Hi All!

[windrider]

Well...when I gathered the first monarch eggs in August, I thought of the 2 butterflies I helped last year, and the two the year before and told my wife how I'd be happy if I could get just 5 successfully reared. I ordered 25 tags, thinking that I'd end up returning some.

To actually have helped 39 little guys get to adulthood was a pretty good journey I'm really happy with.

And as I watched the last three fly off last weekend, I kind of felt sad it was over.

I did find a swallowtail cat in my fennel when I was collecting seeds, but - and I know it sounds funny, but it seems like the monarch cats have more of a personality.

[skates4marty]

Same as me: 2 the first year, 2 the second, 40 the third. That's the year I started to get others involved. Now, in Year 8 (Year 6 of raising in earnest), 3 of my recruits will release more than I do. I encourage you to pull others in. Last year, our group released 802, and only 140 of those were mine.

[windrider]

My wife was a bit apprehensive when I started bringing in leaves full of eggs, and then cats in all phases of growth, but when she actually sat and watched a cat in J position pupate, she was totally entranced, then when the first of the lot emerged - one we'd been affectionately calling Big Brother, she was totally tickled.

And if she can't help, the grand kids will be out helping me round up leaves and feed them.

I'm also active on Second Life (an online virtual world) and had several followers there who have asked me about raising milkweed themselves.

[skates4marty]

Does your avatar raise butterflies?

[windrider]

Does your avatar raise butterflies?

Hmmmm...