Wrapping Up May

I'm still in a struggle with my computer to upload pictures.  I got some good suggestions to use my e-mail and I have resorted to that on more than one occasion but the only problem I have with that is when the number of pictures that I've taken is in the double digits... but thinking about that, it would probably take less time e-mailing them in smaller groups than it has taken trying to download them.  I'll stop complaining and get on with this as it's already the 5th of June and I haven't wrapped up May yet.

The wildflowers I believe called Dame's Rocket bloomed profusely down the road near the brook.  I took this picture from the road coming home one day from an appointment.  This appears to be a new area of growth as I don't remember seeing them on this side of the bridge that's there.  Nonetheless, they were so pretty in the dappled sunlight.

HWNSNBP treated me to a couple of chocolate covered strawberries for Mother's Day.  Don't you just love that pink one!

This was a project that I started back in late October when the swallowtail caterpillars were pupating in our patio table enclosure.  They were very late in the season and it was getting very cold and we were going to put the netting and umbrella away but I didn't want to kill these chrysalids so I read up on it and found that I could gently remove them from the netting and store them loosely covered in the refrigerator for the duration of the winter which I did.  There were 4 of them that I was able to find.  I took them out on the day that our SIL called to tell us that the baby was going to be born that day and put them into a butterfly tent that I had purchased for this reason.  

I made little "cots" out of pieces of paper towel that I pinned to the netting so they would have something to climb up on when they eclosed.

The day we came home from Delaware was when HWNSNBP, who entered the house first, noticed that there was something fluttering around in the tent and quickly came back outside to tell me that I had a surprise inside.  At first I didn't want to believe him as this would be something he might tease about, but he assured me that he wasn't making it up and I came in to find that 2 of them had, in fact, eclosed while we were gone and were frantically trying to find a way out.  

I took the tent outside and was hoping that I would be able to have them step onto my finger first, but they were much too nervous at this point and flew out of the tent almost immediately.  Luckily I got a picture of one of them before that.  I know they must have been hungry.  There are two more in their cots and I also have a Luna Moth cocoon in there in the hopes they will eclose soon.  

I thought I saw something orange in one of the smaller trees in front of the pool the next day but it flew off too quickly to get a picture, but I was very lucky to have this beauty catch my attention when I was eating breakfast the next day.  An Oriole!  I have never seen an oriole in our yard.  Actually, I don't think I've ever seen one IRL anywhere though I know that they're around here.  I quickly grabbed by phone to get this picture through the window as it sat on the little fence by the birdbath outside the window there.  I'm hoping that they'll become regular visitors.

We picked up this plant at the Great Swamp Nursery because it promised that it was deer and rabbit resistant and so far has proved to be.  It wasn't flowering when we got it but we liked it so much we went back to get another one for another area and sadly, they no longer had any more.  We do know what it's called though so we can keep looking if we go to any other nurseries.  (Which I'm sure we will.)  We've really tipped the flower budget this year but HWNSNBP is the one who keeps saying he wants more - so why argue with him!

Here are two handmade cards that I received this month.  The first from Sabrina with one of my favorite quotes on it.  

And this one is from LeAnne who helped me out tremendously with some SU supplies that I needed to finish Rachel and Ryan's wedding invites which I'll share at a later date.

And here is a birthday and thank you/Mother's Day card that I sent out during May.

Well, that pretty much wraps up May.  I'll be back to do a wrap-up of The 100 Day Project and also a post about beginning ICAD 2023.  I've got a couple of birthdays this month and also Father's Day to make cards for and the Jingle Belles have a new challenge theme this month which will have busy.  

A belated welcome to June!