Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Need Help Building a Butterfly Education & Exploration Site, 4 by SingingWolf

SingingWolf wrote:
I don't know what the tree was, kittriana. It could have been a mulberry. I'm planning on going back there and looking for it on our next trip through the area. One good thing has come from going through Mom's paperwork. I've the addresses of places we used to live. :-) Yup, even though I know it won't be the same, I still want to go back and visit.

A week ago last Wednesday(9-10-14), I wanted to go and check the plants out by the Farmer's Market we are starting. I was wondering why the one milkweed plant was looking so ragged. Well, as I was looking at the plant I found a caterpillar, not just any cat, but a Monarch cat. I was so happy and excited I was literally jumping up and down and throwing my hands in the air. I wasn't shouting though, my throat has been kind of sore, and only my dogs were around, so I didn't.
Since it was almost dark, I took a couple of blurry photos, and then found a container to put the cats in. After collecting the 2 cats I spotted, I brought them home and gave them each their own MW plant to climb around on. :-D
The next morning I went back out and found one more. Paul (the FM Manager) told me he saw about 6 of them the day before. I looked all over and didn't see any more. I asked Paul to let me know if he spots any more. I'll bring them home, and see what else hatches out, out there. I figure they were on the plants when I bought them. They are pretty big cats.
I've checked daily for the cats. The first two days they were still crawling around on the milkweed. Then they vanished. I figure that either a bird ate them, or they've gone into their next stage of life. They were pretty big so they were probably ready to change. So I've been looking for their cocoons. Haven't spotted them yet, but it's a jungle out there. I am worried that I won't be here to see them fly. :-(
For once I don't want to go to the beach. This is unheard of!
DH and I go the beach for 2 weeks every Sept.-Oct. This year when we go down there, I've arranged to meet up with another DG gardener who has b.flys. Not just any b.flys, but Monarchs. :-) She says she'll give some cats or a cocoon on a chopstick. :-) I'm hoping she will like the Maypops passiflora I want to gift her with. She wants to have visits from the Gulf Frits.
I found some GF cats on the Passiflora last week. That made me happy since I hadn't seen any for awhile. Today I was out searching for them, and spotted a wasp. While I was taking a photo of the wasp, I saw a cat crawling around. They are so funny. The vines have been growing, and the vines in one pots got tangled with the vines in another pot during our t.storm on Tuesday. They are climbing from one plant to the other using the vine bridge. I'll be keeping an eye out on them. :-)
Photos~
1. Blurry photo taken after I quit jumping for joy~
2. Another blurry photo.
3. Using the flash hoping to improve the clarity.
4. In the container.
5. The last was taken after I had successfully transferred the cat to the MW.
More photos soon.
WIB~
SW