Late this afternoon, I finally climbed down off the tall stepladder to take the old dog out for a hike. He has been so patient with me as I paint the living room that he got three extra treats and a promise of a nice, long walk! After nearly an hour of meandering about the place, we settled down on the pier to watch the mullet jump. Oops! Big mistake. Spring is here...the gnats are out in full force. That ended our lounging for the day as even PJ wanted inside!
On the way back up the hill, a small movement in the pine straw caught my eye causing me to linger a bit longer. Since I had left the door open, PJ was safely inside and I could explore the cause of the wiggling pine needles. Dropping to my knees, I was surprised to see a moth making its way up a pine tree. This little guy had just emerged of its chrysalis and was ready to do its transformation! It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time! So what else could I do but watch!
At the first sighting, the wings of the moth were still tightly folded and moist. The moth needed to climb a few feet before finding a satisfactory spot to unfurl the wings so they could dry and it could become a full fledged moth. This only took a few moments and I admit that I wandered off for a bit in the midst of the transformation. About ten minutes from start to finish was all it took for the critter to turn from a weird looking bug to a gorgeous moth!
Now a question...why are most butterflies so brightly colored while most moths are predominantly gray, brown or green? Well, it is a simple matter of survival. Butterflies are active during the day and visit brightly colored flowers to feed. Their colors help them to blend with their surroundings. The same goes for moths. Most moths are more active at night and hide during the daytime hours. Their coloring and markings help them to blend with tree bark or leaves. At night, there is no need for bright colors so the more muted tones suit their needs. Question answered!
My writing got waylaid yesterday evening. We had another running of the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou and time just got away from me. When I finally quit for the day, a new day had already begun. It was just two hours before sunrise and I was dog-tired. (Where did that phrase originate? Hmm?) Anyway, instead of making the effort of using my brain any further, I collapsed into the bed. Two hours later, I was up with the sun and raring to go once again.
The clue hunt went well once again with the team being enthusiastic and having a lot of fun. That is all that matters. I have found that one area particularly sparks the imagination of each team. I transformed our storage shed into a "Shop of Curiosities". This small room seems to strike a chord with each person. I am assuming that more folks have a bit of Bohemian in them that admit to it. The unconventional flair about the room lends for an active imagination which is exactly what I was aiming to do...tickle the senses, so to speak.
All in all, I think I can safely say, even at this point, that this year's event is proving successful. This encourages me to continue with the hard work involved. Next year's hunt is already in the works and, hopefully, will be just as enjoyable.
