i see a dog..and I don't know if I will ever overcome my fear.
-herie-
awww purdy!
i'll be on the lookout when i go on hikes! :)
have you seen the white blossoming trees at Rains and EV? So very pretty but, OMG, it smells like something died! how can such pretty trees emit such a foul odor??
whoa - look at all the posts; guess i showed up too late to the party. epic fail! in any case, the Magnolia flowers outside my building are blooming - the contrast between the white petals and red brick is beautiful. And the scent makes for an added surprise as you walk past.
cheers!
btw, can (i.e. is there a way) one post a pic in comments? just wondering ....
Kevin, I hope to visit you in NYC one of these days. I want to smell those Magnolia flowers!
As for posting pictures in comments, a black swan from my trip to Hawaii last summer: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=34542652&id=207649. Not very user friendly, I know.
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